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: 27/30
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
Can negotiate with other clubs from Nov 1, 2025 (Entering final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Noitall]

I bloody hope so. Niukore is a liability in an edge. Everyone blaming Boyd, dwz, but the issues start with niukores inability to move laterally, causing a chain reaction. Niukore is a middle.

Interesting that they’ve gradually extended his minutes over the weeks where he played 72 minutes against the bulldogs and 80 minutes against the dragons

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Interesting that they’ve gradually extended his minutes over the weeks where he played 72 minutes against the bulldogs and 80 minutes against the dragons

I think it’s out of desperation. I’m hoping he’s either back to middle rotation or splits the role 50/30 with leka off the bench. He’s really offering nothing & a burden to our salary cap

 

[Noitall]

I think it’s out of desperation. I’m hoping he’s either back to middle rotation is splits the role 50/30 with leka off the bench. He’s really offering nothing & a burden to our salary cap

He would one of a couple that I wouldn’t be surprised to see the club say you can leave now if you find something and won’t be extended past 2026. Coming back from injury, I wonder if this is a big period for Berry? If he picks up another injury, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a similar situation

 

[Warriorsfan92]

He would one of a couple that I wouldn’t be surprised to see the club say you can leave now if you find something and won’t be extended past 2026. Coming back from injury, I wonder if this is a big period for Berry? If he picks up another injury, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a similar situation

I’d like to think he would’ve played majority off the bench in 2025 if it hadn’t been for all the injuries. That’s where he was when we were at full strength. In that regard he’s probably been quite valuable but ultimately he’s a liability on the edge & every team is targeting our right edge with a high success rate. Until we sort that edge we will continue to leak points

 

[Noitall]

I’d like to think he would’ve played majority off the bench in 2025 if it hadn’t been for all the injuries. That’s where he was when we were at full strength. In that regard he’s probably been quite valuable but ultimately he’s a liability on the edge & every team is targeting our right edge with a high success rate. Until we sort that edge we will continue to leak points

When I look at his stats, that looks his most value in that he often stays healthy and plays a majority of games. Hasn’t really offered what he did at eels from 2020 on with Papali’i, who also hasn’t been the player he was at that period

 

[peewee]

After watching Fridays game, I am surprised nobody has commented on the impact Sloan made when he was introduced.
2 line breaks that almost stole the game for them.
Who do we have that offers that. Honestly we don't. Not even in our cup team.
My point being...........we need him. His D is bad yes but at least he can win a game for us.

 

[Noitall]

After watching Fridays game, I am surprised nobody has commented on the impact Sloan made when he was introduced.
2 line breaks that almost stole the game for them.
Who do we have that offers that. Honestly we don't. Not even in our cup team.
My point being...........we need him. His D is bad yes but at least he can win a game for us.

I think part of him getting limited offers is that dragons have said he can leave but he’s signed to them for next year for $500k. Dragons are going to need to chip in a portion

 

[Damo]

After watching Fridays game, I am surprised nobody has commented on the impact Sloan made when he was introduced.
2 line breaks that almost stole the game for them.
Who do we have that offers that. Honestly we don't. Not even in our cup team.
My point being...........we need him. His D is bad yes but at least he can win a game for us.

I'm not sure you can read a lot into a fresh speedster of his ilk coming into the game so late ONLY due to multiple HIAs.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

He would one of a couple that I wouldn’t be surprised to see the club say you can leave now if you find something and won’t be extended past 2026. Coming back from injury, I wonder if this is a big period for Berry? If he picks up another injury, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a similar situation

Yeah I've said similar, but for me if Berry doesn't finish the year in FG and gets injured, the writing is on the wall for me.

We either A. Tell him he won't be extended past 26 and if he finds somewhere else to head off to earlier, or
B. Tell him we're only going to offer him a minimum contract moving forward, and sign another centre to replace him as a starting center, with Berry becoming depth/having to earn his way forward through strong showings in Cup and proving his body can be relied on to play consistently.

