NRL 2026: Every NRL team’s player departures, player contracts, who will leave my club, news, videos, squads, Eels, Raiders, Storm, Broncos

As the season comes to a close, NRL clubs have began confirming the players who are set to depart their squads ahead of the 2027 season.

Read below for every team’s player exit news as they are announced!

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DRAGONS CONFIRM TEN PLAYER CLEANOUT

The St George Illawarra Dragons have confirmed the departures of ten players as they prepare for a major roster rebuild in the coming seasons under coach Dean Young.

Damien Cook (Castleford), Luciano Leilua (Catalans), Mathew Feagai (Castleford), Jaydn Su’A (Eels) and Tyrell Sloan (Castleford) have all found new clubs for next year.

Meanwhile, Blake Lawrie – who has been linked with a move to the York Knights – Hame Sele and Christian Tuipolutu were also farewelled.

On a salary of around $600,000 this season, Lawrie featured in 171 first-grade matches for the Dragons since making his debut in 2017 and is a former Junior Kangaroos and Under-20 NSW Blues representative.

Sele is a two-time Tongan international and racked up just under 100 career matches for the Dragons, Penrith Panthers and South Sydney Rabbitohs.

And Tuipolutu appeared in 63 total matches (30 for the Dragons in the past three seasons) and had one international Test for the Tongan national team.

Emre Guler (Wakefield Trinity) and former Rugby Sevens star Nathan Lawson were also part of the ten departing players at the Dragons but were previously released in the middle of the season.

COWBOYS SAY FAREWELL TO 11 PLAYERS

In the midst of preparing for the opening week of the 2026 NRL Finals series, the North Queensland Cowboys have announced that eleven players will depart the club at season’s end.

Five members of the Cowboys squad – Jaxson Paulo (Hull), Mason Barber (Perth Bears), John Bateman (Bradford), Sam McIntyre (Warriors) and Scott Drinkwater (Dragons) – have agreed to join new teams in either the NRL or Super League.

It has also been confirmed that outside backs Murray Taulagi and Villiami Vailea will make the code switch to rugby union next year, while Harrison Edwards joined the Eels midway through the season.

Meanwhile, the trio of Matthew Lodge, Wiremu Greig and Zac Herdegen will depart but have yet to agree to deals for next year’s campaign.

Interestingly, Ethan King, Mason Kira, Liam Sutton, Kai O’Donnell and highly-touted hooker Xavier Kerrisk have not yet been farewelled but are currently not under contract for next season.

DUO JOIN STORM EXODUS

The Melbourne Storm originally confirmed six players will depart the club at the end of the year’s campaign after they failed to make the finals for the first time since 2010.

But now it has been revealed two more will also exit, with Keagan Russell-Smith and Marion Seve following Davvy Moale, Nick Meaney, Shawn Blore, Tui Kamikamica, Tyran Wishart and Will Warbrick out of the club.

Formerly in the Penrith Panthers system, where he was part of their famed Under-19s SG Ball Cup premiership team in 2022, Russell Smith moved to the Storm at the start of 2023 as an academy prospect.

Winning the Storm’s Academy Player of the Year award in that same season, where he was the leading pointscorer of the Under-21s Jersey Flegg Cup competition, the halfback made his debut in 2024 before racking up another first-grade appearance to his resume.

Meanwhile, Seve has decided to hang up the boots.

A much-loved figure around the club, the outside back managed 52 NRL matches for the Storm over the past eight seasons and also had a stint with the Wests Tigers.

“To finish my NRL career at Melbourne Storm is something I’m incredibly proud of,” Seve said.

“There have been plenty of challenges along the way, but I’ve been lucky enough to have some great people around me who have helped me through the tough times and made the good times even more special.

“I’m grateful to everyone at Storm who has supported me throughout my time here and given me the opportunity to represent this Club. Wearing the purple jersey has been a privilege and I’ll always be proud to be a part of the Storm family.”

BULLDOGS CONFIRM EXITS WITH SEVERAL IN LIMBO

The Canterbury Bulldogs have confirmed the departures of four players while several others remain in limbo for the 2027 season.

In a statement on Thursday, the club thanked quartet Bronson Xerri, Lipoi Hopoi, Josh Curran and Jonathan Su’a for their time at the club

Currant and Su’a will be foundation members of the Perth Bears, while Bronson Xerri has agreed to join the Melbourne Storm despite originally being contracted with the Bulldogs until the end of 2027.

Meanwhile, Hopoi is understood to have agreed to a two-year contract with the Canberra Raiders and unfortunately ruptured his ACL last weekend in NSW Cup.

The departure of the four players means seven members – Kade Dykes, Samuel Hughes, Zyon Maiu’u, Kurt Mann, Jack Todd, Jake Turpin and Patrick Young – of their NRL squad have yet to ink new contracts.

However, foxsports.com.au understand Hughes is closing in on a one-year extension with the Bulldogs while Mann and Sean O’Sullivan (who has an option with the club for 2027) have been linked with a move to the Wests Tigers.

