Loan forward Jack Hetherington could still play NRL for the Warriors again in 2020 despite an impending return to Penrith later this month.
The Warriors went one step closer to finalising their pack for next year under Nathan Brown, with Parramatta prop Kane Evans signing a two-year deal.
Evans will join from next season, as he looks to reclaim a starting spot after struggling for game time at the Eels this year.
It comes as the Warriors missed out on the signature of Adam Elliott, who is expected to stay put at Canterbury.
“Kane is a really important signing for us as he brings the size, leg speed and aggression that we are looking to add to our pack,” recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan said.
“With Ben Murdoch-Masila coming, the rise of young Eliesa Katoa, Jack Murchie joining us and now Kane it dramatically changes the dynamics of the squad.”
But there are still bigger questions at play for this season up front.
Hetherington’s time at the Warriors was expected to be over when he copped a four-game ban for a high shot last weekend.
However it’s now believed he will see out his loan at the club for another two weeks, before returning to the Panthers for training.
The Warriors have, however, shown some interest in bringing him back to the club for when his suspension ends after round 17.
The continuous switching of his home base is largely down to two reasons.
Firstly Hetherington’s weekly wage of his $400,000 annual contract falls into the salary cap of whatever club he is based at, regardless of whether he is playing.
He is also still an option for both clubs towards the end of the year given he’s impressed for the Warriors, but would likely be the next man at Penrith if a forward goes down.