Highly-rated Jye Linnane has joined the One New Zealand Warriors early ahead of taking up a three-year NRL contract from next season.
The 19-year-old Newcastle five-eighth has come to Auckland to continue his recovery from knee surgery in preparation for the 2026 preseason campaign.
Linnane has come through the Knights’ pathways system playing a total of 36 games for the Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21), SG Ball Cup (under-19) and Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) sides since 2021.
Warriors general manager recruitment, pathways and development Andrew McFadden said Linnane is “an exceptional talent and a terrific young man.”
He said his outstanding qualities as a footballer are his running game and his speed.
On a development contract with Newcastle for 2025, Linnane had been training impressively with the club’s NRL squad when his plans were ended by a second ACL injury in January.
He was only 17 when he was brought into Newcastle’s under-21 side in 2023 where he played alongside current Knights NRL star Fletcher Sharpe.
Linnane represented New South Wales Country Under-18 in 2023 facing a star-studded City side which included current NRL players Casey McLean – who has played Test football for the Kiwis – Tallyn De Silva, Lachlan Galvin and Blaize Talagi.
