Warriors confirm departure of six players

Shaun Johnson’s stellar season has been highlighted at the New Zealand Warriors end-of-season awards with the veteran halfback winning three major awards, including the Simon Mannering Medal for Player of the Year.

During the evening, the Warriors also confirmed the departure of six players from their squad, acknowledging their contribution to the club.

Forward Bayley Sironen will not be offered a contract for 2024. The 26-year-old forward has played 53 games for the Warriors over three seasons and will now be on the lookout for a new team.

20-year-old centre Viliami Vailea will also be leaving the club after earlier signing with the North Queensland Cowboys on a two-year deal starting next season. Vailea made 17 appearances for the Warriors in the NRL.

Another player to depart is young prop Valingi Kepu who is yet to make his NRL debut.

The final three players appearing on the list were Ben Murdoch-Masila, Taniela Otukulo and Otukinekina Kepu (brother of Valingi). All three were actually released by the Warriors before the start of the 2023 season with Murdoch-Masila joining the Dragons in January ahead of the 2023 season.

Fox Sports reports that the duo’s exits was confirmed during the club’s end-of-season awards night, with the Warriors set to face Minor Premiership winners Penrith Panthers in week one of the finals.

The losers will feature against the winners of Newcastle Knights versus Canberra Raiders in week two.

Utility forward Sironen, 26, is the younger brother of St Helens star Curtis, who made the switch to Super League ahead of the 2022 campaign from the Manly Sea Eagles.

Bayley joined New Zealand Warriors in November 2020 on a three-year deal, with his contract expiring at the end of the current campaign.

His future remains unknown, while the club have also released young forward Kepu. The 21-year-old joined the club’s full-time NRL squad for 2023, but he failed to make his debut. He had one-year remaining on his contract, with twin brother Otukinekina also released earlier in the year.

Bayley Sironen previously tipped for Super League

Bayley has previously been tipped with a Super League move to continue his career by reporter David Long writing for Stuff in New Zealand.

Back in June, the senior sports writer said: “Although the current NRL season is only at the halfway point, the Warriors’ roster for next year is almost complete and there won’t be a place in it for Bayley Sironen or either Adam Pompey or Viliame Vailea.

“Sironen has been a good servant at the Warriors since joining in 2021 and his ability to play in a number of positions, including filling in at dummy half, has been helpful.

He featured just five times in his first two NRL seasons with Wests Tigers before enjoying a breakthrough year in 2020 with 19 appearances for South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The back-rower has enjoyed 22 games in 2023 under Andrew Webster, taking his career tally to 78 NRL appearances.

He enjoyed a try-scoring debut for New Zealand Warriors in the 19-6 win over Gold Coast Titans in 2021.