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	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
9	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
10	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
11	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔
12	Morgan Harper	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
24	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
28	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
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Jye Linnane	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	✔	✔

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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 28/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 26/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Jye Linnane (Newcastle Knights), Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Tanner Stowers-Smith
Off Contract from 01/11/25: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Jacob Laban, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

---

This thread is solely for Warriors recruitment and retention discussion. Any posts not related to the above will be deleted.

Repeat offenders will have their access to this page limited.

Please be mindful of what you are posting in this thread before clicking the reply button. Zero Tolerance to offtopic chat.

 

[Riz]

How has Toby Crosby been going in cup? Is he close to playing first grade?

He's been good, but probably a season or two away from 1st grade in my opinion. He seems to be learning quickly though, so who knows.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

He's been good, but probably a season or two away from 1st grade in my opinion. He seems to be learning quickly though, so who knows.

I wouldn't rush him. He's a rugby convert and still learning his craft as well as his power to weight to speed to endurance ratio. Lifts big numbers but will also need to develop into whatever becomes his position and cover positions. Looks positive but.

 

[Defence]

Cowboys forum would give us Name for a kick in the nuts at the moment. Not very popular there at present

 

[Wrighty]

I wouldn't rush him. He's a rugby convert and still learning his craft as well as his power to weight to speed to endurance ratio. Lifts big numbers but will also need to develop into whatever becomes his position and cover positions. Looks positive but.

There has never been a player I can recall we have tracked so closely through the ranks. The forum will be delighted for him if he ever gets a debut. Step one is getting a pre-season trial in 2026.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

There has never been a player I can recall we have tracked so closely through the ranks. The forum will be delighted for him if he ever gets a debut. Step one is getting a pre-season trial in 2026.

Shaun Johnson springs to mind. When he was ripping up Toyota Cup. But yes Toby Crosby has done some crazy stuff in his flegg time to date.

It cool to be able to see kids play for the warriors at younger ages than before though.

I'm hoping Thompson and Ratcliffe club thier way up.

 

[Horriors2013]

He's been good, but probably a season or two away from 1st grade in my opinion. He seems to be learning quickly though, so who knows.

He scored 2 tries on the weekend. He's a beast. If he keeps growing and getting stronger, he's going to be top tier.

 

[3rdstriker]

Hard to see Healey staying, Egan's 28, Cook's 34 this year and still playing, 4-6 seasons left including 3-4 of prime Egan, Healey's 23 this year and has to play impact and won't surpass Egan till he's 27, a hybrid locking/hooker option of 40-50min/game will be a pretty good deal till then but we just signed Gannon...

Maybe it was a handshake agreement to give him the debut and no compassionate bs for the entire 3 years, be a gangster impact player/cover for Egan while we fast track 1 of the under 20s junior hookers to take his position in 2028 and transition into Egan's position over 2-3 years? Healey will probably command a starting position and salary somewhere back home by end of 2026 when he can negotiate, if he's good enough

If Healy

Shaun Johnson springs to mind. When he was ripping up Toyota Cup. But yes Toby Crosby has done some crazy stuff in his flegg time to date.

It cool to be able to see kids play for the warriors at younger ages than before though.

I'm hoping Thompson and Ratcliffe club thier way up.

Lemana, Neal, ioka, keepa, and byford a few more names in Matt's gf winning team to watch out for.
Trouble is we're not going to be able to hold onto all these gems so it's going to be a filtering system.

 

[Riz]

Lennox Tuiloma is one who may have fallen off of some peoples radars, he's been out injured this season but is an absolute weapon to keep an eye on.

 

[Ref]

If Healy
Lemana, Neal, ioka, keepa, and byford a few more names in Matt's gf winning team to watch out for.
Trouble is we're not going to be able to hold onto all these gems so it's going to be a filtering system.

Tyson Hansen too.
He missed the final due to injury.
He is the captain and IMO a great controller in the halves.
Decent running and kicking game to boot.

 

[Wrighty]

I have been advocating for some time, if our owner has deep enough pockets we should field two NSW cup teams. Otherwise we will be forever making calls like we did with Zyon Maiu’u Maiau. And sometimes we will get those calls wrong.

 

[CWC]

Who’s the highly touted kid we signed a year ago? Not Jett. There was some news about him

 

[Ref]

I have been advocating for some time, if our owner has deep enough pockets we should field two NSW cup teams. Otherwise we will be forever making calls like we did with Zyon Maiu’u Maiau. And sometimes we will get those calls wrong.

I think we’d struggle and you can’t pull all of Flegg up.
Certain players get more playing Fox for some clubs so guys who are realistic about not getting an NRL gig won’t play.

 

[CWC]

Shaun Johnson springs to mind. When he was ripping up Toyota Cup. But yes Toby Crosby has done some crazy stuff in his flegg time to date.

It cool to be able to see kids play for the warriors at younger ages than before though.

I'm hoping Thompson and Ratcliffe club thier way up.

I remember SJ was introduced earlier than they wanted in 2011 and the rest was history

 

[Billyspleen75]

Who’s the highly touted kid we signed a year ago? Not Jett. There was some news about him

Kahu Capper?
https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2024...ntre Kahu Capper,the One New Zealand Warriors.

 

[Horriors2013]

If Healy
Lemana, Neal, ioka, keepa, and byford a few more names in Matt's gf winning team to watch out for.
Trouble is we're not going to be able to hold onto all these gems so it's going to be a filtering system.

Neal is an absolute talent. He could become anything. Size, speed, step, chip n chase. Lemana has had an outstanding year. Got some moves. Ioka, I know his parents well. Will go on his mission like his bro. Probably won't be back.

 

[Wrighty]

Neal is an absolute talent. He could become anything. Size, speed, step, chip n chase. Lemana has had an outstanding year. Got some moves. Ioka, I know his parents well. Will go on his mission like his bro. Probably won't be back.

I wonder if Neal will play Flegg next year.

 

[Horriors2013]

I wonder if Neal will play Flegg next year.

Good question. I wouldn't be surprised to see him play Cup by the end of next year. He's a big boy.

 

[Canadian_Warriors_Fan]

I wonder if Neal will play Flegg next year.

Possibly this year?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Possibly this year?

We will find out tomorrow.

 

[HitTheGap]

How has Toby Crosby been going in cup? Is he close to playing first grade?

Last week against the Knights in 30 minutes
11 runs 114m, 14 tackles no miss, 55pcm (most from either team)
This week in 30m
8 runs 95m 1 try 1 linebreak 5 tackles breaks, 20 tackles 0 missed
Heaps of improvements from last year