Warrior's halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita has been offered a contract extension at the Auckland club.
It's an apparent change of heart by the Warriors, who had maintained they would assess his form over the first six rounds of next year, before beginning talks about a new deal.
The Herald understands thata contract for the 2023 and 2024 seasons has been tabled.
Harris-Tavita's current deal expires at the end of next season, which had left him free to entertain offers from other clubs from the start of this month.
The Warriors had been in no hurry to extend his contract.
Harris-Tavita has undoubted potential and was the club's 2019 NRL rookie of the year, after making his debut in round four of that season.
He caught the eye with some impressive performances in 2020, especially in the latter stages of the season following Blake Green's departure, when Harris-Tavita became the established halfback alongside Kodi Nikorima.
So hopes were high for Harris-Tavita coming into 2021, but he never really got going in an injury plagued campaign.
After starting the first two rounds, Harris-Tavita missed the next seven weeks, requiring surgery for a stress fracture. He returned in early May, making another four appearances before a pectoral injury in the 42-16 defeat to the Melbourne Storm in round 14.
Reece Walsh and Chanel Harris-Tavita during an off-season training session in Brisbane. Photo / Photosport
That left him sidelined until August, when he came back ahead of schedule to complete the last month of the season. But it was struggle to regain top form, as well as match fitness and confidence, accentuated by the Warriors' injury toll and constant personnel changes around him.
That could have been why the club decided to hold off on an extension, until they saw the former Howick Hornets and Pakuranga Jaguars' junior fit and firing.
But that approach came with some risk, if another club needed to add depth in the halves.
While the 22-year-old has yet to prove himself as a top line NRL half, especially in the offensive side of the game, he has a solid base of 37 first grade matches and is a strong defender.
The latest development adds more intrigue to the Warriors' halves picture for 2022 and beyond, following the recent signing of Luke Metcalf from the Sharks.
The club have engaged former Gold Coast Titan Ash Taylor on a train and trial deal, with Shaun Johnson and Harris-Tavita also in place for next season.
Metcalf will join from 2023, unless Cronulla agree to an early release for the former schoolboy star.
The Warriors had targeted Kiwis centre Joseph Manu, with a long term view towards using him in the halves, but the 25-year-old has committed to stay with the Roosters.
The move for Harris-Tavita could indicate Taylor's stay with the Warriors won't extend beyond next season.
Taylor is based in Queensland with his young family and may not be prepared to relocate across the Tasman anyway, should the Warriors finally return to their permanent Mt Smart base for the 2023 season.
