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	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Haizyn Mellars	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Top 30 2026: 29/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos), Haizyn Mellars (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
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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[wizard of Tauranga]

Is that Berry shoulder the same with the nerve issues? If so maybe he’s not ready for this year at all, probably no proper muscle reaction to keep shoulder in place, also two dislocations before 25 probably means he’ll have surgery…..which might keep it place properly I guess lol

The way he popped it had very limited force applied. Doesn’t look good for the future…

 

[Noitall]

Rumours Cody Ramsey is available. He is a freak, very fast and dynamic, a little bit rocks or diamonds but if we want speed and spark he is not a bad option. I would replace DWZ for him. If we had Ramsey and Kali on the wings we need a metre eating full back but would have more strike out wide.

Apparently Ramsey will only be offered a train and trial deal by dragons. Interesting to see AKP has changed managers to Mario Tartak

 

[Blain]

Leiataua might benefit from shedding a bit of upper body weight and strengthening his calves and shins and ankles.

Rocco................. Put him on the wing. Might be able to take less damage.

Way more hit ups needed to be a winger. I think we just have to see out next season, and re assess. I think he'll bounce back.

Ramsey, na. Didn't play a game of NRL this season, despite the injuries and shit form of the Dragons. I think he is still recovering somewhat from his illness, I can't see him being offered anything more than a development deal by any NRL team at this stage.

 

[Naynay]

The way he popped it had very limited force applied. Doesn’t look good for the future…

They say dislocation are easier to get once youve done it once ( atleast that was the wisdom when i was playing in my teens) so might just need the off season to sturdy the joint up

 

[juju]

They say dislocation are easier to get once youve done it once ( atleast that was the wisdom when i was playing in my teens) so might just need the off season to sturdy the joint up

Or a full reconstruction...

The more you do it the more it pop's out. The worrying thing was they couldn't pop Friday's one back in.

 

[Theking267]

I think Berry will be fine. Billy Smith was even worse than Berry and he’s returned fine. Both didn’t play a lot of league growing into their bodies and just adapting to the contact side of League.

 

[WAH MAN]

I think Berry will be fine. Billy Smith was even worse than Berry and he’s returned fine. Both didn’t play a lot of league growing into their bodies and just adapting to the contact side of League.

Never knew that about Smith. It's also encouraging for our guy but Sheesh his injuries have been vast

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Billy Smith was even worse than Berry and he’s returned fine.

He played 27 games in 4 years, and has only managed 17 this season, 62%. Jury is still out on Billy id say.

 

[sup42]

Maybe all our injury prone guys need a big dose of supplements in the off season?
Likes of magnesium, calcium, vitamin d, k2.
If we stay injury free and manage a coupla more off season signing we can potentially be a threat next year.

Your point is valid however they will be getting tested and provided they follow the dieticians menus they will be well balanced. Problem then is who is not listening and slaying the poor food groups?

Leiataua might benefit from shedding a bit of upper body weight and strengthening his calves and shins and ankles.

Rocco................. Put him on the wing. Might be able to take less damage.

These guys need to do Ballet.

 

[Noitall]

Or a full reconstruction...

The more you do it the more it pop's out. The worrying thing was they couldn't pop Friday's one back in.

There’s also the nerve damage that he was initially out with and was compared to Flegler who sat out 2 seasons for it to come right. Flegler’s been cleared to come back next year, but perhaps Berry was rushed back too quickly?

 

[JustVisiting82]

Anyone see Garrick listed as the fastest centre in the game by blokeinabar on Instagram? Surely that can't be right??

I saw that, yes. It's based on Telstra tracker data recorded this year I believe. Even if the data is correct that he ran the fastest in game time for a centre this year it doesn't necessarily mean that if you lined all the NRL centres up on a sprint track under equal conditions he would be the fastest. Still, I guess he must have decent pace though.

I remember a few years back Dallin recorded a very fast time and was listed as something like fastest player of the round, or maybe he made the top 10 times of the season - something like that anyway, the exact details escape me now.

 

[CWC]

There’s also the nerve damage that he was initially out with and was compared to Flegler who sat out 2 seasons for it to come right. Flegler’s been cleared to come back next year, but perhaps Berry was rushed back too quickly?

The way they rushed Berry back and redoing his hammy over and over, makes sense they'd rush his shoulder too early and pop it twice for doing nothing.

 

[Jonno13]

Wonder with Talau listed as departing whether Garrick still doesn’t get an offer from manly before November? I reckon Koula would be faster than him

Where’s Talau off to? He would be worth a look. Plays both wing and centre. Quite a big body as well. He’s pretty quick compared to our centres Pompey, Capewah and Leka

 

[Noitall]

Where’s Talau off to? He would be worth a look. Plays both wing and centre. Quite a big body as well. He’s pretty quick compared to our centres Pompey, Capewah and Leka

One of the manly players told he can leave apparently. Interesting reading a bit of the manly forum and there’s talk around the Warriors and what happened with Volkman when he went to dragons regarding Talau. I think he may have an injury they are concerned about?

 

[Tookey 2.0]

One of the manly players told he can leave apparently. Interesting reading a bit of the manly forum and there’s talk around the Warriors and what happened with Volkman when he went to dragons regarding Talau. I think he may have an injury they are concerned about?

What's the connection between Talau and the Volk sitch that happened with us?

 

[Playdaball]

What's the connection between Talau and the Volk sitch that happened with us?

I assume he means that a player went to another club and not 100% fit with a bad injury????????????

 

[Noitall]

What's the connection between Talau and the Volk sitch that happened with us?

View: https://silvertails.net/threads/tommy-talau.62922/page-44

Haven’t completely got the gist of the conversation, but it goes from about page 43 or 44 onwards

 

[Billyspleen75]

View: https://silvertails.net/threads/tommy-talau.62922/page-44

Haven’t completely got the gist of the conversation, but it goes from about page 43 or 44 onwards

Oh I see.
They get sidetracked saying why are they keeping Schoupp but letting Talau go.
And the Volkman/Warriors/Dragons chat is in relation to if they should let Schoupp go after he suffered an ACL injury with them

 

[WHB]

They say dislocation are easier to get once youve done it once ( atleast that was the wisdom when i was playing in my teens) so might just need the off season to sturdy the joint up

It did with me from experience.
Left side was a reconstruction and the right popped 4 times all up.
Packed on a fair bit of muscle while strengthening my shoulders.
Problem was,I got bigger lips too.

 

[Five&Last]

Think an experienced outside back could be handy because I’d hate anyone to block Leiataua, surely he’s not far away? Them putting him on the left before he he disappeared would indicate he will potentially replace Pompey at some point, be I really thought he looked so much better on the right in the early stages of the season. They’re being patient with Metcalf and his injuries so perhaps they do the same with Berry and look for a good depth centre and try ride out his unlucky run?

It’s been mentioned a few times..

But Berry needs to start training at fullback and wear the number 1 jersey for us next year

I think everyone can agree that neither CNK or TT is the answer next year (although probably the best with what’s available). I can’t imagine a team winning the GF with either CNK or TT at the back..

We are a better team when we have Berry’s ball playing and his kick pressure. He’s great under the high ball.

It would also reduce the workload, traffic and collisions he has put his body through which reduces chance of injury.