Broncos hijacked 'rules of engagement' in Mitch Barnett's move as 'seven or eight' clubs circle

Rugby league great James Graham believes the Warriors only insisted on receiving a player or two in return for Mitch Barnett once a club as powerful as the Broncos turned out to be a leading suitor for the gun front-rower.

Barnett's manager, Gavin Orr of Pacific Sports Management, confirmed with Wide World of Sports that the Broncos were one of "seven or eight" clubs that had shown interest in the Test and NSW Blues prop.

Orr also told WWOS that Barnett was warming to two potential destinations above all others: Brisbane and Newcastle.

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There was no mention of the Warriors requiring a player or two as compensation when they said in a bombshell club statement on Tuesday that they had given Barnett the green light to leave with a year to run on his contract.

That requirement has surfaced in the media since then, leading to Graham, the former NRL and England Test forward, making fascinating remarks on his podcast, The Bye Round.

"I think this is potentially a reaction to the news that Brisbane were one of the front-runners. They [the Warriors] have gone, 'Mitch, we're going to treat him and his family and his loved ones [well] and genuinely care for this situation, but hang on, the Broncos! We're not giving you him for nothing'," Graham said.

"It's no coincidence that yesterday everybody's playing happy families and ... Brisbane emerge as the front-runners and then all of a sudden the Warriors come out and say, 'But we're going to want something in return'.

"The rules of engagement have changed."

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From the moment the Warriors revealed Barnett would be free to depart at season's end due to family reasons, the Knights loomed as a feasible destination.

Newcastle is the closest club to Wingham, the NSW Mid North Coast town where Barnett's family lives, and he played 126 games for the Knights before joining the Warriors.

"[With] all due respect to the Newcastle Knights, if the Warriors allowed Mitch Barnett to go back to the Knights, I think they would see that based off where the Knights are at, they're not a genuine competitor," Graham continued.

"As harsh as that may sound on the Knights, [the Warriors would be thinking], 'We are not bettering ... a direct threat to us in the NRL'."

Of the Knights and Broncos, Orr said: "Those clubs are appealing to him because they're the ones that have reached out to him first, ahead of the others, and those clubs are not too far away [from Wingham]."

Brisbane has cash to burn and a giant hole in its forward pack to fill after superstar front-rower Payne Haas sensationally struck a deal with South Sydney, beginning in 2027.

In Barnett, the Broncos would have about as good a replacement as they could hope for.

The Eels have also expressed interest in signing Barnett, having failed to secure star prop Keaon Koloamatangi, who will cross from the Rabbitohs to the Dragons in 2027.

And at season's end they could lose veteran prop Junior Paulo, who's not yet signed for 2027 and could be set to retire or head overseas.

Crucially, however, the Barnett deal is not only about the big bopper and his new club being happy, but the Warriors also being happy.

"We want to be compensated, absolutely," Warriors chief executive Cameron George confirmed to WWOS.

"That is the absolute clear attention. Mitch knows where it all stands and we know where it all stands and so does his agent."

George said the Warriors were open to bringing in players of any positions as compensation — not just front-rowers.

"I've just got to try and see which clubs are interested in his [Barnett's] talent, and we'll relay that back to the Warriors and they can have a chat to whichever club fits the bill," Orr said.

Barnett will return to Australia at season's end because of his child's medical needs.

"He's making a decision based on his family now," Orr said, "and not so much on his career."