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: 26/30
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, Te Maire Martin
Can negotiate with other clubs from Nov 1, 2025 (Entering 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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[3rdstriker]

Those of you suggesting $700k - might as well make no offer because the chances of Metcalf resigning for that are zero. Geez didn’t we offer Braden Hamlin Uele $2.2m over 3 seasons? You guys are suggesting the Warriors would have been prepared to offer a fringe first grade prop who almost never plays more coin a year ago than what we would look to extend Metcalf on from 2027? Read this slowly - YOU ARE DREAMING.

If Metcalf thinks hes worth anywhere near a million he's dreaming mate.
I think under half a season is more than fair @500k.
As soon as he strings a full season together then by all means offer him 1.2.

 

[John Nick]

If you guys spin this analogy out much longer, pretty soon it's going to be hard to tell whether you are still talking about Metcalf or bonding over your shared interest in aircraft safety.

Agree I got caught up in the analogy.
I actually dont think we are going to determine his worth.Other clubs (expansion teams included ) weill determiner his worth & its up to us to decide iof we can match it or let him go.Market Price will be the overriding factor.

Anything else at this point in time is pure spitballing

 

[OtautahiEast]

The answer is they don’t.

Big incentive payouts like that is fan fiction made up on this forum.

Im no salary cap expert but Im under the assumption it’s quite common to have incentive based salary.
I could be wrong but i think Josiah Pahulu had a similar situation, he is a fringe front rower not a marquee 7 mind you

 

[Five&Last]

Im no salary cap expert but Im under the assumption it’s quite common to have incentive based salary.
I could be wrong but i think Josiah Pahulu had a similar situation, he is a fringe front rower not a marquee 7 mind you

He was on close to the minimum and the bonus was 50k. Not big numbers, similar amounts for SOO bonuses.

350k of performance bonuses for one player is just poor cap management. That could get you a decent starter/bench player.

Plus I don’t think that’s all too enticing for the player anyway. They’d just go to the competitor offering 100k higher base. Everything is about security these days.

 

[OtautahiEast]

He was on close to the minimum and the bonus was 50k. Not big numbers, similar amounts for SOO bonuses.

350k of performance bonuses for one player is just poor cap management. That could get you a decent starter/bench player.

Plus I don’t think that’s all too enticing for the player anyway. They’d just go to the competitor offering 100k higher base. Everything is about security these days.

SOO payments have nothing to do with your club contract.
The fact it’s 50k for a fringe grader 300k for a marquee 7 is not a far stretch. I thought it’s pretty common I could be wrong

What would you pay him?

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

SOO payments have nothing to do with your club contract.
The fact it’s 50k for a fringe grader 300k for a marquee 7 is not a far stretch. I thought it’s pretty common I could be wrong

What would you pay him?

SOO payments to players is part of the NRL cap so it is actually.

 

[Bevosa]

I think the fact that Metcalf is a young, handsome, affluent, white family man would come into account during his negotiation's, he is the face of the club and super marketable, sponsors love that, probably worth millions alone to the club.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Metcalf is worth whatever someone is willing to pay. If the rabbits offer 1mill then he’s worth 1 million. if we lowball like some suggestions of 700k, he’s gone & it’s back to trying to find another 7.

Not sure if you’ve noticed but we don’t really produce 7s at the warriors. Every up and coming 7 coming through has been poached from the Aussies.

So unless you’re prepared to wait another 3+ years until jett, jack Thompson or linnane have developed, then I’d suggest we re sign the player leading the dally ms for what he’s worth.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I think the fact that Metcalf is a young, handsome, affluent, white family man would come into account during his negotiation's, he is the face of the club and super marketable, sponsors love that, probably worth millions alone to the club.

Wtf

 

[Bevosa]

Wtf

All assumptions obviously, but this is a business. It's all a part of it.

 

[Noitall]

Metcalf is worth whatever someone is willing to pay. If the rabbits offer 1mill then he’s worth 1 million. if we lowball like some suggestions of 700k, he’s gone & it’s back to trying to find another 7.

