The Redcliffe Dolphins have scored a major acquisition at the expense of the New Zealand Warriors.
Recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan has left the Warriors to link up with the NRL's newest club and coach Wayne Bennett.
O'Sullivan has been at the centre of several outstanding recruitments for New Zealand's only NRL side, including Reece Walsh, Addin Fonua-Blake, Euan Aitken and Shaun Johnson, who returns to the club from next season.
The news comes just days out from November 1, when rival clubs can open conversations with players who are off-contract players at the end of the 2022 season, including Warriors young stud Channel Harris-Tevita.
The Dolphins have been linked to several high-profile NRL players including Cameron Munster, Daly Cherry Evans and Joseph Manu.
The latter is also on the Warriors 2023 wishlist and club chief executive Cameron George says the Warriors will still be proceeding with their recruitment drive with a replacement for O'Sullivan to be named at a later date.
"It's absolutely not ideal timing, but it is what it is," George tells Stuff.
"Our plans are in place and we'll just continue to execute them."
"We just want to get through the next few weeks.
"It's a pretty important time for every club. So we'll take a deep breath, we've got some good people here we can lean on, in regards to that role and the responsibilities.
"We've got a pretty good gauge with where we're at and what our plan is. It's not like Peter was the only person to know that plan, it was a plan developed amongst the coaches, staff and Peter."
