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	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Braelan Marsh	-	?	?	?
-	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), Braelan Marsh (Redcliffe Dolphins), 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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[Worried2Death]

Pompey is our number 1 center and that is the problem.

The best ability is availability which has launched him to the top of the pecking order.

All things considered, Pompey isn’t anything special.

What about Phillip Sami as well then, sign him to play centre and he might help us get Campbell too. Then we just need Brimson and Tino and we'll be a superior version of the Titans, good luck with the rebuild without your best players Hannah.

 

[roguei]

Now that AKP is looking very probable, i hope he gets directly into training over here ASAP or goes into NSW cup.
On his postives first: His attack is great and he finds the tryline like no other at the moment. Has a good step in him and doesn't seem to afraid to shift back into the middle to find a hole. Isn't too bad meterage wise, on par with DWZ. And as others have said, he has speed on speed.

But where he allows for one try he seems to let two in. I'd aruge he is one of the worst winger's in the air. Always seems to be out jumped for height and regularly decides to not compete. Tackling is just as good as DWZ.
But worst of all, seems to never use his speed for defense. Where you see Metcalf or Leka chasing hard on a linebreak, able to catch up and make the tackle or at the very least limit options of the runner to allow the fullback to make tackle. Khan always seems to be in a light jog after any linebreak. This could be a culture thing at the titans, but that sorta thing really grinds my gears.

So finger's crossed those things can be focused on and improved on during the off/pre season. One of the benefits for not going very far in the finals is that they get an extra long one. And if he can fix those issues then he could be one of the best finishers in the game. But i don't think they are very simple to slove.

 

[Five&Last]

What about Phillip Sami as well then, sign him to play centre and he might help us get Campbell too. Then we just need Brimson and Tino and we'll be a superior version of the Titans, good luck with the rebuild without your best players Hannah.

Phillip Sami is a winger in my eyes. Has too many weaknesses that are exposed badly when playing center. I would rather Sami than AKP though.

I think we just have to wait for the next gen to come through

Immediate: Ali, Kayliss, Kali,
2 years: Norris, Vake, Putoko, Moimoi, Pasikala.

Just on Campbell because I've seen his name a lot, I think he's gonna get that 1 mil payday he's after from the Titans. He's not quite at that level yet but its pretty clear he has all the makings of an elite game managing halfback. I have a feeling that's his preferred position now.

 

[tajhay]

I think Lee was rated fastest in comp around that time. Not sure if SJ ever was? He would have been up there in his early seasons though.

Roger Fabri recently said that quick and fast are two very different things. I agree. Players like Walsh are quick (acceleration) but that doesnt always equate to fast ie able to hold their max speed for longer. Seemed to suggest Saab, Hammer etc are fast whilst Walsh, Metcalf etc are quick.

 

[j_p]

Roger Fabri recently said that quick and fast are two very different things. I agree. Players like Walsh are quick (acceleration) but that doesnt always equate to fast ie able to hold their max speed for longer. Seemed to suggest Saab, Hammer etc are fast whilst Walsh, Metcalf etc are quick.

From my eye test metcalf seems like a balance between the 2. not as quick as the fastest and not the best acceleration but somewhere in the middle

 

[CWC]

What about Phillip Sami as well then, sign him to play centre and he might help us get Campbell too. Then we just need Brimson and Tino and we'll be a superior version of the Titans, good luck with the rebuild without your best players Hannah.

“What if Webby coached the Titans, premiership edition”

 

[Boston Boy]

Guess this is becoming more and more likley
View attachment 14507

I've been so used to our slow as backs that real speed seems unbelievable. I know he has some weak defence but hey we have had DWZ with terrible D. It might not be perfect but I am excited, between him and Kali, we are finally looking like getting some real Xfactor in the backs. Imagine if we signed a new young fullback like Mason Barber, and another strong Aussie work horse prop. I think we are building.

 

[sup42]

While I agree he's our #1 Centre, a lot of what you've said doesn't add up.
He just played finals and had only 7 runs to go with 5 missed tackles & 2 errors.
The fact he's our #1 Centre showcases how average our stocks are in the position

I see people singling out that game.

Pompey was used unconventionally in that D line to cover other peoples flaws. It cost him.

Two errors is not his game though eh.

 

[Blain]

Lee Oudenryan?

Denan Kemp was considered quite fast at time of his signing too wasnt he?