Not sure if you’ve noticed but we don’t really produce 7s at the warriors. Every up and coming 7 coming through has been poached from the Aussies.

So unless you’re prepared to wait another 3+ years until jett, jack Thompson or linnane have developed, then I’d suggest we re sign the player leading the dally ms for what he’s worth.

Interesting the rabbits forum don’t see him as a million dollar player, though resigned to needing to pay extra as a struggling club. Interesting too is there’s a thought over there that Crawley is Bennett’s mouthpiece in the media and some thinking this could be in their plans to put an offer to Metcalf?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I think the fact that Metcalf is a young, handsome, affluent, white family man would come into account during his negotiation's, he is the face of the club and super marketable, sponsors love that, probably worth millions alone to the club.

Not allowed to say that out loud my guy

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Interesting the rabbits forum don’t see him as a million dollar player

Thats not saying much.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Interesting the rabbits forum don’t see him as a million dollar player, though resigned to needing to pay extra as a struggling club. Interesting too is there’s a thought over there that Crawley is Bennett’s mouthpiece in the media and some thinking this could be in their plans to put an offer to Metcalf?

I guess that fan base has the high bar of Lewis Dodd on $700k a year to compare Metcalf to…

 

[Inruin]

Interesting the rabbits forum don’t see him as a million dollar player, though resigned to needing to pay extra as a struggling club. Interesting too is there’s a thought over there that Crawley is Bennett’s mouthpiece in the media and some thinking this could be in their plans to put an offer to Metcalf?

And would he be playing 7 at Souths? That's the other piece to the puzzle. If he wants to play 7 we may very well be his best option and he will certainly be under far more media scrutiny in Australia than he is here.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

And would he be playing 7 at Souths? That's the other piece to the puzzle. If he wants to play 7 we may very well be his best option and he will certainly be under far more media scrutiny in Australia than he is here.

Also the culture. There's no way he's the top dog at Souths with all their competing egos. Compare that to here where he's coming up with Demi, Leka, Laban and the rest, all who know he's running the show on field

 

[Noitall]

And would he be playing 7 at Souths? That's the other piece to the puzzle. If he wants to play 7 we may very well be his best option and he will certainly be under far more media scrutiny in Australia than he is here.

Think there’s a lot for Metcalf to weigh up in this set of contract negotiations because he’s not young and it’s anyone’s guess as to the longevity of his career with the amount of injuries he’s incurred, another payday might not happen. Find it funny the amount of people getting defensive about his salary value, but they don’t seem to be realistic that he can’t stay on the field

 

[bomb to vats]

If Metcalf thinks hes worth anywhere near a million he's dreaming mate.
I think under half a season is more than fair @500k.
As soon as he strings a full season together then by all means offer him 1.2.

If Dylan Brown can get 1.4, Met is worth close to a million.

 

[bomb to vats]

I guess it’s black and white for me. Are we a better side with Metcalf in it? Yes. Can we win a premiership with him? Based on the performances this year (leading dally m), yes. Now, on to Tanah. Both answers is a resounding no. And that’s really as simple as it gets for me.

Re-signing Metcalf is the absolute priority.

Tanah is no where near Metcalfs ability and ceiling.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Think there’s a lot for Metcalf to weigh up in this set of contract negotiations because he’s not young and it’s anyone’s guess as to the longevity of his career with the amount of injuries he’s incurred, another payday might not happen. Find it funny the amount of people getting defensive about his salary value, but they don’t seem to be realistic that he can’t stay on the field

See I look at it the other way - people are getting defensive about offering him an injury impacted contract value despite the reality that he’s going to market in a few months as the number 1 halves option with a new club joining the comp in 2027. What it really comes down to is do you want to resign Metcalf or not. Those suggesting around a ~$700k contract clearly don’t - and perhaps that’s the discussion as opposed to what he’s worth because I can guarantee he’s going to sign somewhere for well above $700k.