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: 25/30
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, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Cces]

If it's true, and Marata is on a front loaded contract, it might turn out to be a decent deal for the club after all

 

[Blain]

Gannon was bought as replacement for Walker. He'll be bench. He'll have to pass preseason though.

Yeah I don't think so. He offers possibly a similar skillset, or similar bench utility value, but he's a backrower/6 at 21 years old, vs Walker being a ball playing lock with 10 years of NRL experience. I believe he is more or a long term project player, and wouldn't be surprised to see him get less than 10 NRL games next year. Webby is very cautious at blooding guys into NRL, I don't see why he would be any different.

Would be very surprised if he snagged the bench back rower spot over Laban. Would expect Marata to be an out and out middle next year, Laban to take Capewell's second row spot in 2027, and then see Gannon in a full time bench role possibly from then all going well.

He's a bit of a win/win really, if he can over take Laban or Leka, holy shit we've got a star. If not, our home grown boys are still killing it and he can learn in the back ground via reserve grade. Looking at his ESL stats, they hardly scream NRL right now.

Player

www.superleague.co.uk

If MT is missed tackles... Jesus he needs some work.

 

[CWC]

Hard one for Cape for 2027 unless he becomes a prop Barney style and we keep the 4 backrowers - 2 starters, 1 regular bench and 1 injury cover.

Fish/Clark possibly Barney still here, I'd prefer to have an aussie hard nose in the pack somewhere (Ford?? lol), maybe it'll be Clark/Demi/TSS when Fish start to wind down his career.

 

[CWC]

Yeah I don't think so. He offers possibly a similar skillset, or similar bench utility value, but he's a backrower/6 at 21 years old, vs Walker being a ball playing lock with 10 years of NRL experience. I believe he is more or a long term project player, and wouldn't be surprised to see him get less than 10 NRL games next year. Webby is very cautious at blooding guys into NRL, I don't see why he would be any different.

Would be very surprised if he snagged the bench back rower spot over Laban. Would expect Marata to be an out and out middle next year, Laban to take Capewell's second row spot in 2027, and then see Gannon in a full time bench role possibly from then all going well.

He's a bit of a win/win really, if he can over take Laban or Leka, holy shit we've got a star. If not, our home grown boys are still killing it and he can learn in the back ground via reserve grade. Looking at his ESL stats, they hardly scream NRL right now.

Player

www.superleague.co.uk

If MT is missed tackles... Jesus he needs some work.

He's probably covering 9 and 13 ie competing with Healey's spot. Demi will probably become Barney's successor

 

[slime]

Player

www.superleague.co.uk

If MT is missed tackles... Jesus he needs some work.

MT: Marker tackles
MI: Missed tackles

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Capewell would be perfect for Perth. You probably won't want to go googling "Kurt Capewell Bear" on your work laptop, though.

Having a look for other captaincy types that could sign with them from November 1, while they have all played Origin before, unless Robson or Edwards are ruled out, Capewell will be the only incumbent (and Queenslander if Mal wants to be biased lol) available.

34-year-old Api Koroisau
34-year-old James Tedesco
33-year-old Kurt Capewell
33-year-old Junior Paulo
33-year-old Cameron McInnes
33-year-old Jake Trbojevic

Rose-tinted glasses on, but he'll probably be the only one playing in week 2/3 of finals this year, with the way things are going too.

Tanah will be a shout as well.

Sean O'Sullivan had nepotism on his side with the Dolphins, but Tanah could pretty likely be in the same position as he was- Halfback for the best team in the NSW Cup, only stuck behind a Dally M Halfback nominee for first-grade minutes. May have a connection with Mal from the Titans days, and Perth could work well for his AFLW-player partner.

 

[Blain]

MT: Marker tackles
MI: Missed tackles

Thanks mate, good to know

 

[CWC]

Kurt is 31 turning 32 next month!?

I guess 2026 is probably his last peak year and we can move him on in 2027 might miss a good-sh year but avoid the big decline in 2028 and keep our quartet second rowers

 

[watcher]

Q
who was our Last dud signing?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Q who was our Last dud signing?

A: Morgan Harper.

 

[chrisnz]

A: Morgan Harper.

Morgan was probably at basement price we threw him a lifeline to come play cup and last time I checked the cup teams still 1st I'd call his signing good while he hasn't set the game on fire he does have genuine 1st grade experience and will be aiding in the development of the youth.

 

[sup42]

Q
who was our Last dud signing?

Easy, Eliesa Katoa.

Used the Warriors to get a Storm Berth. As such the worst investment in recent history.

Addin Fonua Blake. No expounding from me.

Isiah Papalii....no commentary needed.

Lets see how Leka and Dimitric behave, if they stay then yeah it only reinforces how poor our decisions turned out in wasting time and resources on 'Katoa, Papalii and Fonua Blake.

 

[3rdstriker]

Easy, Eliesa Katoa.

Used the Warriors to get a Storm Berth. As such the worst investment in recent history.

Addin Fonua Blake. No expounding from me.

Isiah Papalii....no commentary needed.

Lets see how Leka and Dimitric behave, if they stay then yeah it only reinforces how poor our decisions turned out in wasting time and resources on 'Katoa, Papalii and Fonua Blake.

There's the one's you've mentioned above but when i think of our dud players its more along the lines of Jono Wright, Dane neilson, Todd Lowrie types.

 

[Theking267]

Probably Aaron PENE or Ash TAYLOR

 

[Cces]

Easy, Eliesa Katoa.

Used the Warriors to get a Storm Berth. As such the worst investment in recent history.

Recruited from Union, thrown straight from Jersey Flegg to the NRL, left edge one week then right the next, 3 seasons living out of a suitcase & 4 head coaches. Even with covid factored in the club butchered his development

 

[MaybeTop8]

Recruited from Union, thrown straight from Jersey Flegg to the NRL, left edge one week then right the next, 3 seasons living out of a suitcase & 4 head coaches. Even with covid factored in the club butchered his development

Reckon they wouldn't now.

 

[juju]

Recruited from Union, thrown straight from Jersey Flegg to the NRL, left edge one week then right the next, 3 seasons living out of a suitcase & 4 head coaches. Even with covid factored in the club butchered his development

Hailed as a future captain one season. Released the next. Pretty sad really

 

[rugged]

Easy, Eliesa Katoa.

Used the Warriors to get a Storm Berth. As such the worst investment in recent history

I'll see your Katoa and raise you a Matt Lodge - paid the guy out his full contract. Reece Walsh was a pretty bad one as well. I see it that we dropped the ball on Katoa rather than him being malicious. Hopefully lessons have been learnt with the retention of Vaimauga and Leka

 

[Funky Ed Koosie]

Q
who was our Last dud signing?

Pride Petterson Robati, the biggest con job by Peter O'sullivan

 

[Warriors4lyfe]

Q
who was our Last dud signing?

Kane fold some c**t Evans