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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[3rdstriker]

He has to play.

He is a real threat in attack.

Gee you could honestly get away with playing him in Capewells Center role ahead of Berry, and Ali. His ball play and hitting a hole in support out wide is better than the lot of them.

I dunno where Webster plays him but he has said he wanted a ball playing fourteen type.

Might have to start in Cup 1st trial him out and iron out any rough edges.

 

[roguei]

Doesn’t Demetric already come on and play prop? There's also the small issue of Clark already killing it at 13 for us. He won't be moved. Leka will stay put also. Maybe its a toss up between Laban and Gannon. And I would personally have Laban. Unless they see Gannon as having the utility role , Covering several positions?

From my understanding Demetric normally goes into lock while Clark is off. Not to say Demetric doesn't already do some work in the prop role, as he is normally on for longer than Clark is off.

 

[sup42]

Have seen alot of this kid? I can't find fuck all footage of him. Even the Kayo games I have watched he has played limited minutes. Not enough game time to form an opinion of him, yet..

No bro today was the first full game I have seen.

But from that one game sample it is clear that his team know he is a threat, they kept running from the right side to his left looking for him and he was all too willing to fly up looking for that ball.

SJ would have loved him when SJ used to crab across the field.

Also when he hits the gap the first thing he does is look left and right for his supports in the same way Walker and Tohu did so he has that thing that our forward pack is missing.

I would not say he is anywhere near Dylan and Tohus ball playing as main ball players but lets remember he is very young and ahead in confidence and skill than any young forward I can remember from here.

He is half Australian eh, his old man was an Australian League player.

But he would be lethal with our two star young bucks around him or off Metcalfs shoulder....absolutely lethal because in one game you saw speed, footwork, passing, offloading, vision up razoo.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I honestly have no idea where you fit Gannon into the team at the moment.
Do you play him at lock? Which i assume would mean moving Demetric to prop, which i can see turning out quite well.
Do you play him at edge? Dropping one of Capes/Leka/Laban from the squad.
Or have we spent a fair chunk of change on injury cover?

Eh, the way I see it we've got plenty of time.

He'll be 22 in December, so still pretty young and the reality is, most players from the UK (especially younger guys) should take 6 months or so to get into the swing of things.

Best case scenario for us is he's amazing from the get go, and we have to squeeze him into the team from Rd 1. That's a great headache for Webby to have.

But I think it's most likely that he takes a few months to get to where we need him to be, and will start to be a constant fixture in the team from about Rd 13 onwards next year.

With Barny's injury and both Niukore and Capewell coming off contract, and the ever present threat of injuries and suspensions I really don't think we're going to have a problem fitting him into the team.

A very different and exciting problem for Webby...how the fook is he going to fit all of forwards into the team and continue to give our junior guys like Kayliss and EIT reasonable opportunities next year.

 

[sup42]

Eh, the way I see it we've got plenty of time.

He'll be 22 in December, so still pretty young and the reality is, most players from the UK (especially younger guys) should take 6 months or so to get into the swing of things.

Best case scenario for us is he's amazing from the get go, and we have to squeeze him into the team from Rd 1. That's a great headache for Webby to have.

But I think it's most likely that he takes a few months to get to where we need him to be, and will start to be a constant fixture in the team from about Rd 13 onwards next year.

With Barny's injury and both Niukore and Capewell coming off contract, and the ever present threat of injuries and suspensions I really don't think we're going to have a problem fitting him into the team.

A very different and exciting problem for Webby...how the fook is he going to fit all of forwards into the team and continue to give our junior guys like Kayliss and EIT reasonable opportunities next year.

I don't want to pump up his tyres too much, because I agree he is very young and NSW cup time might be useful as far as learning our systems and having a gentle intro to living a million miles away from home.

But they are not gonna be able to teach him anything in cup because he has a full deck of skills already and if he were to spend months in cup then something has gone horribly wrong - I am just gonna state it plainly he has more skill than any player we have in the NSW cup forward rotation end of.

He has more unique skill than any forward we have on any level NRL or NSW cup (let me be clear I am not saying he is better than our forwards, rather he has more unique ability as a genuine ball player than any of them post Walker and Tohu) so it makes no sense to take months in cup, I believe that would be a backwards step.

Bear in mind he is already doing tackling practice with Sam Lisone running at him every week so Cup will show him nothing new. there either.

Also we have to remember that English backs struggle in the NRL, their forwards tend to fly and often surpass their NRL counter parts.

I am fan of the NSW cup though it is not a demotion for him to go there, we have top players in that group and he will probably rip shit up in cup if he has to play there and we give him clean service off someone like Tannah.

But none of our NRL forwards can do what he does so he has to be in Websters mind as an NRL player until he fails (yes he could get snapped in half he looks like a thin lanky lump of timber and be broken, but lets just see eh, he looks tough enough). He wants NRL so hats off to the guy.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I don't want to pump up his tyres too much, because I agree he is very young and NSW cup time might be useful as far as learning our systems and having a gentle intro to living a million miles away from home.

But they are not gonna be able to teach him anything in cup because he has a full deck of skills already and if he were to spend months in cup then something has gone horribly wrong - I am just gonna state it plainly he has more skill than any player we have in the NSW cup forward rotation end of.

He has more unique skill than any forward we have on any level NRL or NSW cup so it makes no sense to take months in cup, I believe that would be a backwards step.

Bear in mind he is already doing tackling practice with Sam Lisone running at him every week so Cup will show him nothing new. there either.

