One New Zealand Warriors co-captain Mitchell Barnett will return to Australia at the end of the season for personal reasons.
Warriors CEO Cameron George today announced the 31-year-old Kangaroos and New South Wales front rower will be released from the final year of his contract.
“We’re very sad to see this happen but Mitch and his family need to be back home,” he said.
“He has become such a big part of our club. We love having him here and we know how much he loves it, too, but it’s important he, Clare and their boys are back around their family support network."
After recovering from knee surgery in 2025, the State of Origin and Kangaroos representative has two career milestones in sight as he eyes the 2026 season. His first game of the campaign will be his 50th for the One New Zealand Warriors while he’s 23 games away from his 200th career appearance.
