Warriors players performed a haka for Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Leeson Ah Mau as they farewelled the club on Thursday.
Both players have flown home to avoid being stuck in Australia for at least the next seven weeks, with the trans-Tasman travel bubble fully closing from Friday.
As the players departed their hotel on the Gold Coast, they were given a guard of honour by their now former team-mates, before they watched a haka performed in their honour.
Each player then got to shake hands and say goodbye one more time before Tuivasa-Sheck and Ah Mau headed to the airport.
Because of the travel bubble pause and uncertainty of when it will open up again, both players were given permission to leave early and miss the remaining round of the NRL season.
For Tuivasa-Sheck it will cost him around $300,000 to leave early as he’ll stop being paid by the club. But he was keen to return home to be with his family and prepare for his switch to rugby union.
Ah Mau doesn’t have a contract beyond the end of this season and was concerned that he’d be stuck in Australia beyond when his contract is up, away from his wife and children, who are in New Zealand.
