Tonga captain Addin Fonua-Blake dropped a bombshell on his current club New Zealand Warriors ahead of the final test at the home of Leeds Rhinos.
Despite being under contract with the club until the 2026 NRL season, he requested his release in order to force a return to Sydney, according to reports.
However, reports suggest that the Warriors are attempting to keep the talented forward despite interest from the St George Illawarra Dragons.
The Dragons are widely believed to be the only club in a position to sign the forward. This is because they are located in the area where Fonua-Blake wishes to relocate while also having enough salary cap space to pay his wages.
The Warriors, on the other hand, appear to be forcing him to play out the 2024 season.
The Dragons returned to WIN Stadium on November 1 as preparations for the 2024 season began.
The players were greeted by new head coach Shane Flanagan and Dean Young as senior NRL assistant coach, as well as returning NRL assistant coaches Ryan Carr and Ben Woolf.
The first wave of returning players included a few notable senior players, including Blake Lawrie, Zac Lomax, Jack Bird, Francis Molo, and Ben Murdoch-Masila, who chose to return from leave early.
Savelio Tamale, Ryan Couchman, and Sione Finau are among the players on the 2024 NRL squad who have been promoted to the club’s top 30 list. Dan Russell, the current Papua New Guinea representative, has also been promoted to the top 30 list.
Connor Muhleisen, Josh Coric, Dylan Egan, Jackson Shereb, Hamish Stewart, and Corey Ackers all signed supplementary list contracts.
Jett Liu, Jacob Webster, Finau Latu, Loko Pasifiki Tonga, Lyhkan King-Togia, Hayden Buchanan, Nick Tsougranis, and Kade Reed will all take part in the NRL pre-season.
Because of their unique circumstances, both Junior Amone and Cody Ramsey are currently ranked in the top 30, but their final playing status for 2024 has yet to be determined by the club and the NRL.
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