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Warriors fullback Reece Walsh is set to return to Brisbane next season in a major boost for the Broncos.
The young star, who is under contract at the Warriors until the end of 2024, has informed the club that for personal reasons, he would not be able to relocate to Auckland when the team returns permanently to its home base.
Warriors CEO Cameron George said the club was disappointed the Maroons squad member would not be part of the team in 2023.
“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,” he 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 has made 30 appearances for the Warriors since his debut last year but he missed Sunday’s homecoming win over the Tigers at Mt Smart Stadium after failing a COVID test.
Reece Walsh (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Canberra fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has been granted a release to return to the Warriors, signing a three-year deal with the club where he made his NRL debut.
The 26-year-old Kiwi international’s shift to Auckland for personal reasons offsets the departure of rising star Reece Walsh.
“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,” Warriors CEO Cameron George said.
“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 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.
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.
Canberra have Xavier Savage establishing himself in the No.1 jersey with the young gun now set to be their long-term fullback.
Raiders CEO Don Furner said the club was indebted to CNK for his efforts over the past five seasons.
“Charnze arrived in Canberra in 2019 looking for an opportunity to further his NRL career and took that opportunity with both hands,” Furner said.
“He’s been a very good for the club both on and off the field and we wish him all the best for the rest of this season before he returns home to New Zealand to be closer to his family next year.”
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Melbourne centre Reimis Smith will miss the remainder of the 2022 season after aggrevating the pectoral injury he sustained against St George Illawarra in round nine.
Smith joined the Storm from Canterbury last year and immediately became a regular in their best 17.
He has since re-signed until the end of 2024 and had been on track to return from injury before the finals series.
“I was working extremely hard and looking forward to getting back on the field with the guys in the next few weeks but unfortunately we have hit a bit of a hurdle which has set me back,” Smith said.
“I will do everything that I can to get back and will be here to support the team for the rest of this year.
“It has been hard watching from the sidelines but I have had great support from the club and the fans.”
In Smith’s absence, Marion Seve has become a fixture of the starting line-up but teams have begun to exploit the inexperience of the Storm’s outside backline, especially now that winger Xavier Coates is also injured.
In last week’s game alone, Manly scored six of their seven tries through their outside backs and the remaining try through edge back-rower Haumole Olakau’atu.
The Storm will need to tighten their edge defence for Thursday night’s game against Cronulla or risk suffering a similar fate as between them the Sharks’ first-choice wingers Sione Katoa and Ronaldo Mulitalo have scored 23 tries so far this season.
With a loss, the Storm will slip into third position on the ladder with the same number of competition points as the fourth-placed Sharks.
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