World Cup-winning halfback Nathan Fien has all but given up on being granted a release from the Warriors, but remains confident he can bump Stacey Jones from the No.7 jersey.

Fien met Warriors officials on Monday hoping to get permission to link with Super League club Huddersfield.

Fien had been sounded out as the replacement for Todd Carney at the English club after the sacked Canberra player was refused a UK visa.

"I wouldn't think they'd release him," Carney's manager Jim Banaghan told AAP.

"Had it been October it might be a different story but January, February, I think it's a big ask for a club to release a key player like this now."

The former North Queensland half has found himself in a frustrating position with Warriors legend Jones's comeback from retirement confirmed before a late-season surge in form from Fien.

That culminated in the Warriors going from eighth to a play-off for a grand final berth and New Zealand's stunning World Cup final victory over Australia.

"I think it's a bit of a balls-up they've got themselves in," Banaghan said of the Warriors' situation.

"I don't think they anticipated Nathan's late-season form and committed themselves to Stacey.

"I think if they'd had their time again they'd probably have waited a bit longer."

But Fien will not take the challenge from 32-year-old Jones lying down.

"Stacey's still got a long way to go, he's two years out of footy," Banaghan said.

"It's not like just riding a bike, they're slightly different. You've got people trying to push you off the bike."

A formal announcement from the Warriors is expected early this week.

"We're making progress," club CEO Wayne Scurrah told AAP from Auckland.

"There's certainly no conflict that's been raised (among) any of our roster.

"Nothing would have been happening if Carney had got a work visa."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP