Kiwis and Broncos star Te Maire Martin has agreed to join the Warriors. Photo / Photosport
The Warriors have got their man.
Kiwis five eighth Te Maire Martin has agreed terms with the Auckland club, after several weeks of negotiations.
The Herald understands the 26-year-old has signed a three year deal with the Warriors.
There was interest from at least three other NRL clubs but the chance to live back in New Zealand was appealing for Martin.
A previous working relationship with incoming Warriors head coach Andrew Webster was also believed to be a key factor.
Martin played under Webster at the beginning of his career, turning out for the West Tigers Holden Cup team in 2014.
It was a positive experience – as the joint venture side reached the playoffs – and the chance to work with Webster again probably helped to tip the balance in the Warriors' favour.
Martin's presence will give the Warriors plenty of halves depth, with Cronulla prospect Luke Metcalf also arriving from the Sharks next year, though the 23-year-old has yet to play first grade this season, with his six career NRL appearances coming in 2021.
Ronald Volkman will be another playmaking contender but next season looms as a development year for the 20-year-old, who only made his first grade debut last month.
It will be a competitive environment, but Martin will be favoured to start alongside Shaun Johnson.
Martin has already played first grade for three different clubs (Penrith, North Queensland and Brisbane), with 64 NRL games and four tests on his CV.
He was part of the Cowboys team that reached the 2017 grand final, with the Tokoroa product scoring their only try in the decider.
Martin is currently at the Broncos, after joining the Queensland club on a train and trial basis in November last year.
He has impressed at Brisbane, sparkling in a mid-season stint at fullback, and at one stage it looked like he could secure a long term deal at Red Hill, before the Broncos invested in Reece Walsh.
However, there was interest from several other NRL clubs but the Warriors have won out.
Most of Martin's family live in the Waikato while his partner is also from the region.
Martin's return to the NRL has been one of the feel good stories of this year, after he left the sport at the end of the 2019 season due to medical circumstances, after suffering from a brain bleed.
At the time It felt like the end of his career but after taking 18 months off Martin started playing club league with his brothers and relatives in the Waikato competition.
That led to a provincial call up and his form in a televised match against Wellington was enough to pique the interest of the Broncos, offering a path back via the Queensland Cup.
After an abbreviated pre-season, Martin made four appearances for feeder club Wynnum-Manly, before his NRL return in April (round seven), 1,092 days since his last first grade appearance.
It's believed there are no ongoing health concerns for Martin, who has been cleared by independent doctors on every step of his comeback and has not been suffering any symptoms related to his previous condition.
Martin will be the sixth new recruit for next season, alongside Marata Niukore (Parramatta), Mitch Barnett (Newcastle), Dylan Walker (Manly), Metcalf (Cronulla) and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Canberra), while Euan Aitken (Redcliffe) and Walsh are the key departures.
The Warriors currently have one list spot left for 2023, though that could change if Eliesa Katoa is granted an early release, with two clubs reportedly interested in the 22-year-old.
Whatever the fate of Katoa, strengthening the options among the middle forwards should be a priority, as they haven't adequately replaced Matt Lodge.
All the key NRL fixtures for the Warriors.