In a Storm jersey that has become all too familiar on grand final nights, will warbrick has been described as a barnstorming winger whose powerful running and finishing have made him a weekly selection for Melbourne. Now that presence is threatened as the club confronts another potential departure from its outside backs.
Will Warbrick be leaving the Storm for the Warriors?
Reports have placed Will Warbrick on the brink of signing a multi-year deal with the New Zealand Warriors that would begin in 2027. The move would take the winger back to New Zealand, where he previously played rugby sevens for the national side before switching codes to rugby league. The timing described in some accounts aligns with the end of the current NRL season and a contract commencement in 2027.
What does this change reveal about Melbourne Storm’s backline depth?
The potential exit of will warbrick would come amid a wider pattern of turnover at Melbourne. The club has lost key contributors in recent seasons and faces uncertain futures for others. Ryan Papenhuyzen, the Storm fullback, retired at the end of 2025. Xavier Coates remains tied to the club only until the end of 2027, and the team missed out on Zac Lomax as an external reinforcement.
Inside the playing group, Craig Bellamy, head coach of the Melbourne Storm, has routinely selected Warbrick for his finishing and running power. Should Warbrick depart, the club is reported to hold significant salary-making capacity to pursue targets on the open market, while also considering internal options such as Moses Leo and Hugo Peel to step permanently into their back five.
How would a Warriors move fit both clubs and what is being done?
For the New Zealand Warriors, the reported interest in Will Warbrick lines up with roster questions at the club. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak are both off-contract at the end of 2026, with Watene-Zelezniak carrying a mutual option in his deal. The Warriors supplemented their outside backs this season by bringing in Alofiana Khan-Pereira from the Gold Coast Titans, but ongoing fitness concerns over Rocco Berry and the developing status of youngster Ali Leiataua have left the club evaluating its long-term back five.
The Storm, for their part, would need to replace a proven attacking weapon if Warbrick leaves. The club’s reported financial flexibility would allow it to pursue market options, while internal promotions remain an available pathway. On the ground, Warbrick’s return from concussion-related interruptions in 2025 and the strong performances that followed are part of why he has been a consistent selection under Craig Bellamy.
Voices inside the narrative are drawn from the roster itself: Craig Bellamy, head coach of the Melbourne Storm, has relied on Warbrick’s finishing ability; Xavier Coates, a Melbourne Storm player, has contract uncertainty that compounds selection planning; and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, a New Zealand Warriors player, figures among those whose futures influence recruitment strategy at the Warriors.
Both clubs are responding to a tight market for outside backs. The Warriors have already adjusted their recruitment and are monitoring fitness and youth pathways. The Storm are balancing retention, internal promotion, and potential market moves as they consider life without another regular member of their backline.
Back on the wing, the image of will warbrick—returning from concussion setbacks, running for more than 130 metres in early-season form, and playing in recent grand final campaigns—captures what both clubs would be gaining or losing. Whether that image will remain at Melbourne or be worn in New Zealand next season is the hinge on which these roster plans turn.
