Warriors hook massive ‘Fish’ from Penrith
The Warriors have dropped a signing bombshell, with Golden Boot winner and threetime Penrith premiership star James Fisher-Harris to join the club in 2025 after he was granted an early release from his contract at the Panthers on compassionate grounds.
The New Zealand captain is one of the world’s best forwards and played a key role in the Kiwis trouncing Australia 30-0 in the Pacific Championships last year.
Fisher-Harris told Penrith officials this week that he wanted to return home to be closer to his family and the club consented to releasing him from the final two years of his deal.
“Fish has been exceptional for the Panthers, both on and off the field,” Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said.
“The leadership and cultural impact he has displayed since coming into first grade has been outstanding. He’s evolved into one of the game’s elite players, and coaching him has been a pleasure.
“While we would have loved him to stay at the Panthers, we wish him, his partner Natalie, and children Tahira and Deon all the best for their next chapter.”
The four-year deal is huge for the Warriors, who will lose powerhouse prop Addin
Fonua-Blake to the Sharks at the end of the season.
Fisher-Harris worked with Warriors coach Andrew Webster while he was an assistant at Penrith, with the Whangarei Marist Brothers junior to be a major addition next year who will help them enormously on and off the field.
“He’s one of the game’s elite players, a super-tough forward who sets and demands the highest standards,” Webster said. “It’s going to be fantastic having James with us.
“I loved working with him at the Panthers and we really look forward to bringing him into our system. He’ll add terrific value to our roster, to the club overall and he’ll be invaluable as a mentor for our young players.”
Fisher-Harris made his NRL debut in 2016 and was seen as one of the core stars the club could build around while other players were squeezed out due to the salary cap.
The Panthers will now have money to upgrade other players, but they’ll need to find a quality middle given they also lost Spencer Leniu last year.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has backed Blake Taaffe to come off the bench as Canterbury’s “super sub” against the Knights, with Connor Tracey set to remain in the No.1 jersey following a strong performance against the Storm.
The fullback jersey belonged to Taaffe in the opening five rounds, but he missed the trip to Melbourne after he was concussed in the win over the Roosters when on the receiving end of an ugly high tackle by Dom Young that resulted in him being sent off.
Taaffe returns this weekend off the bench for the game against Newcastle, with his coach expecting big things from the versatile recruit.
“It’s a nice insurance policy to have Blake on the bench as a backup if we do lose one of our outside backs, which has happened a number of times this year,” Ciraldo said.
“In the modern game with HIAs, it’s probably important that you have someone like that. I still think he can create something in the last part of the game. He can get on and play that super sub sort of role anywhere, and he’s open to that.”