Will Warbrick has been denied the opportunity of a fitting farewell at the Melbourne Storm after the club confirmed the winger suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during Friday night's 14-6 defeat to the Roosters.
The 28-year-old, who will join the New Zealand Warriors on a three-year deal from 2027, went down in a non-contact incident during the opening 30 minutes of the match. Melbourne confirmed on Friday night that it was a suspected Achilles injury, bringing an immediate end to his 2026 campaign.
While a return to Melbourne cannot be completely ruled out, Warbrick's impending move to the Warriors means Friday night's appearance was likely to be his last in Storm colours, robbing him of the chance to finish his time at the club on his own terms. He will now also be unavailable for New Zealand at this year's Rugby League World Cup.
Warbrick has been a great addition to the Storm since making the switch from rugby union in 2022. After winning an Olympic silver medal with the New Zealand All Blacks Sevens team at the Tokyo 2020 Games, he transitioned to rugby league and made his NRL debut for Craig Bellamy's side in 2023.
In just three seasons, the powerful outside back established himself as a regular first-grade winger, making 72 appearances and crossing for 52 tries in Melbourne colours.
The injury is another cruel blow for the Storm's outside backs, with Warbrick becoming the second Melbourne winger to suffer a ruptured Achilles this season. Representative flyer Xavier Coates also sustained the same injury earlier in the year, leaving Bellamy's side without two of its premier finishers.
Warbrick now faces a lengthy rehabilitation as he prepares for the next chapter of his career with the Warriors, where he is expected to bolster the club's outside backs from next season.
