Warriors star Reece Walsh set to leave club for Brisbane Broncos

The New Zealand Warriors have confirmed incumbent fullback Reece Walsh has indicated his wish to stay in Australia and leave the club with reports he could sign a new deal with the Brisbane Broncos this week.

Walsh is contracted for 2023 with an option for 2024 and has been linked to a return to Brisbane.

The Courier Mail is reporting it's a done deal with Walsh reportedly set to sign a three year contract with his former club.

In May, Walsh said he was '100 per cent going to New Zealand next year' but his circumstances have changed according to the Warriors.

"There has been a major change in Reece's personal circumstances in the past two months which have impacted on his ability to move to Auckland with the club next season," Warriors CEO Cameron George said.

"We're working through his situation and have given him permission, with some conditions, to look at options in Brisbane. It's not the way either Reece or the club had wanted this to play out but we respect the issues he has."

Walsh, who turns 20 this week, has made 30 appearances for the Warriors since his debut last year but he missed Sunday's homecoming after failing a Covid test.

He was at the centre of a tug-of-war between the Warriors and the Broncos for his signature last year.

He was granted an early release from the Broncos in April 2021 after originally agreeing to join the Warriors from 2022.

"I am 100 per cent going to New Zealand next year"

In May, Walsh spoke out on the rumours about his future.

"At first I sort of laughed about it and would ask the boys, 'where do you think they get this information from?' because it definitely isn't coming from me or my management or my family," he said.

"After a while, it became too much, there were questions from my teammates.

"It's got to the point where it's worth addressing because it's spiralling out of control.

"It's not fair on my teammates or the club that they think I am wanting to go elsewhere. It's not the case. We haven't spoken to any other clubs.

"I have a contract in place which means I am 100 per cent going to New Zealand next year."

The Warriors viewed Walsh as their long-term replacement for Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who quit league for rugby last season.

New signing

Meanwhile George today announced Canberra Raiders fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is returning to the club from next season.

The 26-year-old Nicoll-Klokstad has signed a three-year contract to bring him back to his original NRL club after spending the past four seasons with the Raiders.

"Having Charnze back with the Vodafone Warriors is going to be tremendous for us as a club and also for him personally," said George.

"He brings undoubted qualities as one of the best fullbacks in the game as well as so much off the field as a wonderful young man.

"He's so excited about coming back to the Vodafone Warriors, being home and being closer to his family."

Nicoll-Klokstad made his NRL debut with the Warriors in their 14-13 ninth-round
win over the Sydney Roosters at Mount Smart Stadium in 2017. He went on to score seven
tries in seven appearances in his rookie season but he didn't add to his tally in 2018 before leaving to link up with the Raiders in 2019.

In four seasons there he has scored 23 tries in 66 matches while averaging 158 metres a
game. As well as playing for the Cook Islands he played three Tests for the Kiwis in 2019
and represented the Māori All Stars in 2021.

Of Cook Islands, Māori and Norwegian descent, Nicoll-Klokstad played his junior football in Auckland before moving to Melbourne where he joined the Alatona Roosters.

Signed by the Storm he played for the club in the under-20 National Youth Competition in
2014 and 2015 before linking with the Warriors. He was a regular for club's New South Wales Cup side playing all 24 matches in 2016 and being named the Warriors' NSW player of the year. In his NRL rookie season in 2017, Nicoll-Klokstad won the Warriors' clubman of the year accolade.

His first season with the Raiders was a breakout year in which he scored 11 tries and appeared in the grand final, making a game-high 237 metres in his side's 8-14 loss to the Sydney Roosters.