Recruitment Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment & Retention
- Thread starter WahsaurusRex
- Start date
NZWarriors.com
Not sure bout RTS but I agree regarding wingers. They both have massive defensive issues so need a big preseasons. Titans forum has mentioned AKP frailties under a kick and tendencies for plays for himself. No doubt there’s strike there looking at his try scoring hauls alone, and I do like the quotes from himself about nothing given for free and earning it. Hopefully he’s genuine
Fans are rarely wrong about their teams players.
Titans fans were all proven correct that Clark was a big loss and Boyd was a good back up, not much more.
Majority are glad to see the back of AKP which suggests him turning up and killing it is unlikely.
That being said, Webby has shown his players improve under him. AKP needs a lot of improvement, so a steady uptick is not necessarily enough.
I'm excited by the possibility and to be fair even more ecstatic that the management of the club are seeing what we see.
The club is steamrolling in the right direction. I don't think I ever really expected the club would get itself into the position that it's in.
Every single area seems to be excelling, recruitment across both mens and womens, junior pathways, club financials, brand prescence. We're nailing everything and this plays into recruitment too.
Titans fans were all proven correct that Clark was a big loss and Boyd was a good back up, not much more.
Majority are glad to see the back of AKP which suggests him turning up and killing it is unlikely.
That being said, Webby has shown his players improve under him. AKP needs a lot of improvement, so a steady uptick is not necessarily enough.
I'm excited by the possibility and to be fair even more ecstatic that the management of the club are seeing what we see.
The club is steamrolling in the right direction. I don't think I ever really expected the club would get itself into the position that it's in.
Every single area seems to be excelling, recruitment across both mens and womens, junior pathways, club financials, brand prescence. We're nailing everything and this plays into recruitment too.
NZWarriors.com
Where are you seeing this...on their FB post on his release, the fans are blowing up.
FB are the casual mom and dad supporters.
Check reddit, the overwhelming consensus is that they're happy to get rid of him, while the odd fan recognises he hasn't had a smooth development plan
NZWarriors.com
Yea that's fair. Although you'd say the real Warriors fans are in here, and there's plenty that have no idea.
Personally think hes well worth the punt. Doubt he's making big dollars and he's a proven try scorer. Defence is an issue, but its not a strong point of a couple of our outside backs.
You would know more than me, but it seems the only junior outside back close to playing first grade is Kali, so its not like we've got a heap of young outside backs knocking the door down.
Would be crazy to let him go over the flying out of the line perm. Roger was out best player along with Clark
NZWarriors.com
Reddit and their own forums is where the knowledgable fans tend to be.
FB comments would have to be one of the biggest cesspits, not worth the kbs it consumes to read them lol
NZWarriors.com
DWZ and Lussick are past their use by date. AKP and DWZ are a straight swap for me. Freddy is surplus to our requirements with Healey in our squad. Marata gets a lot of shit but he has been big for us through the middle at times this year. Definitely not a big minute middle anymore but he still has a play in the forward rotation alongside JFH, Barney, Ford and Demi.
As for Capewell, he had a tough start to his wahs career last year but showed this year what he can provide both on and off the field. Really did step up in a leadership role this year when JFH and Barney were out of the side. Having Leka, Fatialofa, EIT and all our young edge backrowers continue to learn off him for another few years is why I'd keep him around for another year if he wants it.
As for Capewell, he had a tough start to his wahs career last year but showed this year what he can provide both on and off the field. Really did step up in a leadership role this year when JFH and Barney were out of the side. Having Leka, Fatialofa, EIT and all our young edge backrowers continue to learn off him for another few years is why I'd keep him around for another year if he wants it.
Do you think the club will stick with Pasikala?
I think we should temper expectations of AKP, some saying he’s straight into the starting line up etc
Statistically, he’s a worse defender than dwz. He misses more tackles, runs less metres, less tackle breaks, etc. he scores more tries but lets them in too.
The difference is age. He has huge upside being a 23 year old winger coming into prime years. Our incumbents are 30+, so the writing is on the wall.
I don’t think he starts next year. I think he puts pressure on DWZ to step up, because realistically no one else was capable of taking his spot. And if he doesn’t, then AKP comes straight in. He’s also signed for 3, so it’s clear DWZ and/or RTS are out the door in 27.
Statistically, he’s a worse defender than dwz. He misses more tackles, runs less metres, less tackle breaks, etc. he scores more tries but lets them in too.
The difference is age. He has huge upside being a 23 year old winger coming into prime years. Our incumbents are 30+, so the writing is on the wall.
I don’t think he starts next year. I think he puts pressure on DWZ to step up, because realistically no one else was capable of taking his spot. And if he doesn’t, then AKP comes straight in. He’s also signed for 3, so it’s clear DWZ and/or RTS are out the door in 27.
