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	Jye Linnane	✔	✔	✔	✔
19	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
20	Te Maire Martin	✔
21	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
22	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
23	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
25	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔	✔	✔
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
29	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: 29/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

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

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin
Can negotiate with others clubs from 01/11/25 (final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Noitall]

He’s due back early rounds. I’d say the knights, cows, dragons, who need a 7 would throw money at him.

Perth for 2027 with him still contracted for 2026 would work too

 

[Dannevegas]

I don’t think any combo of Boyd, CHT or Martin will win us a premiership. Chuck Metcalf in there at 6 or 7 and i think we can. He’s showed he stands up in the big moments.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

He’s due back early rounds. I’d say the knights, cows, dragons, who need a 7 would throw money at him.

I can see a team doing what we did, offering above minimum to roll the dice. But youd be up for negligence signing up Metcalf anywhere close to top money as your key spine player before hes even made a come back.

Has it that ever been done successfully? Jack Bird maybe and he wasnt spine

 

[Neo]

I can see a team doing what we did, offering above minimum to roll the dice. But youd be up for negligence signing up Metcalf anywhere close to top money as your key spine player before hes even made a come back.

Has it that ever been done successfully? Jack Bird maybe and he wasnt spine

Yeah probably a similar case is Papenhuyzen. High quality player but had to accept a lower value due to constant injuries.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

An acl is a freak injury, not a hammy, or recurring. Yes he’s snapped it before, but if you look at the mechanism of injury, it’s just pure bad luck.

Im unsure on this. Yes, some injuries are just freaky bad luck but 2 people can get the same impact and one jumps up and runs off and the other has done an ACL.

Some people just seem to get injured more during contact and Metcalf’s history says it’s more than just bad luck.

There are lots of fast, agile players that can’t handle the rigour of NRL and they need to bulk up (and lose the speed that made them good) or they keep getting injured. This frequently happens to the juniors coming through, hence why sometimes the talent never pushes on as the conditioning adapts and they slow down.

I’m in the resign him, but don’t throw huge money his way camp.

 

[Wrighty]

Im unsure on this. Yes, some injuries are just freaky bad luck but 2 people can get the same impact and one jumps up and runs off and the other has done an ACL.

Some people just seem to get injured more during contact and Metcalf’s history says it’s more than just bad luck.

There are lots of fast, agile players that can’t handle the rigour of NRL and they need to bulk up (and lose the speed that made them good) or they keep getting injured. This frequently happens to the juniors coming through, hence why sometimes the talent never pushes on as the conditioning adapts and they slow down.

I’m in the resign him, but don’t throw huge money his way camp.

The knee was taped up before the game started.

 

[Noitall]

The knee was taped up before the game started.

It was strapped the previous week too and he’d passed goal kicking duties on. Even a couple breakaway tries he’d scored weeks ago, when he slowed down I thought he appeared to be favouring one side. For all we know it was something slight he’d picked up at training and was persevering with and it finally gave away. The injury itself was an unfortunate one in how Piakura hit him hard and his leg dug into the ground by the looks. Just some unfortunate factors. He appears cautious to me always to hit top speed, perhaps that’s apart of the training in America to alter the style a bit?

 

[Wrighty]

It was strapped the previous week too and he’d passed goal kicking duties on. Even a couple breakaway tries he’d scored weeks ago, when he slowed down I thought he appeared to be favouring one side. For all we know it was something slight he’d picked up at training and was persevering with and it finally gave away. The injury itself was an unfortunate one in how Piakura hit him hard and his leg dug into the ground by the looks. Just some unfortunate factors. He appears cautious to me always to hit top speed, perhaps that’s apart of the training in America to alter the style a bit?

Is it true he did both knees. Or is it just one knee?

 

[Noitall]

Is it true he did both knees. Or is it just one knee?

Not sure? I think I saw someone say he’s done both now with the other previously?

 

[3rdstriker]

There’s no way Metcalf takes a 1 year extension, when he was leading the dally m votes before injury & has a huge ceiling, with other clubs entering the nrl desperate for a 7. It’ll be 2 years minimum, or he’ll walk. An acl is a freak injury, not a hammy, or recurring. Yes he’s snapped it before, but if you look at the mechanism of injury, it’s just pure bad luck. He needs to be retained for us to be any real threat of a premiership & he’s a priority.

2 year extension on 800k I think is fair for all parties. I’d go higher if we need to, to get him over the line. Hes settled here, we gave him an opportunity when no one would & has improved dramatically under webby.

Extend him yes, but not for 2 years I'd only extend him after he's completed his 1st full year of complete Nrl.
Until then he can be drip fed because he's still a liability waiting to happen.