Also we have to remember that English backs struggle in the NRL, their forwards tend to fly and often surpass their NRL counter parts.

I am fan of the NSW cup though it is not a demotion for him to go there, we have top players in that group and he will probably rip shit up in cup if he has to play there and we give him clean service off someone like Tannah.

But none of our NRL forwards can do what he does so he has to be in Websters mind as an NRL player until he fails.

Sounds like Webby has some sleepless nights ahead of him.

All fantastic signs if he's as good as you say!

 

[sup42]

Sounds like Webby has some sleepless nights ahead of him.

All fantastic signs if he's as good as you say!

Well like I say he is not as good as Walker or Tohu, he is not a Marquee player, (for now) but they were two of the best ball playing forwards in the history of the sport so....

But at his age being so confident with the ball and forward to boot, you'd have to say his ceiling could be anything.

Look don't expect Leka Halasima, he ain't gonna rip the NRL apart every other time he touches the ball.

He is gonna be a nice complementary player that gives our attack some missing vision out wide....think...wide running second rower that is looking to pass the ball....that is him.

 

[CWC]

Gannon is Walker replacement so clearly he will be playing lock off the bench for Clark and Demi can transition to full time propping

Our bench will be Ford, Marata (middle more than second row) and Demi so Gannon better be able to play some hooker or 6 otherwise he’s in cup with Laban. My guess is Webby will make him play like TMM’s role now and be lock utility ie…Walker

 

[tajhay]

Bye week relaxation of the thread rules is over.

Morgan Gannon discussion -> https://nzwarriors.com/threads/morgan-gannon.1176/

Keep this thread to Warriors recruitment or retention only from this point forward please.

 

[Makasene]

Presumably next year is a bit tricky.

Surely Capewell will not be retained after next year, in which case that edge spot is opened up for Laban and Gannon onto the bench?

 

[CWC]

Presumably next year is a bit tricky.

Surely Capewell will not be retained after next year, in which case that edge spot is opened up for Laban and Gannon onto the bench?

Laban and Leka start with Kayliss on the bench?

 

[Five&Last]

Laban and Leka start with Kayliss on the bench?

I think Kayliss overtakes Ali (better defender and more dynamic runner) They’ll play him at centre to accomodate everyone to start.

But to begin Kayliss will take Capewell’s role of second row/centre cover who starts in either position

I think EIT plays lock to accomodate everyone (I think Gannon has his work cut out to prove he’s even better than EIT). Erin probably moves back to the bench in maybe 2-3 years as he slows down

Demetric is purely a prop. Will come off the bench until Barnett comes off contract (I don’t think we re-sign him; NSW prop with Perth lurking and likely with Metcalf on a mil). Salalilo comes onto the bench.

The headaches really start once the likes of Bishop Neal start to become first grade ready

Apart from Metcalf, we’re not really desperate for any of our best Aus players to re-sign which is a good position to be when it comes to negotiations.

 

[Dannevegas]

I think Kayliss overtakes Ali (better defender and more dynamic runner) They’ll play him at centre to accomodate everyone to start.

But to begin Kayliss will take Capewell’s role of second row/centre cover who starts in either position

I think EIT plays lock to accomodate everyone (I think Gannon has his work cut out to prove he’s even better than EIT). Erin probably moves back to the bench in maybe 2-3 years as he slows down

Demetric is purely a prop. Will come off the bench until Barnett comes off contract (I don’t think we re-sign him; NSW prop with Perth lurking and likely with Metcalf on a mil). Salalilo comes onto the bench.

The headaches really start once the likes of Bishop Neal start to become first grade ready

Apart from Metcalf, we’re not really desperate for any of our best Aus players to re-sign which is a good position to be when it comes to negotiations.

You think Ali’s quickly slipping down the pecking order? Maybe a bit more than a few work ons? Surely not(hope not). I still rate him as our best centre, I know he still has a few things to iron out.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

I think Kayliss overtakes Ali (better defender and more dynamic runner) They’ll play him at centre to accomodate everyone to start.

But to begin Kayliss will take Capewell’s role of second row/centre cover who starts in either position

I think EIT plays lock to accomodate everyone (I think Gannon has his work cut out to prove he’s even better than EIT). Erin probably moves back to the bench in maybe 2-3 years as he slows down

Demetric is purely a prop. Will come off the bench until Barnett comes off contract (I don’t think we re-sign him; NSW prop with Perth lurking and likely with Metcalf on a mil). Salalilo comes onto the bench.

The headaches really start once the likes of Bishop Neal start to become first grade ready

Apart from Metcalf, we’re not really desperate for any of our best Aus players to re-sign which is a good position to be when it comes to negotiations.

Reality is if we look too far ahead in planning our squad, players are going to start getting poached. They are so good and will all be demanding pay upgrades, that we can’t keep ‘em all.

Good recruitment problem to have.

 

[Five&Last]

You think Ali’s quickly slipping down the pecking order? Maybe a bit more than a few work ons? Surely not(hope not). I still rate him as our best centre, I know he still has a few things to iron out.

Not sure, I've just noticed Kayliss makes far better decisions when defending in space. That sort of thing is hard go down a grade and 'work on'. Its almost second nature. He's also more dynamic when running the ball (has speed and step that Ali doesn't have).

But then i'm not sure how well Kayliss would go at other aspects required from a center, i.e. can he set his winger up consistently or would he be a Solomone Kata out there?

Bit of a jigsaw puzzle really.

Berry is still our most complete center imo, just cant master the availability aspect, while Pompey has mastered that and, in doing so, has become the first choice center.