KEY POINTS:
The Warriors squad for 2008 is almost complete after they signed English hooker Ian Henderson yesterday and retained the services of Kiwis second-rower Epalahame Lauaki.
But centre Tony Martin, winger Todd Byrne and hooker George Gatis will all be released at the end of the season.
Martin, in his fourth season with the club, was unlikely to have been retained once the Warriors captured the signing of Australian centre Brent Tate, and is likely to head to the UK Super League. Gatis has spent two seasons in Auckland, Byrne three.
The 24-year-old Henderson has signed a two-year deal from UK Super League club Bradford while an option on Lauaki, 23, has been taken up for the 2008 season.
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah said the signings brought the club closer to completing its NRL recruitment plans.
"We're in discussions with Logan Swann [who is on a one-year contract] and there is still some other work to be done," he said. "From this side of the Tasman, we have seen how unsettling this time of the year can be with all the transfer movements going on at clubs in Australia.
"Luckily, it has been fairly smooth for us, going back to early February when we started re-signing off-contract players."
The club had sounded out former Warriors hooker PJ Marsh, Souths' Stuart Hogg and Melbourne's James Aubusson before settling on Henderson.
"Ian will bring a new dimension to the squad after three seasons with Bradford. He's a quality hooker who will give us more strength in that area," Warriors coach Ivan Cleary said.
Henderson, born in Torquay in southern England but of Scottish heritage, started his Super League career in 2005.
Raised in Australia, he had a brief taste of NRL football with the Sydney Roosters and Cleary in 2003-04 and Parramatta in 2005 before signing with the Bulls. He has played for Scotland.
The Warriors have also signed three of New Zealand's best young players - back rower Scott Jones, 19, winger Malo Solomona, 20 and prop Leeson Ah Mau, 17.
Meanwhile, former Commonwealth Games shot putter and lobbyist Glenda Hughes, Eddie Mathews and Simon Doig have been added as independent directors to the NZRL board to give it a full complement of nine.
- NZPA
