Reports have emerged out of Australia that the Warriors are prepared to let young edge forward Josh Curran out of his contract early and that he is free to negotiate with rival clubs, with at least two Sydney NRL teams keen on securing his services.

Nine’s Wide World of Sports is reporting that the 24-year-old will be allowed to negotiate with other NRL sides in a “major surprise”.

Curran has established himself as a dependable strike forward for the Warriors, featuring 23 times in 2023′s remarkable turn around from second-bottom on the ladder to a preliminary final appearance. He did however make just six starts and could be seen as expendable for the Penrose club. Regardless at his young age, he is entering the prime of his career and the news out of Mt Smart comes as a surprise.

Curran is contracted through to the end of 2024 - but as if it is as reported and the Warriors have told him he is free to negotiate elsewhere, it indicates that they would not be looking to offer him a new deal at that point.

He could find himself a victim of the salary cap, as the Warriors have a number of young forwards they will be looking to bring into first grade on cheaper rookie deals and off the back of their successful season, a marquee signing addition to the pack is not out of the question either.

The signings of Marata Niukore, Dylan Walker and Jackson Ford saw Curran’s role limited to mostly from the interchange bench, with the former three’s defensive work rated higher than Currans. Although, he is highly regarded by fans and many would have him in a Warriors ‘best 17′ side - he also began to form a potent partnership with Shaun Johnson on the right.

With captain Tohu Harris regularly also playing 80, there are even fewer minutes available off the pine for forwards and perhaps the Warriors felt they couldn’t justify his contract.

Averaging 45 minutes a game in 2023, Curran recorded 52 metres and over 21 tackles per game. He scored four tries and averaged a tick under six hit ups per game.

Curran did miss two games through suspension for his role in a bar fight last year.

Another deciding factor could be that the Sydney-born Curran seeks to return to Australia - at his age being closer to family is understandable and after sticking with the Warriors through Covid and returning to base himself in New Zealand, if he is not to be offered a new deal when his current one expires then an early return across the Tasman makes sense for personal reasons.

Curran has proven he would be a valuable addition to any NRL side looking to add impact to their pack, his ball in hand skills and positional versatility mean that he is unlikely to be looking for a new club for long.

Warriors CEO Cameron George has been approached for comment.

Will Toogood is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has previously worked for Newstalk ZB’s digital team and at Waiheke’s Gulf News, covering sport and events.