The Warriors have delivered a blow to rivals hoping to land the signature of Reece Walsh, reminding the competition that the 19-year-old is contracted next season with an option to extend into 2024.
Walsh, who has played 21 matches for the Warriors, has been linked to a potential move to the Dolphins, suggested by Phil Rothfield on NRL360, but Warriors CEO Cameron George has categorically denied that the club will be without Walsh next season.
“Making comments like that (breaking contracts), whether it’s the media, the Dolphins or whoever, it’s clearly breaching the rules to state an intent to break a contract,” George said, via stuff.co.nz.
“Reece is an integral part of our footy team and our club, we love having him at our club and he’s really enjoying being here.
“Without a doubt, we’ve seen the development of him underneath our coaching staff.
“I think everyone should back off him, he’s under contract and that’s it in a nutshell.
“Give the kid a break and stop trying to use him as a negotiation tool.
“Obviously, the Dolphins have got an insight into the contracts in place at our club, given their recruitment manager.
“It’s disappointing that it continues to get played out in the media, through various people when clearly the kid is under contract.
“The NRL need to make a stance here and stop this chat about discussions on contracts being broken.
“Surely that wasn’t the intent of bringing in the 17th team, so that those sorts of discussions could take place.”
Speculation has stirred over a welfare clause in Walsh's contract as a potential exit point, but George shut down that possibility.
“The purpose of that [clause] is that we were dealing with a young kid leaving a development contract to go into the NRL,” George said.
“Moving to the Warriors, he understands perfectly that New Zealand is going to be his home. He’s got a great connection to New Zealand (his birth mother is a Kiwi) and understood that coming here was always the case.
“Through his management, and rightly so as a young person with a young family, he has the ability to talk to the club in a very narrow field of welfare, and we both understand what that.
“His manager is such a professional operator and numerous times he’s said that they’re not there to abuse that clause.
“We all understand clearly the parameters of that discussion, but it was one that was very important for them and us, for a young person like Reece at the time he signed for the club.
“If others want to try to exploit that, that’s disrespectful to Reece and his family.”
The Gold Coast-born Walsh has reportedly brushed off reports linking him to a home town move, but George has urged the competition to consider the impact of the speculation on the 19-year-old.
“He’s such a terrific person and if you’re around him, you just can’t help receive energy off him,” George said.
“He’s happy and I just wish everyone would back off the kid.
“He doesn’t deserve the headlines, all he’s doing is his job. He’s enjoying life and he’s now been caught up due to certain individuals wanting to make a song and dance about that clause.
“I think it’s cruel for Reece. Let him enjoy life, let him enjoy footy. He’s 19, let him be.”
Walsh will line up against the Storm at fullback for the Warriors in their traditional ANZAC Day match on Monday.
