The Warriors could find out within the next few days whether Kurt Capewell is willing to leave the Broncos and relocate to New Zealand next year.
A three-year offer is on the table from the club, which, for a player aged 30, should be highly tempting.
Capewell is under contract with the Broncos for 2024 but they have told him he won’t be offered another deal and can have a release from his contract from next year to join someone else.
The top of any NRL player’s list is long-term security and Stuff understands Capewell is discussing with his partner about how a move to New Zealand would work.
The Warriors could find out within the next few days whether Kurt Capewell is willing to leave the Broncos and relocate to New Zealand next year.
A three-year offer is on the table from the club, which, for a player aged 30, should be highly tempting.
Capewell is under contract with the Broncos for 2024 but they have told him he won’t be offered another deal and can have a release from his contract from next year to join someone else.
The top of any NRL player’s list is long-term security and Stuff understands Capewell is discussing with his partner about how a move to New Zealand would work.
Capewell will have to report to Broncos preseason training soon, so it’s in his best interests to decide sooner rather than later.
He will battle with Jordan Riki and Brendan Piakura for game time next season at the Broncos, while at the Warriors he’ll be regarded as a significant upgrade on Josh Curran, who was given a release to join the Bulldogs.
Curran didn’t settle in Auckland last season, struggled to get minutes and wasn’t near the player he was in previous years for the Warriors.
If Capewell does join the Auckland-based club, it will allow them to press ahead with moving Marata Niukore into the middle more.
Even before interest was sparked in signing Capewell, the Warriors coaches were already thinking about that switch for Niukore.
He did a good job as an edge backrower last season, but often only played 45–50 minutes there, which limited the team’s rotation.
Niukore would then have a spell on the sidelines and come back on for 10 minutes in the front row.
The club learned last year they needed more backup for Addin Fonua-Blake. He sometimes played for over 70 minutes as the coaches knew they lacked someone with his punch to replace him.
Niukore can be that player, while the Warriors know that in Capewell they’d have a State of Origin level second rower, who is tough and skilful, fits into Andrew Webster’s style of wanting players who can create things and can last 80 minutes each week.
Before the Warriors grant Fonua-Blake a release from his contract, they want a player back similar to his level, either from the club the prop moves to, or from somewhere else.
Although Capewell would be a huge addition to the Warriors squad, he isn’t regarded as the player to initiate Fonua-Blake’s departure. They were already looking for another player to bring into the squad before the Tongan international said he wanted to leave.
That did throw a spanner in the works. Capewell is more of a like-for-like replacement for Curran, but they still want to add to the front row stocks next season and if Capewell decides he doesn’t want to join the Warriors, the club will quickly move on and try to sign another backrower.
Offering a three-year contract to a 30-year-old does come with risks, but he is seen as a player who’ll help the club go through a transition period.
There are some exceptionally talented young forwards at the Warriors, such as Jacob Laban, Demitric Sifakula and Zyon Maiu’u, but they’re not ready yet and should be coming through to be NRL-level regulars in two to three years, but will be able to get some experience at that level over the next couple of years and will be able to learn lots from Capewell.
By the time Capewell finishes, or Jackson Ford has moved on, the younger players will be ready to go.
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