It sucks because I think his style of play suits Webby ball, but this is becoming a huge issue having one of our key backs always injured. I remember someone mentioning he was on about $500k early in on his career, which can't keep happening if he can't string two games together.
I really feel this is one of his last opportunities

 

[Falcon]

If he isn't already, I hope the club has locked in Lennox Tuiloma. I believe he could be as good as Leka & Fatialofa.

It’s very hard to find any updates on Lennox ?

 

[Rick O’Shay]

I'm not sure you can read a lot into a fresh speedster of his ilk coming into the game so late ONLY due to multiple HIAs.

Also, when he punched through, the first thing he did was look for support. Would have thought with his gas he would have pinned the ears and gone for it. He seemed to slow down

 

[Ref]

Also, when he punched through, the first thing he did was look for support. Would have thought with his gas he would have pinned the ears and gone for it. He seemed to slow down

He butchered it.
Should have made it a 1 on 1 with Taine.
Waiting for support was a mistake.
Enabled our cover to get there.

 

[CWC]

He butchered it.
Should have made it a 1 on 1 with Taine.
Waiting for support was a mistake.
Enabled our cover to get there.

Taine showed him the sideline and was jogging backwards, plus he probably remembered Taine saved about 5 of these tries in the last few weeks. I think if it was CNK he either gets shut down early or run around CNK under the posts

 

[CWC]

He is an outside back and that’s what we’re after apparently? Right centre needs Berry or Leiataua to stake their claim on it. Perhaps CNK is seen as a potential fit, interesting they swapped Pompey to the right rather than putting CNK on that side though

CNK’s been ball hogging on attack on the right they probably wanted those sweep passing plays which actually worked in dry conditions lately

I hope they focus on kicking to the left for CNK and Cape to chase

 

[The Warrior Waka]

It’s very hard to find any updates on Lennox ?

I can't find anything!?

 

[Noitall]

Toby Crosby got 6 clubs chasing him according to tigers forum

 

[Five&Last]

Toby Crosby got 6 clubs chasing him according to tigers forum

Saw a post on their forum saying they should throw 400k per year at him. Like what??? They can absolutely have him at that price.

Crosby could be an amazing player but he also has a very low floor. The weekends NSW cup game is a perfect example of what that floor looks like. He was dreadful.

I'd be offering him a two year deal with development contract in 2026 and guaranteed top 30 in 2027.

Also keep seeing that Gaelic football and AFL are interested in Tom Ale on their forum, so I have disregarded everything else that comes from that forum from now on.

 

[Five&Last]

It’s very hard to find any updates on Lennox ?

Had a major shoulder injury in the beginning of the year. Not sure what his timeline is.

Club probably prefers to keep him down in CHCH rather than flying him up for Flegg games if he has recovered.

I think he's still signed with the club. Anyone know if he's played any school footy recently?

 

[Five&Last]

He would one of a couple that I wouldn’t be surprised to see the club say you can leave now if you find something and won’t be extended past 2026. Coming back from injury, I wonder if this is a big period for Berry? If he picks up another injury, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in a similar situation

The problematic scenario I see happening is Niukore signs with Perth in November and just absolutely coasts through 2026 knowing his future is sorted.

He's going to be difficult to offload.

 

[Dannevegas]

Saw a post on their forum saying they should throw 400k per year at him. Like what??? They can absolutely have him at that price.

Crosby could be an amazing player but he also has a very low floor. The weekends NSW cup game is a perfect example of what that floor looks like. He was dreadful.

I'd be offering him a two year deal with development contract in 2026 and guaranteed top 30 in 2027.

Also keep seeing that Gaelic football and AFL are interested in Tom Ale on their forum, so I have disregarded everything else that comes from that forum from now on.

Surely we back him in, he has the talent to be a pretty solid player for us who’d add a point of difference to our pack.
we’re releasing a lot of players without much coming in. Seems like the kind of player that if he had weaknesses in his game, he’d work real hard to fix. Also I don’t think anyone else from the production line will be ready next year for a call up. Besides Salalilo and Looks like Ale and Afoa will both be gone too.