Warriors reject Raiders’ approach for playmaker

The Warriors have knocked back an approach from the Raiders to grant Chanel Harris-Tavita an early release from his contract.

The Ricky Stuart-coached team wanted to pick up the playmaker for next season, but the Warriors have told them that they see HarrisTavita an important part of their squad for 2022.

Harris-Tavita will be able to talk to clubs from November 1 about a deal starting in 2023, but he will see out the remainder of his current contract at the Warriors.

With Warriors CEO Cameron George confirming to Stuff last weekend that they’ve held talks with former Titan Ash Taylor for next season, plus Harris-Tavita wanting to test the market for 2023, it’s no surprise that the Raiders were interested in the possibility of picking up Harris-Tavita a year early.

However, even though the Warriors still aren’t convinced that the 22-year-old is part of the club’s

long term plans and will wait until early next season before offering a new deal, he is an important figure for 2022.

He will team up in the halves with Shaun Johnson and it will be a

combination that will be a big factor in determining whether the Warriors can finish in the top eight.

The Warriors have been looking at signing Taylor for a bargain price of around $250,000 for a one-year

deal. They have also been trying to pick up Luke Metcalf from the Sharks for next year, but have been told that he won’t be given an early release.

Metcalf, 22, played in six games for the Sharks last season, starting in two of them.

He is an exciting prospect and scored a brace against Wests Tigers in round 23. His current contract with the Sharks goes through to the end of next season, so the Warriors won’t be able to talk to him until November 1 about joining the club from 2023.

The Raiders had been showing interest in Sean O’Sullivan, but they are also looking at Jamal Fogarty, even though the Titans seem reluctant to let him go.

For the Warriors, getting another player who can go into the halves is high up the club’s priority list. Kodi Nikorima is more than likely to slot into the No 14 role next season and the club also let Paul Turner leave midway through this year, for a deal at the Titans which will take him through to 2024.