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Sport Nation
FIFA World Cup 2026 posterMetcalf agrees to three-year contract with Dragons worth 2.3 million
Sport Nation • May 14th, 2026 8:20 pm
Luke Metcalf putting up threes | Photo: David Neilson/Photosport
St George Illawarra are putting ink to paper with the signature of the most-talked about man in the NRL this week.
The NZ Warriors had announced in a brief statement released Tuesday that coveted halfback Luke Metcalf was free to negotiate a deal with other clubs after not being named in their Magic Round squad.
Daily Telegraph's Dave Riccio first reported that the 27-year-old will join the Dragons on a three-year contract worth around $900k (AUD) per season, confirmed Thursday night via the club's website.
Currently bottom of the 2026 NRL ladder with a winless record, Metcalf's deal signals the Dragons' intent to reverse their fortunes as quickly as possible, following on from next season's addition of fullback Scott Drinkwater from the North Queensland Cowboys.
The spine of the 'Red V' will also include hooker Jacob Liddle and five-eighth Daniel Atkinson.
“I’m really excited to be joining the Dragons and grateful for the opportunity,” Metcalf said in a statement.
“It will be an honour to pull on the Red V and do everything I can to help the club move forward."
There are no plans for the Warriors to grant Metcalf an early release ahead of the June 30 deadline.
The club released a statement from CEO Cameron George acknowledging that Metcalf had informed the club of a deal, moments after the Dragons' announcement: “We look forward to Luke continuing to be a valuable part of our squad for the rest of 2026."
Metcalf had also met with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in Sydney this week, but the club confirmed that they would not be pursuing the Coffs Harbour, NSW native further.
"Of course when quality players come on the market we've got to look at that, but it's not for us at this point in time," Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said.
Luke Metcalf buries clutch penalty goal for golden point win over Broncos | Warriors Live on Sport Nation
The Wahs have found a productive halves combination in Tanah Boyd at 7 and Chanel Harris-Tavita at 6 this season, which led to doubt over how Metcalf might be used as he returned from 2025's season-ending ACL injury in round 17 at a time when he led the Dally M voting.
Metcalf put up impressive figures during last year's shortened campaign: 8 tries, 11 try assists, 8 line breaks and 8 line break assists, plus 775 run metres and 5,481 kick metres over 15 games.
He has however played in just 43 first-grade games since his 2021 NRL debut with the Cronulla Sharks.
Used as a No. 6 against the Wests Tigers in round 4, plus the Cronulla Sharks the following week, Metcalf struggled to return to that dazzling playmaking form with zero try or line break assists across the two losses - the Warriors' only blips on an otherwise impressive 2026 season to date.
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