NZWarriors.com
Bishop Neal: The Christchurch teen chasing his Warriors NRL dream
NZ Herald13 Oct, 2025 07:31 PM7 mins to read
League sensation Bishop Neal with mother Betsy Neal and father Trevor Neal.
Bishop Neal is one of rugby league’s most exciting prospects. His athleticism, skills and demeanour led to him being chosen for the Warriors Under-17 side who were back-to-back winners in one of the NRL’s most important pathway competitions. Jordan Smith reports on what the journey looked like from the beginning....
I knew up-and-coming rugby league player Bishop Neal stood at 194cm and weighed 113 kg.
But arriving at the Neal family home, it was staggering to see how much he dominated the space inside the doorframes.
It made it even harder to believe he had only turned 17 in May.
After an hour-long interview with the young man and his family however, it became clear natural ability and size were only one part of the picture. His accomplishments have been earned through hard work and a lifelong love of the game.
“I’ve always loved footy. I used to always sleep with a rugby ball in my hand – that was my teddy,” Bishop Neal says.
His mum Betsy Neal said little Bishop would keep a journal detailing his future plans.
“He would write in his little journals that ‘I want to be a rugby player’ and about what he would do on the field,” she says.
Dad Trevor Neal describes his son constantly repeating the “B for ball” page in his alphabet book.
“He’d be just standing there when I’m coming home from work in the nappy just going ‘ball’,” he says.
That love for the game only grew with age. Betsy Neal would record his junior club games so he could watch and analyse them – a habit that’s akin to much older players.
“He would watch it all week over and over again. He’d come up to us saying ‘if I stepped off my right foot, I could’ve done that’. He does that every single game he plays,” Betsy Neal says.
“I just thought it was normal,” she says.
Like any kid, Neal’s involvement in league came from the pure enjoyment it provided.
The first time he came to people’s attention was after playing in a weekend-long Under-15s Kotahitanga league tournament at 14, where he was mostly there to support a friend who was feeling nervous about taking part.
Straight afterwards, Trevor and Betsy Neal began to field calls left and right. Bishop’s St Thomas of Canterbury principal Steve Hart called to say: “’I don’t know what happened this weekend at the tournament but everyone’s calling me about Bishop’.”
Approaches were coming thick and fast from NRL clubs and their agents.
Attention like this can be difficult for youngsters, particularly in the age of social media.
But this hasn’t been a problem for Neal and his siblings, who face a blanket rule of no cellphones and no social media until they turn 18.
Betsy Neal says social media is “an awesome tool”, but didn’t want to see it dilute the effort her son or any of their children gave in their passions, with Trevor Neal adding it allowed them to develop “a stronger sense of identity” by avoiding the noise social media creates.
While he remains off social media, an exception has been made for Neal when it comes to a phone, due to spending time training in Auckland.
“It was just hard not having a phone. They [the Warriors] had to message the house parent I was staying with to tell me stuff and then I had to tell him to tell them,” Neal says.
Back in Christchurch, St Thomas’ league coach and deputy principal Andrew Auimatagi first met Neal at 14. He describes the second-rower as supremely gifted physically, but also emotionally mature beyond his years in a way he’s never seen before.
“Even in those tense moments, you won’t see Bishop rattled. He’s quite consistent with his emotions; I don’t think we’ve ever seen him flip out so I think that’s a real superpower of his.”
Being the player everybody wants in their side has created a seemingly exhausting schedule at times, spanning both rugby league and union.
“It didn’t feel like it was heaps to me. [Like] Mum and Dad, said I love being active, so I like being at training,” Neal says.
Betsy Neal even says training would be used as a disciplining tool and if he didn’t clean his room, he wouldn’t be able to go.
“Within two minutes, the room was clean, so he’s always been good like that.”
The raw talent combined with a staggering work ethic meant it was merely a matter of when, not if, the Warriors reached out.
As well as it being Neal’s life-long dream to wear the Warriors jersey, club CEO and general manager Cameron George’s promise of a spot in the U17 Harold Matthews side sealed the deal, amidst Australian clubs flying the Neal’s out for weeklong visits.
“Other clubs didn’t have an Under-17 team so would’ve gone over [to Australia], played school footy or something else. So, I thought ‘that’d be mean playing Under-17s in the Warriors kit and all that’”, Neal says.
Even before signing with the club, he was invited by George to train with the S.G. Ball (U19) side for two weeks in the summer of 2022-2023, at only 14.
The following summer expanded on that experience and had him stationed in Auckland for three months, training with the first-grade side.
That continued the over last summer and was coupled with the entire U17 Harold Matthews campaign, ending in May this year.
