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 2026: 28/30
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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[CWC]

Salalilo has everything except size. He's still a 10+ year first grader imo. But that difference between being 6'0 and 6'3 can the difference between being an elite top 3 prop in the game. Great prospect though, excited to see him get his opportunity sometime next year. Miles ahead of Crosby in terms of development curve imo.

He’s smaller than TSS?

 

[Dannevegas]

He’s smaller than TSS?

Both 6 foot, Salalilo’s a bit thicker

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Demi’s kick return is Paleaaesina reincarnated, has Tohu hands and a AFB step, and has pace to scramble on defense

He basically set up this try

Round 13: Leka finishes a Warriors wonder try

DrinkWise Try of the Week winner for Round 13

www.nrl.com

that try he set up for Fish was even more insane. Leka gets all the headlines but he is probably a more well rounded player.

 

[Five&Last]

He’s smaller than TSS?

I would say same same height.

TSS measurement of 186cm must've been taken before he shaved his head

 

[Boston Boy]

Yeah Vaimauga is super well rounded. He's a workhorse but has plenty of power in his runs. Him and Clark are probably the only ones that will regularly bend the line in first grade.

EIT is another one that although he's a workhorse and is known for that, he has pretty impressive athleticism (I remember being amazing by one of his corner tries in cup)

I'm less skeptical about Crosby's game breaking runs translating, it looks like he just overpowers people with brute strength. But he doesn't have the game breaking step or elusiveness that Halasima and Fatialofa have

Agree with all you say bro, I just say re Crosby that I think he needs to be running lines on the edge. I believe he will be deadly in that role, he has strength, explosive speed and X-factor. If he gets picked up by another team, I think that's where he will be developed.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Salalilo has everything except size. He's still a 10+ year first grader imo. But that difference between being 6'0 and 6'3 can the difference between being an elite top 3 prop in the game. Great prospect though, excited to see him get his opportunity sometime next year. Miles ahead of Crosby in terms of development curve imo.

Crosby has a bit of X Factor though. It could be Crosby that opens up a game or gets that try from out of nothing.

Im not giving hope for that kid just yet. I still want to see him debut for us, even if he ends up going somewhere else.

 

[Five&Last]

Crosby has a bit of X Factor though. It could be Crosby that opens up a game or gets that try from out of nothing.

Im not giving hope for that kid just yet. I still want to see him debut for us, even if he ends up going somewhere else.

I don't disagree but did you watch the NSW cup game on the weekend?

I think its important for the diehard Crosby fans to watch him at his worst as well.

Given that all most of us have seen from him are these spectacular break away tries or him carrying defenders over the try line.

There's way too much of a gap between his best and worst games at the moment to be relied on in first grade for next 18 months I would say.

Hopefully he's willing to stick around for top 30 in 2027. That when he could start to come right.

 

[Five&Last]

Agree with all you say bro, I just say re Crosby that I think he needs to be running lines on the edge. I believe he will be deadly in that role, he has strength, explosive speed and X-factor. If he gets picked up by another team, I think that's where he will be developed.

Hmmm nah i think he is a prop in my opinion. Just needs to tighten up his game and master the fundamentals

You have to be able to do more than run lines to be an elite edge player (which is part of the evolution Laban need to hone in on if wants to stay in the second row and not get overtaken by Kayliss etc. Great hole runner and aerial threat, never in my life seen him throw a decent pass or put his center into space.)

 

[Noitall]

Hmmm nah i think he is a prop in my opinion. Just needs to tighten up his game and master the fundamentals

You have to be able to do more than run lines to be an elite edge player (which is part of the evolution Laban need to hone in on if wants to stay in the second row and not get overtaken by Kayliss etc. Great hole runner and aerial threat, never in my life seen him throw a decent pass or put his center into space.)

You think there’s a possibility they shift Laban to the middle permanently to accommodate Fatialofa?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

You think there’s a possibility they shift Laban to the middle permanently to accommodate Fatialofa?