TITANS FAREWELL FIVE PLAYERS

The Gold Coast Titans have farewelled five members of the NRL squad after playing their last match of the season on Friday night against the Dolphins.

The club announced Allan Fitzgibbon, Sam Verrills and Tukimihia Simpkins will join Phil Sami (Dragons) and Jaimin Jolliffe (Huddersfield) as the club’s departing players.

“On behalf of everyone at the Gold Coast Titans, I’d like to sincerely thank these five men for their service and contribution to our club over their respective years,” CEO Steve Mitchell said.

“Each of them has played an important role within our organisation and can be proud of the impact they have made during their time as Titans.

“We wish them and their families every success and happiness for the next chapter of their lives, and they will always be welcomed back as valued members of our past players family.”

The departures of the quintet means they currently have no players on their roster who are without a contract for next season as they welcome Luke Hanson and Mawene Hiroti from the Warriors and Sharks.

MORE PLAYERS JOIN BRONCOS’ EXODUS

The Brisbane Broncos originally confirmed seven players will depart the club at the end of this year’s campaign after a turbulent season.

But now it has been revealed two more will also exit according to Code Sports, meaning nine players and almost a third of Brisbane’s top 30 will leave Red Hill.

During their 2026 campaign, the Broncos became the first premiership team since 2005 to miss out on making the finals the following year.

Captain Adam Reynolds and front-rower Corey Jensen have both decided to hang up the boots.

Meanwhile, Grant Anderson (Warriors), Gehamat Shibasaki (Perth Bears) and Payne Haas (Rabbitohs) will make the move to new teams across the NRL.

Jesse Arthars will also depart after agreeing to join the Catalans Dragons in the Super League competition.

Delouise Hoeter was the final menber of the original seven-man group named to depart, and he hasn’t been offered a contract to remain at the club.

Elsewhere, Jack Gosiewski has also been shown the door while back rower Jaiyden Hunt is reportedly set to sign with the Raiders on a two-year deal.

News Corp is reporting that nine-player groups will free up a staggering $3 million in salary cap space, with Mitchell Barnett already agreeing to join the club in 2027.

TEN PLAYERS CONFIRMED DEPARTURES FROM EELS

The Eels have announced that a whopping ten players will leave the club at season’s end.

In a graphic posted to social media, Parramatta confirmed Jonah Pezet, Sean Russell, Apa Twidle, Dylan Walker, Toni Mataele, Ryan Matterson, Richard Penisini, Kelma Tuilagi, Jake Tago and Jack de Belin will depart the Eels.

Assistant coach and club legend Nathan Cayless was also included in the graphic. He’s leaving the club to take up the head coaching role at Hull KR.

Pezet, Russell, Twidle, Mataele and Tuilagi will all be heading to rival NRL clubs.

De Belin is hoping to remain in the NRL but doesn’t have a contract for 2027, Walker has been linked with a move to the Super League while Matterson will retire from the sport.

Meanwhile, Ronald Volkman, Junior Paulo and Will Penisini remain without a confirmed contract for 2027 – the latter has been rumoured to be extended at the end of last year until the end of 2028.

“I love this club, and I’m actually staying for another three years, until ‘28,” Penisini revealed last year at a press-conference.

“[The re-signing] just shows how much I appreciate what this club has done for me, and what I want to do for them as well.”

RAIDERS CONFIRM SEVEN DEPARTURES

The Raiders have confirmed the departures of seven players, with a graphic displayed following their 34-30 home defeat to the Broncos revealing the stars set for the exit.

Josh Papalii is set to retire, while the forward pairing of Morgan Smithies and Corey Horsburgh have both been confirmed to be making the move to the Perth Bears next season.

Jayden Brailey’s move to the Tigers has also signed and sealed, while the remaining trio set to leave the club are Kain Anderson, Michael Asomua and Jake Clydsdale.

Anderson made his NRL debut in Round 27 of the 2025 season, playing off the bench in the Raiders’ 62-24 defeat to the Dolphins.

Asomua made his debut in that same game, scoring a try while Clydsdale failed to make an NRL appearance.

Sebastian Kris has also been linked with a move to the Warriors, however he wasn’t apart of the group of players fans paid tribute to in Round 25.

Interestingly, Jed Stuart is currently without a contract for 2027 but were also not included alongside Chevy Stewart, who has a club option for next season.

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SIX STORM PLAYERS SET TO LEAVE THE CLUB

Like the Raiders, the Storm revealed a group of six players that will leave the club during their final home game of the 2026 season.

Shawn Blore (Brisbane Broncos), Nick Meaney (Perth Bears), Davvy Moale (Manly Sea Eagles), Will Warbrick (New Zealand Warriors) and Tyran Wishart (Perth Bears) have all found new clubs for next year.

Meanwhile, Tui Kamikamica makes up the final departing player after it was revealed he would be medically retired.

However, both Jack Hetherington and Trent Toelau weren’t named despite their current contracts running out at the end of the 2026 season.

It remains to be seen if that pair will sign on to remain in Melbourne, while Jamayne Isaako, Kelma Tuilagi and Bronson Xerri are set to arrive next year.

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