Warriors co-captain Mitch Barnett announces shock departure from club

A massive blow for the Warriors.

Co-captain Mitch Barnett will depart the club and return to Australia at the end of the NRL season for personal reasons.

Warriors boss Cameron George has agreed to release Barnett from the final year of his contract and says the 31 year-old prop will be missed.

“We’re very sad to see this happen but Mitch and his family need to be back home,” George 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.”

Barnett joined the Warriors from the Knights in 2023 and became a Kangaroos and New South Wales representative the following year.

He's been sidelined since June after tearing his ACL but is expected back on the field in the early weeks of this season. 

The hard-nosed prop is set to trigger a frenzy on the open market, with elite middle forwards rarely becoming available to sign.

Barnett still has plenty to play for heading into the 2026 season.

His first game of the campaign against the Roosters at Mount Smart on March 6 will be his 50th for the New Zealand Warriors while he’s 23 games away from his 200th career appearance.