Laban could move middle but not for Fatialofa, instead for Toeava. But this is Toeava's first season in NRL.

I think for now Laban can do both roles if required but I like his physical presence on an edge.

Can anyone see Crosby playing Edge? Crosby running a line off a halfback could be damaging.

 

[Noitall]

Laban could move middle but not for Fatialofa, instead for Toeava. But this is Toeava's first season in NRL.

I think for now Laban can do both roles if required but I like his physical presence on an edge.

Can anyone see Crosby playing Edge? Crosby running a line off a halfback could be damaging.

Laban has some height that we’re missing in the middle, and although is a similar height to Gannon, Laban has the weight being 110kg. Fatialofa judging by his stats is a try scoring threat and could make both edges potent in attack with Halasima on the other edge? Just going to be interesting to see how his size translates into first grade and the length of contract the club has offered? I like EIT as a bench option because of the positions he filled previously in second row, centre and prop

 

[Theking267]

I think Fatialofa will be a straight swap with MGT. I can see him playing centre at Cup and getting some NRL minutes at centre next year. Laban could potential end up in the middle but you probably don’t want to do that at the start of his career and not use his athleticism currently on an edge. Crosby at this stage is potentially the next cult hero of the back Fences. His game is very basic run hard, tackle hard.

 

[Noitall]

I think Fatialofa will be a straight swap with MGT.

Will be interesting where they see him, he’s made the extended team on a few occasions without them getting a chance to see him at centre, so you’d assume he’s made the extended team as a second rower?

 

[JaggedJ]

I could see Fatialofa getting some time at centre in FG to start if they feel his D is up to it.

Long term he's probably seen as a Capewah replacement.

Earlier in the year there was a game that Capewah missed and Webster said that it changed our bench make up because we needed back cover on the bench.

Fatialofa might be a second rower but he adds that same value as back cover should someone get injured.

 

[Noitall]

New Zealand Warriors 10 Best Emerging Youngsters From The First Half Of 2025 — The Niche Cache

As the trees release their leaves and winter sweeps across Aotearoa, we have a lovely sample size to take stock of the best emerging talent for New Zealand Warriors.

theniche-cache.com

Probably been posted somewhere, but a good read on who was viewed as players to keep an eye on in the first half of the season. Interesting on the write up around Fatialofa they talk about the potential of a small forward like Erin Clark or Kalani Going, though as they mention that he hasn’t had any reps there in nsw cup. Sounds like it’s a two year deal the club has given

 

[Noitall]

Warriors youngster rejects Panthers move to remain in New Zealand

He backflipped on the deal during the 10-day cooling off period.

www.zerotackle.com

Mentions at the bottom previous reports point to a 2 year extension

 

[Sammyw]

Our options at center v our options at backrow make it a no brainer to eyeball Fatialofa as a center at this stage, no reason he can’t eventually shift into the forwards but not uncommon for good athletic backrowers to start as centers. I’d argue Halasima should potentially have been softly broken in via center rather than 80 mins constantly in the forwards. Either way though, Fatialofa + Pompey is good while Berry and leiatau grow into their bodies

 

[JaggedJ]

Most interesting thing to me in that article was the suggestion (from the author, not the Warriors) that losing MGT could open up a spot for Kali to shift to centre.

Starting to think this forum might be the only place in Warriors fandom that appreciates a fast elusive winger.

 

[JaggedJ]

Warriors youngster rejects Panthers move to remain in New Zealand

He backflipped on the deal during the 10-day cooling off period.

www.zerotackle.com

Mentions at the bottom previous reports point to a 2 year extension

Makes sense. That's very much a "Niukore/Capewell come off contract" time frame to see what happens and where he lands in the second row pecking order once spots open up.

 

[CWC]

Laban could be the new Marata, middle first and covers 2nd row, with way more speed and enthusiasm, which will keep all our talented 2nd rowers coming through. He's improved so much this season, might rip it again in the playoffs