Recruitment Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment and Retention Discussion​

Player	2026​	2027​	2028​	2029​	2030​
Mitchell Barnett	✔​	✔​
Rocco Berry	✔​
Tanah Boyd	✔​
Kurt Capewell	✔​
Erin Clark	✔​	✔​
Wayde Egan	✔​	✔​
Kayliss Fatialofa	✔​	✔​
James Fisher-Harris	✔​	✔​	✔​
Jackson Ford	✔​	✔​
Morgan Gannon	✔​	✔​	✔​
Leka Halasima	✔​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔​
Sam Healey	✔​	✔​
Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	✔​	✔​
Alofiana Khan-Pereira	✔​	✔​	✔​
Jacob Laban	✔​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Ali Leiataua	✔​	✔​
Jye Linnane	✔​	✔​	✔​
Freddy Lussick	✔​
Te Maire Martin	✔​
Haizyn Mellars	✔​	✔​	✔​
Luke Metcalf	✔​	✔​	✔​
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔​	✔​
Marata Niukore	✔​
Adam Pompey	✔​	✔​
Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔​	✔​	✔​
Taine Tuaupiki	✔​
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔​
Demitric Vaimauga	✔​	✔​	✔​
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔​	✔​
Jett Cleary	S​	U​
Sio Kali	U​
Braelan Marsh	U​	U​	U​
Motu Pasikala	U​	U​

✔ = Signed to Top 30, C = Club option, M = Mutual Option, P = Player option, S = Signed to supplementary list, U = Unclear

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

2027 Top 30: 21/30
2027 Supplementary: 0/6

2027 Gains: Nil
2027 Losses: Nil

Off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2027: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Will be off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2028 from November 1st, 2026: Mitchell Barnett, Erin Clark, Jett Cleary, Wayde Egan, Kayliss Fatialofa, Jackson Ford, Sam Healey, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Ali Leiataua, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Motu Pasikala, Adam Pompey, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak

 

[Dannevegas]

Awesome News, Lockdown Healey next and young Sio Kali as well.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Good signing in LM, touch wood that 2026 is an injury free year.

It's a shame about NAS, we could had him run around with LM on his shoulders, like the rat in Rattatoue.

 

[Wrighty]

I think we still need Jett and Inch coming through as Metcalf is always going to miss some games due to injury so we need strong halves cover to support Metcalf.

 

[snake77]

Great work. Thank god that's over in these forums.

He does play on the right. When he passed the ball to the wing it could be considered the far right.

I'll see myself out now.

 

[Noitall]

Not so sure as others that we'll be racing to sign CHT straight away, and tbh I don't think CHT really needs to be in a hurry either considering his form has been good.

True on both points but I think it’s probably more in our best interests, or the more risk falls on us potentially? Metcalf and CHT is a proven top 4 combo and I think would have finished the season as such if all were healthy? There’s the period to begin the season without Metcalf to consider but also when he’s healthy, would TMM take CHT’s role at five eighth? More likely would be Linnane perhaps, but still very unproven? I think to keep CHT would mean for him to be on the same page that he transitions to utility once whoever they see as their five eighth in waiting is ready? I think with Metcalf’s X factor, CHT is good foil with him just needing to do his job, but with Boyd you need more of a running five eighth that Linnane might suit?

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Obviously been sitting on this news for a while. Video they posted on social media signing the contract he wasn’t wearing his wedding ring… so assume sometime a few weeks ago!

Regardless… fricken awesome news!!

Yeah and referred to his wife as his partner. The Warriors took the Sydney media and a few in here for a ride!

 

[snake77]

Staying right here: Metcalf recommits until 2028

Luke Metcalf inks two-year contract extension to lock in future with One New Zealand Warriors.

www.warriors.kiwi

“The way the New Zealand public have taken me in. I came here with my partner and we've had a baby and created a home away from home here.

I love the whole place .. the Warriors, New Zealand in general, Auckland. We went down and had our wedding in Queenstown.”

Yes, the club has had setbacks with Australian players wanting to go home. We should also celebrate the players that come here and get settled in NZ. We have had quite a few that have ended up staying here after they retire. Sure they eventually head back but the fact they love their time in NZ is a good thing for the club.

Here we have a young couple with a baby happy to be here in New Zealand. In the video he mentions his partner encouraging him to chase his dream.

That video with Metcalf talking about the club is great to hear. The club has doing a lot of the right things after returning from covid. A good endorsement for the management (Georhe and his team) and the football department with McFadden and Webster.

A word of advice for the next star we need signed up. Sign your contract and get it announced before heading off on your honeymoon. It helps stop the Aussie league scribe rumour mill and a lot of time/debate around here.

 

[Riz]

View attachment 14791OH YEEEEAH!!

Never in doubt

 

[Rick O’Shay]

Thank God for that. What a great guy and spelt out what his character is with this signing.
Interesting in the press release he says he didn't even test the market, was always going to be a done deal with the upgrade which you would expect in today's market.
Really stoked about this and I think it will bode really well for us attracting other Australian players

 

[Warriors55]

Dragons forum are not taking the news well! Now they are talking about going after Jett Cleary.

 

[Noitall]

Never in doubt

He always had options though and would certainly earn more elsewhere and probably get a longer deal with more security. It’s just a testament to where the club is currently that they’ve been able to sell him that with him, they can make history

 

[snake77]

I know it is over shadowed by the Metcald news. But I'm glad Hanson is sticking around. He came across from Penrith so Webster would know a bit about him. Seems like another long term project like Cleary that Webster would be keeping an eye on.

He's improved a lot this year from when he first started in NSW Cup.

Ideally we'd have Cleary and Hanson guiding the Cup side around, gaining experience. We have had quite a bit of injuries in the halves. When Johnson returned I was expecting him to be the injury worry, instead it was hard getting him a halves partner as Metcalf and TMM kept picking up injuries. So can understand them wanting a few options on their books.

 

[Matiunz]

Really positive signing, hopefully puts a dent to the narrative that Aussies come over here to establish themselves then piss off back to Aus as soon as they can.
Optics to other potential recruits is a reserve grader came over here and led the Daly Ms and despite courting offers from Sydney chose to remain. Certainly puts faith in our trajectory as a club and hopefully sways a few more on the fence about taking up an offer with us

 

[LeagueJunkie]

Taking the wahs kits away on honeymoon was a dead giveaway that he was staying.

 

[CWC]

Good signing in LM, touch wood that 2026 is an injury free year.

It's a shame about NAS, we could had him run around with LM on his shoulders, like the rat in Rattatoue.

You mean NAS telling Luke how to cook?

 

[WAH MAN]

Now he and we can focus on his recovery proper and if the recent premiers are anything to go by, Luke nor many of our best do not need to play every game of the season. And we want to get as many "cheap" wins as get as best as our best team on the field together at the rightest time of the season.

Good call Luke. I withhold my previously ready whinge.

 

[CWC]

Now we can sign Drinkwater or the Manly outside back

 

[WAH MAN]

I think we still need Jett and Inch coming through as Metcalf is always going to miss some games due to injury so we need strong halves cover to support Metcalf.

I'm happy for Inch to learn the game at Flegg level. There's no guarantee he'll be a gun for us and I believe we'll need to be patient with him. Jett is one season closer to his debut after last year. But we'll also need to be prepared for him to stumble, splutter and occasionally be amazing for at least his first year in first grade and likely two.

 

[WAH MAN]

Taking the wahs kits away on honeymoon was a dead giveaway that he was staying.

If he had left it would have been a deadset psycho move.

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

Is NAS still a possibility for us? Having a guy like him coming off the bench could really put us into contender territory.