Training alongside idols he used to watch on repeat is a feeling Neal describes as “buzzy as”, and while it’s now slightly easier, spending time with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck still catches him out.
“He was the main dude I would watch before my games. [Now] walking with him to the field, I’ll be talking to him and then I would just be like, ‘damn, it’s Roger’.” Through those summers, Warriors head of junior pathways Tony Iro got to understand Neal on and off the field, noting the step up to professional footy is “brutal”.
“From a physical perspective, he’s got everything that an NRL player needs but that’s probably only half of what is required to continue playing at that level,” Iro says.
“Bishop’s a talented footballer but you need more than that to progress. You need to be able to work hard. You need to show some toughness.”
Even at 15, Iro described Neal as a natural leader that boys are “prepared to follow” and believes he certainly has the tools and the drive to reach his goals.
That drive for Neal comes back to the sacrifices his parents have made and continue to make in supporting him.
“My parents are the best,” he says.
“It sounds so cliché but taking me to all my trainings and everything ... probably don’t thank them enough.”
As well emphasising strong family and friends connections, Neal says he’s a devout Christian and has a passion for music, having produced six songs with his schoolmates, including Warriors teammate Lennox Tuiloma.
Having those off-field interests was emphasised by legendary coach Wayne Bennett.
He said it was important for the youngster “to still be a kid”, as the professional environment happens fast, Betsy Neal says, recounting a conversation she had with Bennett.
It’s clear Neal is hardwired for one thing however – making his footy dreams come true.
“It’s just the way I am and the way I think – I’m gonna make my Plan A work.”
“If the footy pops off, that’s awesome, but whether he does or not, he’s going to be a solid-as dude,” Trevor Neal adds.
Looking forward, the moving boxes piled up in the Neal house show a family that’s committed to supporting their youngest in his professional journey and ready to make the move from Christchurch to their new home in Auckland.
“It’s just cool seeing a kid doing what they love,” Betsy Neal says.
“As a parent, that’s my baby still running around, except now he’s not doing it in the hallways and in the backyard. He’s doing [it] on the field, in the Warriors’ colours.”
AKP is a guy with a lot of upside. Hopefully he improves in his game like Erin Clarke. As far as Halves talk Tanah Boyd not being mentioned a lot. Where will he sit. Inch needs to be assessed after a pre season. Barny and Fish, who will back them up.
NZWarriors.com
Can’t help but be excited reading that. Been training in preseason with the first grade squad since 2024, seems a star in the making
Bishop Neal: The Christchurch teen chasing his Warriors NRL dream
NZ Herald
13 Oct, 2025 07:31 PM7 mins to read
League sensation Bishop Neal with mother Betsy Neal and father Trevor Neal.
Bishop Neal is one of rugby league’s most exciting prospects. His athleticism, skills and demeanour led to him being chosen for the Warriors Under-17 side who were back-to-back winners in one of the NRL’s most important pathway competitions. Jordan Smith reports on what the journey looked like from the beginning....
I knew up-and-coming rugby league player Bishop Neal stood at 194cm and weighed 113 kg.
But arriving at the Neal family home, it was staggering to see how much he dominated the space inside the doorframes.
It made it even harder to believe he had only turned 17 in May.
After an hour-long interview with the young man and his family however, it became clear natural ability and size were only one part of the picture. His accomplishments have been earned through hard work and a lifelong love of the game.
“I’ve always loved footy. I used to always sleep with a rugby ball in my hand – that was my teddy,” Bishop Neal says.
His mum Betsy Neal said little Bishop would keep a journal detailing his future plans.
“He would write in his little journals that ‘I want to be a rugby player’ and about what he would do on the field,” she says.
Dad Trevor Neal describes his son constantly repeating the “B for ball” page in his alphabet book.
“He’d be just standing there when I’m coming home from work in the nappy just going ‘ball’,” he says.
That love for the game only grew with age. Betsy Neal would record his junior club games so he could watch and analyse them – a habit that’s akin to much older players.
“He would watch it all week over and over again. He’d come up to us saying ‘if I stepped off my right foot, I could’ve done that’. He does that every single game he plays,” Betsy Neal says.
“I just thought it was normal,” she says.
Like any kid, Neal’s involvement in league came from the pure enjoyment it provided.
The first time he came to people’s attention was after playing in a weekend-long Under-15s Kotahitanga league tournament at 14, where he was mostly there to support a friend who was feeling nervous about taking part.
Straight afterwards, Trevor and Betsy Neal began to field calls left and right. Bishop’s St Thomas of Canterbury principal Steve Hart called to say: “’I don’t know what happened this weekend at the tournament but everyone’s calling me about Bishop’.”
