Dylan Walker has been granted an immediate release from the New Zealand Warriors, with the club confirming the decision was made on compassionate grounds to allow the veteran utility to return to Sydney.
The 30-year-old was in the second year of a three-year contract signed ahead of the 2023 season and had become a key figure in Andrew Webster's rotation, bringing versatility and experience off the bench and across the spine.
The Warriors were hopeful Walker would see out the year, but ultimately chose to support his personal circumstances.
It has since been confirmed by the Parramatta Eels that he will join the club on a two-year deal until the end of the 2026 NRL season.
“We were keen for Dylan to stay until the end of the season but we appreciate why he needs to return to Sydney,” said Warriors CEO Cameron George.
“We've really enjoyed having him at our club and he has given us tremendous service. He goes with our support and best wishes.”
Walker finishes his Warriors stint with 46 appearances, the last of which came in the Round 3 win over the Roosters.
It caps off a productive chapter in Auckland for the 2017 Dally M Centre of the Year, who originally broke into the NRL as a teenage sensation at South Sydney before flourishing further during a 124-game tenure at Manly.
A product of Mascot Jets and Matraville Sports High, Walker represented the Australian Schoolboys in 2012, made his NRL debut the following year, and has since amassed 232 first-grade appearances across three clubs.
