Recruitment Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention Discussion​

-	Player	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
1	Bunty Afoa	✔
2	Tom Ale	✔
3	Mitchell Barnett	✔	✔	✔
4	Rocco Berry	✔	✔
5	Tanah Boyd	✔	✔
6	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔
7	Erin Clark	✔	✔	✔
8	Jett Cleary	✔	S	S
9	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
10	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
11	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
12	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
13	Morgan Harper	✔
14	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
15	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
16	Edward Kosi	✔
17	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
18	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
19	Jye Linnane	✔	✔	✔	✔
20	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
21	Te Maire Martin	✔	✔
22	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
23	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
24	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
25	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
26	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔	✔	✔
27	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
28	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
29	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
30	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Fatialofa	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Luke Hanson	S
S4	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	S	✔	✔
S5	Sio Kali	S
S6	Patrick Moimoi	S
-	Kahu Capper	T	T
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Top 30 2025: 30/30
Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Top 30 2026: 27/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Edward Kosi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper
Can negotiate with other clubs from Nov 1, 2025 (Entering final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[peewee]

Only hypothetical ones...

Hypothethetical is warriors language for NO

 

[Tragic]

Be pretty quiet round here without some hypotheticals to muse on.

 

[John Nick]

Be pretty quiet round here without some hypotheticals to muse on.

Just a few spitballs

 

[Noitall]

Hypothetically, I hope the club is having a look at Kini. Brimson on the outer apparently, but what a contract to pick up $800k a season until 2029. Perhaps Warriors would have a look at him, but if there’s interest in Kini, surely you’d leave titans hamstrung with the Brimson contract. Other than us, I can’t think of many teams without a fairly strong fullback? Perhaps roosters after Tedesco retires?

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Hypothetically, I hope the club is having a look at Kini. Brimson on the outer apparently, but what a contract to pick up $800k a season until 2029. Perhaps Warriors would have a look at him, but if there’s interest in Kini, surely you’d leave titans hamstrung with the Brimson contract. Other than us, I can’t think of many teams without a fairly strong fullback? Perhaps roosters after Tedesco retires?

Sharks, Eels, Bulldogs, Raiders are all at this stage minus a top level fullback.

 

[Noitall]

Sharks, Eels, Bulldogs, Raiders are all at this stage minus a top level fullback.

Liam Ison just signed at sharks until 2027. Kennedy may be squeezed out? Eels must be pretty confident in Iongi to let Gutherson go early? Connor Tracey? Yeah bulldogs could be an option? Weekes looking like he’s pretty safe at raiders. Would be slim pickings for Brimson. Titans not doing him any favours either going from centre to fullback to five eighth and so on without him really cementing any of them. Super league?

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Liam Ison just signed at sharks until 2027. Kennedy may be squeezed out? Eels must be pretty confident in Iongi to let Gutherson go early? Connor Tracey? Yeah bulldogs could be an option? Weekes looking like he’s pretty safe at raiders. Would be slim pickings for Brimson. Titans not doing him any favours either going from centre to fullback to five eighth and so on without him really cementing any of them. Super league?

Yeah that’s why I said at this stage - who knows how some of these youngsters develop. 12 months ago I don’t think many thought Kini would go so well in 2024. It’s remarkable the depth in the position.

And re Brimson, I think he’s far too talented a player for Super League, however we all know that talent only takes you so far…

 

[Worried2Death]

Be pretty quiet round here without some hypotheticals to muse on.

164 pages later and we've ended up with Boyd and Clark, the rest was hypothetical.
Why are we only signing Titans anyway, who cares if Pahulu is Tongan or Samoan, until we sign him he's just another snowblowing show pony from the goldy.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

164 pagrs later we've ended up with Boyd and Clark, the rest was hypothetical.
Why are we only signing Titans anyway, who cares if Pahulu is Tongan or Samoan, until we sign him he's just another snowblowing show pony from the goldy.

Don’t forget JFH - he goes ok

 

[Noitall]

Yeah that’s why I said at this stage - who knows how some of these youngsters develop. 12 months ago I don’t think many thought Kini would go so well in 2024. It’s remarkable the depth in the position.