Don't sleep on Michael Crockett, that was the only thing he had going for him

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

I think Lee was rated fastest in comp around that time. Not sure if SJ ever was? He would have been up there in his early seasons though.

I don’t even think SJ was probably the quickest at the club back then - Glen Fisiiahi was super fast, just always injured to go with it.

 

[Noitall]

if he acts like a dickhead ..he'll soon be put in his place lol

You’d have to assume that the club have leaned on the thoughts of ex teammates of his at the club in Erin Clark and Taine Tuaupiki and they’ve endorsed his character. I think there could be a bit of that sort of attitude at titans and Phillip Sami is the one I’m glad we haven’t been linked to. That year it all turned to shit against titans with players like Lodge and Jazz losing it, he came across as such an up himself prick. We haven’t had a good run since against them and that demolishing last year was so weird

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Is this the first man from the Gold Coast to ever express a preference to live in Auckland?

Happy to have him, but there is no way Yardage Webby would have both Taine and AKP in his preferred back 3, one or the other, maybe.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Is this the first man from the Gold Coast to ever express a preference to live in Auckland?

Happy to have him, but there is no way Yardage Webby would have both Taine and AKP in his preferred back 3, one or the other, maybe.

I do think our squad is a little unbalanced the way Webby wants us to play.

Webby loves our back 3 to have big meters coming out of our half, to support our forwards who, if we're being honest are on the lighter side of the scale (JFH, Barney, Ford and TSS are at most, about 105kg) so we heavily rely on that back 3.

Unfortunately, they don't get too much help from our centres, who struggle to make 100m a game, even when moving Capewah to centre.

If Webby is serious about having a combination of any of AFK, Taine or TMM in our backs, were going to need to find those meters somewhere else, especially if a combination of those 3 means CNK or Roger aren't in the team.

Imo all of this really emphasizes our lack of a big man in the pack. I wonder how tempting NAS is for Webby. He could be the answer to a fair few of those lost meters.

Look at Papalii this year for the Raiders. He's shown that an older big bopper can still have a lot of value for a team. Doesn't make as many meters as he used to, but being able to bend the line has resulted in great results for his outside backs

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Pompey this season has been the most threatening outside back we have.

People refuse to acknowlege his Try's, he reverse passes, his offloads, his stepping.

He has had a break out year and performed better than anything the other options have period.

He starts in my team.

He was almost scoring a Try a game coming into the finals. Pretty much everything you want from a center when you add all that on top of his defence.

11 tries from 25 games... thats less than 50%. Few late night beers last night?

 

[Playdaball]

Is this the first man from the Gold Coast to ever express a preference to live in Auckland?

Erin Clark???

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Erin Clark???

he's from auckland though

 

[Noitall]

Imo all of this really emphasizes our lack of a big man in the pack. I wonder how tempting NAS is for Webby. He could be the answer to a fair few of those lost meters

I’ve been keeping an eye on his instagram handle because it’s been pulled down in the last few days. Watching out for the old signs, keep an eye out to see if he starts following us

 

[WAH MAN]

So was Weekes before he went to the Raiders. Sharpe looked right at home at 6 this season. In attack, 6 and fullback are very similar these days. I don't know if he will move there, but with the log jam of halves we have as well as his explosiveness, I would love to see him get tried there at NSW cup at least.

If everyone is fit, he can't even make the NSW halves keep in mind. Neither would Cleary.

I once said put RTS at 6. It never flew

If Webby can sort his defence, (big IF apparently), I'll be salivating, drooling even, have we ever had the fastest player in the comp at the wahs?

I don't care so much about his defence. He should adjust by the teams standard. What we lacked is a hyper try scorer. He fills that. Even if he doesn't try, technically he's still better than Dal

 

[Noitall]

I don't care so much about his defence. He should adjust by the teams standard. What we lacked is a hyper try scorer. He fills that. Even if he doesn't try, technically he's still better than Dal

Was impressed how our defence was sliding against panthers and they did well to limit the space out wide I thought

 

[WAH MAN]

Is this the first man from the Gold Coast to ever express a preference to live in Auckland?

Happy to have him, but there is no way Yardage Webby would have both Taine and AKP in his preferred back 3, one or the other, maybe.

Watched a news clip of him and JoJo fifita. Lo-fi was said to have Pakistani Samoan and māori heritage. So he'd be coming home too