What you probably find is Tanah will jump out of the blocks and kill it then you will want to give him the extension, but we can't keep everyone either.

 

[CWC]

Not sure? I think I saw someone say he’s done both now with the other previously?

Shoot I googled it and ai said he did his left in 2019 and this time it’s his right, so not the same knee twice

I’ve been puzzled on how he could rupture again after a reconstruction, if anyone can confirm it’s different sides I reckon it’s worth a reasonable deal still because he’s not gonna rupture his ACL again, just keep the calves flexible to avoid Achilles

 

[Tragic]

I don’t think any combo of Boyd, CHT or Martin will win us a premiership. Chuck Metcalf in there at 6 or 7 and i think we can. He’s showed he stands up in the big moments.

I dont know about that? Sure, he has done some good things to win games in the regular season but also missed easy kicks. Never been tested at the pointy end of the season.

 

[Cces]

So Linnane took a Top 30 for the current season & we're unsure who the final spot was given to, but EIT is the most likely?

 

[Noitall]

So Linnane took a Top 30 for the current season & we're unsure who the final spot was given to, but EIT is the most likely?

Is that right that Linnane is top 30 for the rest of the season? With EIT joining top 30 next year, if they’re keen to hold onto Fatialofa I’d put him top 30 as a gesture to show they want him to hang around

 

[~Navigator~]

With Metcalf requiring more rehab for his injury, would now be a good time for both parties to consider their futures? Might seem callous but to put all the resources into him and he not stick around would be tough. Think if he’s in their plans they need to extend him soon and it would good for him to commit or be straight up with the club and let them know if he intends going to market in November to see what he can get on the market

Nope,
I don't see the need to sign him up in an emergency,
Why the hell would he move to Perth?
It's just as far as Auckland from Sydney,
And he has shown just how much he loves being here,
I think your off your rocker to think he will dump us, as he has been given the key to the clubs future, and he has a kiwi baby can life get much better?

 

[Noitall]

Nope,
I don't see the need to sign him up in an emergency,
Why the hell would he move to Perth?
It's just as far as Auckland from Sydney,
And he has shown just how much he loves being here,
I think your off your rocker to think he will dump us, as he has been given the key to the clubs future, and he has a kiwi baby can life get much better?

I think you’re off your rocker if you don’t think he’d take a massive offer coming his way. He’ll be 27 and with the amount of injuries he’s had, who knows how long his career is? I personally think he’ll stick around but I wouldn’t hold it against him if a big offer came his way and he took it

 

[~Navigator~]

I think you’re off your rocker if you don’t think he’d take a massive offer coming his way. He’ll be 27 and with the amount of injuries he’s had, who knows how long his career is? I personally think he’ll stick around but I wouldn’t hold it against him if a big offer came his way and he took it

Well i guess I'm heads and your tails, let's see where we end up,
But he came here for a chance and we gave it to him, he still has the chance here to win the club their first title,
But let's wait and see,
BTW I'm not here for arguments sake.

 

[Noitall]

Well i guess I'm heads and your tails, let's see where we end up,
But he came here for a chance and we gave it to him, he still has the chance here to win the club their first title,
But let's wait and see,
BTW I'm not here for arguments sake.

I’m just playing devils advocate really but I probably do lean to the side of a commitment between the club and himself in an extension before November if they both see each other in their respective futures. Not sure of his value though anymore, I’d probably lean towards $750-$800k per season and probably a 2 year extension taking him until the end of 2028

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Well i guess I'm heads and your tails, let's see where we end up,
But he came here for a chance and we gave it to him, he still has the chance here to win the club their first title,
But let's wait and see,
BTW I'm not here for arguments sake.

Haha come on bro. No one's saying for certain he's gone after next year, but it's a super reasonable assumption that Metcalf is going to consider his future at the very least. Nothing crazy about that, there are so many examples of players across all sports up and leaving what is seen as a golden gig. Especially if it's worth more money, which Perth certainly would be

 

[Five&Last]

I think your off your rocker to think he will dump us, as he has been given the key to the clubs future, and he has a kiwi baby can life get much better?

No disrespect but i think this is the biggest load of bollocks going around on this forum. You're not the only one here that genuinely believes this too. I would say you're probably in the majority tbh.

He's a smart kid Metcalf. Talks a lot about players managing their wealth and even mentioned giving young Halasima investment advise.

He would not give a single flying fuck about "being given the key to club's future".

The bottom line is, he's going to go to whoever can set himself up the best financially.

You're too emotionally invested if you think otherwise

Usually the two are interrelated (highest earner = keys to the future) which is why this is an interesting discussion.

In the end, I think we'll give him his highest offer. The injury, while horrible for this season, makes it less likely Perth or another club will blow us out of the water with an offer.