And re Brimson, I think he’s far too talented a player for Super League, however we all know that talent only takes you so far…

Just listening to McFadden on that interview regarding recruitment targets being Kiwi players, just feels like Kini is the ideal candidate. There’s likely money to spend in 2026 and fullback is a position we could use a threat rather than the CNK/RTS hit up fullback. Tohu perhaps another player that we’re potentially going to market to find a replacement? All hypothetical until we see where Webster plays people in what positions? Brimson far too good for Super League, would be a more dominant fullback than Bevan French has been, but that contract could be tough for titans to move him on without chipping in a portion. He may find another role in the team but asking a lot to get the most out of the good money he’s on for a long period. Think it’s an extension before Hasler got there?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Good post. Gus certainly knows his stuff. Are we far off having three fullbacks in our spine? Metcalf, though he hasnt played there, looks more like a fullback playing 6. TMM has played fullback for a period with the Broncos. And then we have CNK or TT at 1. Its actually conceivable that we could end up with a backline predominantly with fullbacks or fullback-esque players.

TT
RTS
Ali
CNK
DWZ
LM
TMM

6 out of 7.....

I think the main point that should be made is the different number of points of attack in the Storm and Panthers teams versus others trying to compete.

2023 we revolved around SJ and probably flattered to deceive a bit that season relying on our right shift to DWZ a lot.

Panthers and Storm have more options and don't rely so much on the one player.

The big difference is the storm know what they are doing, we dont!

 

[John Nick]

The big difference is the storm know what they are doing, we dont!

And the Storm have the key to producing FBs. And I mean good ones.

 

[Wellington Warrior]

We can finally out a line through Shaun Stevenson.. off to Japanese rugby effective immediately


View: https://x.com/jamesmconie/status/1866073294300180593?s=61&t=mvNbrFzBVR4HircZmOSP1w

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Shaun Stevenson off to Japanese rugby. Weird one. Maybe we didn’t make an offer, or it wasn’t big enough. He’s clearly chasing $ at his age & fair enough. On to the next unrealistic signing

 

[SouthernWorrier]

Just listening to McFadden on that interview regarding recruitment targets being Kiwi players, just feels like Kini is the ideal candidate. There’s likely money to spend in 2026 and fullback is a position we could use a threat rather than the CNK/RTS hit up fullback. Tohu perhaps another player that we’re potentially going to market to find a replacement? All hypothetical until we see where Webster plays people in what positions? Brimson far too good for Super League, would be a more dominant fullback than Bevan French has been, but that contract could be tough for titans to move him on without chipping in a portion. He may find another role in the team but asking a lot to get the most out of the good money he’s on for a long period. Think it’s an extension before Hasler got there?

we can only use a FB who is a threat if we're going to change the gameplan from relying on our back 3 to take so many hit ups.... kickers who could reduce the need for us to make so many metres with ball in hand and let our boys hold some juice in reserve for attack would be nice.

 

[Next Year]

And the Storm have the key to producing FBs. And I mean good ones.

...and for turning fullbacks into halfbacks. Jahrome Hughes played 40+ games at fullback before Bellamy switched him. There's none better than Bellamy at defining a player's role and then coaching them into executing on that.

 

[Noitall]

we can only use a FB who is a threat if we're going to change the gameplan from relying on our back 3 to take so many hit ups.... kickers who could reduce the need for us to make so many metres with ball in hand and let our boys hold some juice in reserve for attack would be nice.

If RTS and DWZ are our wingers and any of the centres on our books have enough size for carries to preserve some energy in the forwards, I reckon we could afford to use a smaller fullback who’s more of an attacking threat

 

[John Nick]

...and for turning fullbacks into halfbacks. Jahrome Hughes played 40+ games at fullback before Bellamy switched him. There's none better than Bellamy at defining a player's role and then coaching them into executing on that.

Yes .They have had a few over the years.Started with Billy & then followed Hynes Drinkwater Hughes Paps & IMO Coates would be a great FB?

 

[CWC]

Brimson would be a scary 6 or 1, how about we just sign the entire Titans backline, they did thrash us 66:6

 

[The Warrior Waka]

they did thrash us 66:6

Clearly Des Ralph Hasler met the devil at 5 crossroads in Hamilton & made a deal with him the night before the game. Now Jared Maxwell owns his soul for eternity!