All the action from round 26 of the NRL, as the Warriors host the Newcastle Knights‘I’ve been struggling’: The sacrifice fuelling Barnett’s last Warriors pushIn March 2023, as the Warriors prepared to open their campaign against the Newcastle Knights in Wellington, their then-new signing Mitch Barnett made a declaration to his new teammates.Strictly by coincidence, Barnett’s Warriors debut came against the very side he had just left.But asked by those around him if his intention was to prove the Knights wrong, Barnett’s response spoke a lot for the player that the Warriors had shrewdly picked up: “The main thing is I want to prove you boys right that I can represent this club and do you all proud.”Four years on, and with the end of the 32-year-old’s time at the Warriors in sight, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone inside or outside the club who could make any argument that he hasn’t done exactly that.From a player who was let go from the final year of his deal in Newcastle, Barnett has since gone on to not only captain the Warriors, but play – and win – State of Origin for New South Wales and make his debut for Australia too.By his own admission, all that’s left to do is be the man holding up the Provan-Summons trophy, if the Warriors are to win a first premiership over the coming weeks, starting with facing his former side on Sunday afternoon.“One thing I can put my hand on my heart and say I’ve done my whole career is that I’ve tried my best,” Barnett said, reflecting on his time at the club.Warriors co-captains James Fisher-Harris (left) and Mitch Barnett. Photo / Photosport“I came over here wanting more for myself individually. I’ve put a lot of hard work in, a lot of hard work for myself.“There’s been a goal that we haven’t reached yet, for me still. There’s a lot of motivation ahead, especially in the coming weeks.“When I came here, Tohu [Harris] was the captain, he was someone I just wanted to follow. I’d given up on rep footy, a bit. I just wanted to worry about getting my game right, cleaning my act up.“I knew I always had those qualities and knew I wanted more out of the game. I didn’t have a target in mind. It’s been a great move, that’s for sure.”While there are plenty of players who have used the Warriors as a stepping stone elsewhere, establishing themselves as NRL stars before looking for an exit, Barnett’s reasons to leave are very different.Even if the exact nature of why he sought compassionate grounds to leave the club haven’t been revealed, what has come out is that Barnett needs to return to Australia for the family support that will come with it, specifically with one of his children needing specialised medical care. As a result, the Warriors had no hesitation in releasing Barnett from the rest of his contract and allowing him to sign with the Brisbane Broncos from next season.And while the Warriors’ on-field success has been something Barnett has taken immense pride in, family will always come first.“My situation has been a difficult one,” Barnett said. “It’s a really private matter that I’ve been struggling with.“Footy has been a good distraction, that’s for sure. What we’ve got going on, I don’t wish on anyone. I’m proud of my little family, my wife does an amazing job.Mitch Barnett celebrates the New Zealand Warriors' win over the Penrith Panthers in 2024. Photo / Getty Images“But footy has been a great distraction for me.”By his own admission, though, the Warriors are by no means weakened by Barnett’s absence.After all, the Warriors boast easily the strongest core of young forwards in the competition coming through the club’s own pathways.So much so that when the Warriors sought a player from the Broncos in exchange for their co-captain, they settled on utility back Grant Anderson.While Leka Halasima and Jacob Laban have found themselves as starters, the trio of Demetric Vaimauga, Tanner Stowers-Smith and Eddie Ieremia-Toeava have proven just as good off the interchange bench.And while Barnett knew he had to leave the club for the good of his family, seeing the next generation come through in such force has only reinforced his belief that the Warriors are in good hands.“In terms of the footy side of it, I don’t have any negative thoughts on going. You want to leave a place better than you found it – it’s a bit cliche and everyone says it.“But these boys are going to run this club for a long time. I’ve got the ultimate goal for this year, but even so, I’ll definitely be leaving this club in a better place than when I got here.”