Two of the less funky yarns from the past week with Aotearoa Warriors were Isaiah Papali'i extending his contract and Joseph Vuna apparently making it known that he's off on his Mormon mission next year. This follows a smorgasbord of Warriors news, all of which I have covered...

Issac Luke re-signs.

Jazz Tevaga and Bunty Afoa re-sign.

Nathan Cayless joins Warriors as reserve grade coach.

Mason Lino leaves for Newcastle Knights.

In that cluster of Warriors news, re-signing Papali'i and giving Vuna a ka kite isn't all that interesting or crazy. Not compared to to the other moves the Warriors have made, especially as I'm not overly fussed with Vuna's departure from both Vuna and the Warriors perspective.

Vuna played four games this year, three off the bench and one starting as an edge forward. The one start was the niggly loss to Gold Coast Titans and Vuna primarily came off the bench as a middle forward in the other games, also spending time on an edge. Stephen Kearney has shown in his brief tenure so far as Warriors coach that he likes his versatile young forwards to experience life on an edge and in the middle; Bunty Afoa has played edge and middle, as has Papali'i.

With his size and mobility, Vuna can add some funk to the Warriors middle, although it's best to view him as an edge forward in this context as we ponder the wider implications of his departure. Recently named in the Junior Kiwis squad, Vuna is clearly a talented baller having played a couple of NRL games while still being Under 20s eligible and having worked his way through the Warriors system, Vuna is a talented prospect with what seems like a fairly high ceiling.

The headlines around this news painted Vuna as a 'young star' and that's where I get a bit meh about all of this because the Warriors will absorb the loss of Vuna well. Vuna won't leave any big hole in the Warriors roster and both parties can re-asses where they sit when Vuna's mission is over, with Vuna possibly wanting to return to professional footy.

Vuna leaves at a time when he's on the cusp and another strong summer with Alex Corvo and coach Kearney could have seen Vuna level up, flourishing and pushing for a regular bench spot. That is on Vuna and as a young buck who has already made his debut, already achieved a major goal in tasting NRL footy, Vuna understandably appears to view this as the right time; he can always come back and try again.

The idea of these lads being brave in leaving their NRL careers behind to go on the mission isn't fair on the individuals. They follow their religion, it's a way of life and they would view their faith as more important, or bigger than footy. For them, going on their mission is of greater significance than their careers. Put yourselves in their shoes and it seems like a logical decision.

Keen as ✊ #buzzing

201 Likes, 14 Comments - Isaiah Papali'i (@isaiahpapalii) on Instagram: "Keen as ✊ #buzzing"

As shown in extending Papali'i's contract, the Warriors have depth to cover the loss of Vuna. Papali'i's extension is a bit meh because he was already under contract for next season and has only added a year to his contract. I reckon it's smart of Papali'i's behalf to only add a year to his contract because 2020, his value could have increased dramatically and there's a genuine window for Papali'i to slide into the void left by Simon Mannering.

Papali'i and Tohu Harris are established NRL edge forwards, starting on the edge in the Warriors top-17 next season. As we saw this season, Adam Blair can do a job on an edge if required and Leivaha Pulu also dabbled in edge forward; Papali'i, Afoa, Blair, Pulu, Vuna and Mannering all played edge and middle this year.

Below Papali'i, Harris, Blair and Pulu, things get a bit weird. That's only because at this time of the year, there is immense low key player movement on the fringes of NRL squads. For example, Matiu Love-Henry is an intriguing young edge forward who can make the most of Vuna's departure but Love-Henry is currently off-contract and as he's not in the NRL group, there isn't much noise around his status.

Same goes for King Vuniyayawa. Love-Henry and Vuniyayawa are the next in line edge forwards at Mt Smart and when Vuna wasn't in reserve grade, Love-Henry and Vuniyayara were the starting edge forward duo. As of right now, I don't know if Love-Henry and/or Vuniyayawa will be in the mix next year with the Warriors. One would assume that with Vuna leaving, the Warriors will be eager to invest in one, if not both of these two.

As far as youngsters go, Havi Tupouniua and Preston Riki are the lads to keep tabs on. Sione Tuipulotu also featured a bit as an edge forward in Jersey Flegg, Tupouniua came out of St Peters College in Auckland, from Marist Saints/Bay Roskill Vikings and Riki has been a consistent presence (in a bunch of positions) in various rep teams, coming out of Mt Albert Grammar School and Mangere East Hawks.

Vuna did play through the middle this season, so highlighting the middle forward depth is notable here as well. Leeson Ah Mau returns to Mt Smart to bolster the middle stocks and given the following group of middle forwards, the Warriors should go all good without Vuna in that mix; James Gavet, Agnatius Paasi, Adam Blair, Ah Mau, Bunty Afoa, Tevita Satae, Jazz Tevaga, Leivaha Pulu, Ligi Sao, Sam Lisone.

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Peace and love 27.