NZ Warriors have emerged as shock favourites to sign Brisbane Broncos forward Kurt Capewell, according to reports across the Tasman.
Capewell, 30, is entering his final season with Brisbane Broncos, leaving him free to negotiate with other sides from November 1.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Capewell has travelled to New Zealand to meet with Warriors coach Andrew Webster, as the pair worked together at Penrith Panthers.
In pictures published by NewsCorp, Webster and Capewell were spotted dining together on Auckland's Viaduct on Friday night.
The Warriors would likely push to sign Capewell immediately, in order to fill the holes left in their roster by the departures of Josh Curran and Bayley Sironen from the side that reached the NRL's preliminary final this season.
Capewell's current contract runs until the end of 2024, but is unlikely to be re-signed by Brisbane as they hand new deals to their core of young players.
Across stints with the Broncos, Panthers and Cronulla Sharks, Capewell has played 139 times in the NRL, as well as earning nine State of Origin appearances for Queensland.
Capewell was part of the Broncos side that lost this year's NRL Grand Final to Penrith Panthers, and was at the Sharks when they won the 2016 title, but did not make the matchday 17.
