Yesterday, Warrington Wolves confirmed prop forward Sam Kasiano had been released by the club with immediate effect.
The prop forward swapped Catalans for the Wire ahead of last season and would go onto make 26 appearances for the club in his first and only year.
His time at Warrington started brightly, with the powerful forward becoming a key figure in Daryl Powell’s side as they raced to a perfect eight from eight start; however both his and the club’s form took a downward spiral towards the back end of last year. During this pre-season, Kasiano has seen himself knocked down the pecking order following the arrival of Sam Burgess, and the New Zealand born forward has now left for pastures new.
But where will he end up? There is already much speculation with regards to his future. Infamous Australian journalist ‘the Mole’ has hinted the 33-year-old may be on the verge of retiring, as they posted: “Sam Kasiano has parted ways with @WarringtonRLFC– could this be the end???”
That simply could be speculation though as Kasiano has impressed during his time in Super League, and with some teams still having vacant quota spots he could easily extend his stay in the UK. So with this in mind, here are three possible destinations for Sam Kasiano following his exit from Warrington Wolves:
Salford Red Devils
The most likely option out of the lot, but Salford Red Devils could welcome Kasiano in with open arms this year. Paul Rowley’s side currently have a vacant quota spot, and are in need of an extra middle unit player so Kasiano ticks all those boxes. Furthermore he would be a good fit for Paul Rowley’s system of attacking rugby, as he demonstrated in the early part of last season his love for that aspect of the game. This could be a move that benefits all parties.
London Broncos
Newly promoted London Broncos may be an odd choice, but they would benefit greatly from a player like Kasiano in their side. Much like Salford, Mike Eccles side have a vacant quota spot, and filling it with an experience head like Kasiano could take their team up a gear this season. The financial side of the deal could make it a hard sell, however London are in need of a player with his experience and quality as they look to avoid relegation.
Return to Australia
Kasiano could easily be swayed with a move back down under following his Warrington release. During his seven year stint in the NRL, Kasiano made 153 appearances and would win the Dally M Prop of the Year in 2012. He showed during his early season form at Warrington and at Catalans that he is still a top quality player, so an NRL side could easily come calling for him, or even a reserve grade side in the Queensland or New South Wales Cup’s. We’ve already seen the likes of Blake Austin, Riley Dean, Kenny Edwards and Mahe Fonua swap Super League for either the second grade competition or even park footy in Australia, could Kasiano also join that list?
