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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[Five&Last]

On the NAS front, I'm only looking at him if its subsidised to 400k and they take on Marata's final year.

Sinking marquee signing money into 3 props is poor cap management.

I don't think Lussick's spot should factor, we need to be releasing him regardless for Kali.

 

[tajhay]

When has Storm ever subsidised a contract? Especially a large one that has atleast 2 years to run?

They are too smart in how they run to subsidise it. Some poor desperate club will just take it over.

We have a bit of room with the departures of Walker, Harris and after next year RTS, DWZ, Niukore etc so hopefully we arent making the same Niukore mistake again.

 

[Five&Last]

Is Dallins pace in the room with us, right now?

The brother can't make corners anymore.

We need a new winger.

I don't disagree with what you're saying, DWZ does need to go this off season. As a club, you can't accept the rubbish he put out on the field this year, regardless of how senior of a player he is.

So if we can find a home for DWZ next year that I'd be okay on a one year flyer on AKP. But nobody will be interested in DWZ.

I'd rather take a gamble on unproven talent like Mellars, Kali, Norris, Pasikala in that order.

Kali has earned his top 30 spot in the past 12 weeks and signing a Titans reject shouldn't mess that up.

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Yeah? What have you seen or heard? He looks like a clone of his old man: holds his own in the strength department, but not much speed or attacking flair. But I can't tell much from the clips.

I'm guessing like anyone else, but I really like his size and the way he moves. I like what an aerial threat he could be. Good Kiwi stock, age on his side.

The most interesting thing to me is how early the Rabbitohs invested in him and gave him a top 30 spot. People were very excited about him, and from what I have read many are not happy to see him go.

Injury history is the elephant in the room, but he seems a fairly promising gamble.

 

[Completion Rate]

AKP to take Morgan Harper's position in the ressies but more capable as a call up for an injured starter. He'd be cheap and with a point of difference. Can see him doing the exact same things as Dallin in the corner but actually fast enough to make it to the tryline.

 

[sup42]

If we do sign the Khan it will mark a new age of risk taking by this administration that is for sure.

I am coming around to the idea. I don't like it, the club doesn't need a dickhead in the mix, but I am coming around to the idea.

I do not believe in Websters mythical power to change a leopards spots, rather I hope he can just get this guy to do the job well and earn his keep.

We will have potentially the fastest guy in the NRL plus a Young basketballer to kick to, plus there is the tall timber in the forwards that like leaping for bombs on the try line.

Throw in Gannon shift the ball on an edge and the team starts to look quite different, especially if they find a way to have Healy as a bench player in that mix.

And if the young centers make it onto the park for a season the Warriors will really look a completely different attacking side.

 

[sup42]

When has Storm ever subsidised a contract? Especially a large one that has atleast 2 years to run?

They are too smart in how they run to subsidise it. Some poor desperate club will just take it over.

We have a bit of room with the departures of Walker, Harris and after next year RTS, DWZ, Niukore etc so hopefully we arent making the same Niukore mistake again.

If they go for the great Khan who is meant to be a real dickhead then they might as well go all in and sign NAS.
I am not joking either. At least with NAS no one is gonna bully us anymore.

 

[CWC]

I think the NAS ship has sailed no? The report was we balked at the salary?? They can give us Katoa for Marata though

 

[Stalefish540]

Other than outright speed everything about AKP is on the lower side of whelming.

- Non existent defence
- Crucial compounding errors
- Gets folded in yardage

About the only upside he has is his pace.

Surely we have more rounded players coming through?

 

[Ferdie]

I like that we are at least being rumoured to be after players that offer something a bit different to our current squad.
Whilst NAS is probably a couple of years past his best, he offers a different body shape and different style than our current middle forwards.
When you look at our middles, Vaimauga is a unique talent, but JFH, Clark, Barnett, Ford and TSS all have a similar style - albeit with some being better at it than others.
Who knows maybe Marata has found a new home for 2026?
Then in the backs, we lack X factor. I was hoping with us having a backline that includes Metcalf, RTS and Leiataua we would see some X factor, but injuries ruined that.

 

[Dannevegas]

Man. RTS is never going fb

Charnze will have a cry

 

[CWC]

Charnze will have a cry

I just think opposition will be more scared with Roger roaming out wide on attack with Ali and AKP than Charnze or Taine from the back lol

 

[Garry Saloon]

Charnze will have a cry

? Nothing about cnk is a cry baby

 

[Dannevegas]

? Nothing about cnk is a cry baby

He sulks when he gets moved from fullback imo lol, look at his performances this year at centre barely got involved. He’s being selfish with the fullback spot, when the team should come first. He was like this at the raiders then was dropped to reserve grade. People don’t agree with this but Roger should’ve been our fullback from last year as well.
The fact we had a 30 year old Dally m winning fullback in Roger returning to the club last year, and webby straight shut down any chance of Roger having a go at fullback was quite bizzare. The idea that Roger can’t ball play is wrong, for the little time he’s had there under webby he’s played on some nice balls for his outside men Leiataua, Leka and co along with being best on ground.
If was an outide back id rather be marking up against Charnze on a out the back block play than Roger

 

[MrFrankWhite]

He sulks when he gets moved from fullback imo lol, look at his performances this year at centre barely got involved. He’s being selfish with the fullback spot, when the team should come first. He was like this at the raiders then was dropped to reserve grade. People don’t agree with this but Roger should’ve been our fullback from last year as well.
The fact we had a 30 year old Dally m winning fullback in Roger returning to the club last year, and webby straight shut down any chance of Roger having a go at fullback was quite bizzare. The idea that Roger can’t ball play is wrong, for the little time he’s had there under webby he’s played on some nice balls for his outside men Leiataua, Leka and co along with being best on ground

CNKs metres at centre aren’t that much worse than our actual centres.

 

[Dannevegas]

CNKs metres at centre aren’t that much worse than our actual centres.

Pompey and berry…he should be doubling their metres even at centre when that’s mostly all he offers

 

[Stalefish540]

Pompey and berry…

Centres in general don't make bulk runs except for the elite outliers like Farnworth though?

 

[Dannevegas]

Centres in general don't make bulk runs except for the elite outliers like Farnworth though?

Ye agree, u need Ferraris at centre. And currently we have none