Approaches were coming thick and fast from NRL clubs and their agents.
Attention like this can be difficult for youngsters, particularly in the age of social media.
But this hasn’t been a problem for Neal and his siblings, who face a blanket rule of no cellphones and no social media until they turn 18.
Betsy Neal says social media is “an awesome tool”, but didn’t want to see it dilute the effort her son or any of their children gave in their passions, with Trevor Neal adding it allowed them to develop “a stronger sense of identity” by avoiding the noise social media creates.
While he remains off social media, an exception has been made for Neal when it comes to a phone, due to spending time training in Auckland.
“It was just hard not having a phone. They [the Warriors] had to message the house parent I was staying with to tell me stuff and then I had to tell him to tell them,” Neal says.
Back in Christchurch, St Thomas’ league coach and deputy principal Andrew Auimatagi first met Neal at 14. He describes the second-rower as supremely gifted physically, but also emotionally mature beyond his years in a way he’s never seen before.
“Even in those tense moments, you won’t see Bishop rattled. He’s quite consistent with his emotions; I don’t think we’ve ever seen him flip out so I think that’s a real superpower of his.”
Being the player everybody wants in their side has created a seemingly exhausting schedule at times, spanning both rugby league and union.
“It didn’t feel like it was heaps to me. [Like] Mum and Dad, said I love being active, so I like being at training,” Neal says.
Betsy Neal even says training would be used as a disciplining tool and if he didn’t clean his room, he wouldn’t be able to go.
“Within two minutes, the room was clean, so he’s always been good like that.”
The raw talent combined with a staggering work ethic meant it was merely a matter of when, not if, the Warriors reached out.
As well as it being Neal’s life-long dream to wear the Warriors jersey, club CEO and general manager Cameron George’s promise of a spot in the U17 Harold Matthews side sealed the deal, amidst Australian clubs flying the Neal’s out for weeklong visits.
“Other clubs didn’t have an Under-17 team so would’ve gone over [to Australia], played school footy or something else. So, I thought ‘that’d be mean playing Under-17s in the Warriors kit and all that’”, Neal says.
Even before signing with the club, he was invited by George to train with the S.G. Ball (U19) side for two weeks in the summer of 2022-2023, at only 14.
The following summer expanded on that experience and had him stationed in Auckland for three months, training with the first-grade side.
That continued the over last summer and was coupled with the entire U17 Harold Matthews campaign, ending in May this year.
Training alongside idols he used to watch on repeat is a feeling Neal describes as “buzzy as”, and while it’s now slightly easier, spending time with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck still catches him out.
“He was the main dude I would watch before my games. [Now] walking with him to the field, I’ll be talking to him and then I would just be like, ‘damn, it’s Roger’.” Through those summers, Warriors head of junior pathways Tony Iro got to understand Neal on and off the field, noting the step up to professional footy is “brutal”.
“From a physical perspective, he’s got everything that an NRL player needs but that’s probably only half of what is required to continue playing at that level,” Iro says.
“Bishop’s a talented footballer but you need more than that to progress. You need to be able to work hard. You need to show some toughness.”
Even at 15, Iro described Neal as a natural leader that boys are “prepared to follow” and believes he certainly has the tools and the drive to reach his goals.
That drive for Neal comes back to the sacrifices his parents have made and continue to make in supporting him.
“My parents are the best,” he says.
“It sounds so cliché but taking me to all my trainings and everything ... probably don’t thank them enough.”
As well emphasising strong family and friends connections, Neal says he’s a devout Christian and has a passion for music, having produced six songs with his schoolmates, including Warriors teammate Lennox Tuiloma.
Having those off-field interests was emphasised by legendary coach Wayne Bennett.
He said it was important for the youngster “to still be a kid”, as the professional environment happens fast, Betsy Neal says, recounting a conversation she had with Bennett.
It’s clear Neal is hardwired for one thing however – making his footy dreams come true.
“It’s just the way I am and the way I think – I’m gonna make my Plan A work.”
“If the footy pops off, that’s awesome, but whether he does or not, he’s going to be a solid-as dude,” Trevor Neal adds.
Looking forward, the moving boxes piled up in the Neal house show a family that’s committed to supporting their youngest in his professional journey and ready to make the move from Christchurch to their new home in Auckland.
“It’s just cool seeing a kid doing what they love,” Betsy Neal says.
“As a parent, that’s my baby still running around, except now he’s not doing it in the hallways and in the backyard. He’s doing [it] on the field, in the Warriors’ colours.”
The expectations for him next year will be for him to play 3 different grades. Similar to Makasini who debut for the Tigers at the end of the year. I doubt he will debut in NRL this year because of our depth. But should at least be in the 17 of Cup by the end of next year.
