Luke Metcalf: Warriors won’t use NRL 10-day cool-down period to convince halfback to back out of Dragons contract

The Warriors will not use the NRL’s 10-day cooling period to attempt to convince Luke Metcalf to remain at the club beyond this season.

Metcalf, 27, last week committed to joining the St George Illawarra Dragons from 2027 onwards, after he was granted an early release by the Warriors.

Under NRL rules, any player who signs with another club has a 10-day window to change their mind, if for whatever reason they choose to stay where they are.

While use of the cool-down period is rare, it isn’t unseen. In 2015, Daly Cherry-Evans backed out of a contract with the Gold Coast Titans to remain with the Manly Sea Eagles.

David Fifita did the same in 2024 and backflipped on a contract with the Sydney Roosters to remain with the Titans, albeit before leaving to join the South Sydney Rabbitohs this year.

On the other side of the coin, clubs can also waive the cooling off period altogether.

But asked if the Warriors would look to use the remaining days they have in Metcalf’s cooling period to try to convince him to stay, considering the season-ending injury to Tanah Boyd last weekend, coach Andrew Webster confirmed no attempts will be made.

As a result, Metcalf has not been named for the Warriors this weekend, coincidentally against the club he’ll join in 2027.

After a hamstring injury against the Cronulla Sharks in round five, Metcalf hasn’t played first grade since, despite returning to fitness and being named on the interchange bench against the Parramatta Eels earlier this month.

Last week, Webster explained Metcalf wouldn’t play or be involved in full training until his new contract was finalised, in order to avoid him picking up an injury that would put his new deal in jeopardy.

And while Metcalf will have to wait until the round 13 clash against the Penrith Panthers at the earliest to make his return – allowing him a full week of training – Webster explained that his contract situation has been resolved.

“It’s all sorted,” he said. “If you sign his release, it means he’s not contracted to any club. If he goes out, trains and hurts himself, then he’s not contracted to a club.

“You’ve got to wait until the paperwork’s done. There’s no issues, we just needed to make sure that every part of the deal was done.

“Now we’re on and ready to go.”

In 2024, a similar situation unfolded when former Warriors halfback Ronald Volkman also signed for the Dragons, only for a medical to find a shoulder injury that saw his contract torn up and effectively left him unemployed.

In that case, though, the Warriors stepped in to pay for Volkman’s surgery.

What happens to Metcalf for the rest of the season, then, could just become a delicate situation for the club to manage.

While Te Maire Martin deputised for Boyd in Brisbane, and will do the same against the Dragons this week, Webster has made it clear there is still a job for Metcalf to do.

It was only October last year that saw the Warriors give him a new contract, worth close to $1 million per season, as a sign of his importance to the side, even if he’s found himself on the outer.

Webster has always maintained that Metcalf will remain at the club for the rest of the season, regardless.

Those sentiments were backed up by hooker Wayde Egan, who said Metcalf’s displays in training haven’t dipped.

“He’s been awesome,” Egan said. “It’s been a big couple of weeks for him, with all the stuff going on.

“But he hasn’t batted an eyelid. He trained against us today, and carved us up a few times. He’s doing really well, he’s going to be a great asset for us for the rest of the year.

“We’re still really good mates with Lukey, every time he comes into work, it’s a pleasure to have him here.

“Whatever happens after that, happens.”

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.