"But I was happy that he got a good deal, it was probably good for both clubs. Getting him out there, getting him away from the Warriors, he had been there for a long time.
"I became a good mate with him on tour and once he went over there I messaged him and said congrats."
Master versus apprentice for Kearney
On Saturday Warriors coach Stephen Kearney will hope to continue a positive recent record against his former mentor Wayne Bennett.
Kearney and Bennett have a close relationship, after the Australian's role as Kiwis assistant coach in the triumphant 2008 World Cup campaign, while Kearney later worked with Bennett for three years at the Broncos.
As a head coach, Kearney has guided his teams to two wins from the last three clashes against Bennett's teams, including the memorable 26-6 victory at Suncorp Stadium late last season.
Before that Kearney had been winless against the veteran Queensland mentor in the NRL with three defeats and one draw (against the Dragons and Knights) in 2011 and 2012.
Blake Green backs golden point
Warriors halfback Blake Green thinks golden point is here to stay, even though a loss via the extra time mechanism can be hard to take.
The rule has been debated again this week after three matches were decided via golden point in round four.
"It's probably a good thing for the game," said Green. "It brings the excitement factor, the fans love it and we are in the entertainment business so that is important, though it can be a really tough way to lose as a player."
Flying 'Fus' stalls in 2019
David Fusitu'a is finally off the mark in 2019, but is well behind the pace he set last year.
The Tongan winger grabbed his first try of the season in the win over the Titans, after missing out in the first three rounds.
It's a stark contrast to last season. After five matches in 2018 Fusitu'a had already recorded seven touchdowns, with braces in the first two matches, on his way to an NRL-high 23 tries.
RTS continues to soar
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has gone to a new level in 2019.
The Warriors fullback hit great heights last season to claim the Dally M medal, but there are no signs of complacency from the 25-year-old.
According to NRL.com stats, Tuivasa-Sheck is the only player in the competition in the top five for metres gained, kick return metres, line breaks and tackle breaks.
Playing behind a Warriors pack that has struggled to dominate, Tuivasa-Sheck is averaging 195 running metres a match, up from his 178 per game last season.
Former Kiwi joins ARL Board
Tony Kemp has been elected to the Auckland Rugby League's board of directors.
Kemp, who played for the Newcastle Knights and the South Queensland Crushers in the NRL, currently chairs the mid Central zone and is a zone representative on the New Zealand Rugby League appointment panel.
The former Kiwi has also served as Warriors coach (2004-2005), and had a stint as a high performance director at the NZRL.
