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

 

[Cces]

Nice analysis
As always

But if I m looking at the future
Maybe the guys got improvement in him
Cht has certainly has improved over time
Good let alone very good halves hard to find particularly home grown ones
Coach will probably chew over his performance in 26 with Cappy vs all the young halves and determine a way forward in the back half of 26
I mean it’s like the share market
Last years returns / performance are not really helping to see this years performance
Yeah I know it’s a crap analogy

CHT is the perfect example of how a player can improve in one season. His previous Try & Try Assist stats above showcase that well. Even though I have lower hopes for Boyd than Wrighty, we might see him start to perform better in the NRL, I just don't see how he fits in beyond next season. When Metcalf returns, it's his team and I don't see Boyd as his wingman. I'm all for moving CHT to a utility/back up role in 2027 if Linnane or any other potential better option emerges. I just can't see Boyd in that conversation. He's enough of a poor defender on his favored right edge to even consider asking him to do it with his left shoulder more often than not

 

[kos]

CHT is the perfect example of how a player can improve in one season. His previous Try & Try Assist stats above showcase that well. Even though I have lower hopes for Boyd than Wrighty, we might see him start to perform better in the NRL, I just don't see how he fits in beyond next season. When Metcalf returns, it's his team and I don't see Boyd as his wingman. I'm all for moving CHT to a utility/back up role in 2027 if Linnane or any other potential better option emerges. I just can't see Boyd in that conversation. He's enough of a poor defender on his favored right edge to even consider asking him to do it with his left shoulder more often than not

Yep good comments mate your analysis and knowledge apprreciated

 

[Worried2Death]

wouldn’t mind it if we release capewell, turn Fatialofa into a centre and Eddie into a middle

Very young and raw age balance though, if Capes or Marata are gone I can see some sense in bringing Riki in for his experience I guess.

 

[Wrighty]

CHT is the perfect example of how a player can improve in one season. His previous Try & Try Assist stats above showcase that well. Even though I have lower hopes for Boyd than Wrighty, we might see him start to perform better in the NRL, I just don't see how he fits in beyond next season. When Metcalf returns, it's his team and I don't see Boyd as his wingman. I'm all for moving CHT to a utility/back up role in 2027 if Linnane or any other potential better option emerges. I just can't see Boyd in that conversation. He's enough of a poor defender on his favored right edge to even consider asking him to do it with his left shoulder more often than not

My response to where Boyd fits after 2026

I see us not re-signing TMM

So our 2027 halves become

Metcalf
CHT
Boyd
Linnane
Cleary
With one of those playing a 14 utility role.

Without Boyd there would not be enough first grade experience in the group beyond Metcalf and CHT, provided my assumption is correct that we don't re-sign TMM. It was a hard year for TMM to show his wares and build momentum into his season as he had to come off the bench.

I found your statistical comparison to CHT interesting. Maybe they are very roughly about as good as each other. Back in the day we used to regard Chad Townsend as being the benchmark for an NRL standard half. Both of them are there or there abouts of being NRL standard although CHT had clearly the better year out of the two of them.

You pointed out Boyd is a weak defender. I don't tend to judge halves too much on defence as long as they are reasonable.

 

[Ref]

My take around first grade experience is this.
Don’t keep experienced players around if they are not good enough.
I’d rather lose developing players than lose anyway with CNK, DWZ, Boyd, and Niukore.

 

[WHB]

Luke Garner is my like for like Capewell replacement if needed.
He up for grabs soon too.

 

[Canonball]

The weak point of the broncos is there second row. If he’s one of the best forwards he would’ve been picked for the kiwis.

yeah, agree unfortunately - we have better talent coming thru, would be disappointed if we got riki - a waste of a signing when we have obvious weaknesses in other positions

 

[Ref]

Luke Garner is my like for like Capewell replacement if needed.
He up for grabs soon too.

Capewell is more brutal and non stop.
He can teach our young guys a thing or two.

 

[Ref]

Don’t buy Riki.
We don’t need him.

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

The weak point of the broncos is there second row. If he’s one of the best forwards he would’ve been picked for the kiwis.

I’m pretty sure he made himself unavailable for selection. He Is in South America with other broncos players

 

[SJ2k]

If the salary cap actually worked as intended we should have a decent shot at Tino. Can pay him as much as anyone else reasonably can, given how budget a lot of our team is. Our spine STILL has to be one of the most budget in the entire NRL and look at our backline. Having a couple of good veteran forwards does not make up a salary cap. Some young studs but they won't be on much. Some trash like Niukore but he'll be done in time for this.

As it is he probably ends up with the storm or dogs or some bullshit that shouldn't even be entertained with tabloids like nrl360.

 

[Cces]

I’m pretty sure he made himself unavailable for selection. He Is in South America with other broncos players

Stacey said Willison got his spot in the squad as a result of a decision between him & Riki and Willison's bigger body was deciding factor

 

[WHB]

Capewell is more brutal and non stop.
He can teach our young guys a thing or two.

Think you misread what I meant brother?

 

[Wrighty]

Of the top 2nd Rowers in 2025 who readily came to mind, Riki had the 2nd best tackle efficiency.

 

[Naynay]

Well if this rumor is true (big if) you would be silly not to look at him seriously.

He would walk into our game day 17 every day of the year irrespective of our young guns potential.

Unpopular opinion , Riki is trash, he is a strict downgrade on almost every secondrower we have.

There is a log jam in our second rowers as is, and it should be Leka for Marata and Laban for Capewell. Riki for another club

 

[Warriors55]

yeah, agree unfortunately - we have better talent coming thru, would be disappointed if we got riki - a waste of a signing when we have obvious weaknesses in other positions

I just don't understand why we would do it. Not saying Riki is a bad player but we have so much depth in the second row already and several gun youngsters all vying for 1 or 2 limited positions in the 17.

The only way I can make sense of it is if we had cap space to spare and just wanted to spend it. But if we did sign Riki it is probably a longer-term contract which doesn't make any sense at all.

Unless Capewell and Marata are leaving immediately, I struggle to see the sense in it. I hope this rumour is not true. Surely not.

Like other posters have said we have Leka, Laban, EIT, Fatiolofa, Gannon, Capewell, Ford and more vying for limited spots. Why sign another player in our strongest position. I wouldn't mind another prop if we have to sign a forward.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Where did this rumour of Riki come from again?

 

[Dannevegas]

Of the top 2nd Rowers in 2025 who readily came to mind, Riki had the 2nd best tackle efficiency.

View attachment 14826

Aitken’s higher with pretty much the same stats all round I wouldn’t take him back either, you can’t just rely on stats.

 

[sup42]

Where did this rumour of Riki come from again?

The Rene Ranger play book.

Pretty funny really.

Not even half a rumor.

 

[tajhay]

Where did this rumour of Riki come from again?

From someone who is engagement 'herding' on social media.

Anyway you cant just move to another team for a 'bigger contract', unless the team is taking over existing.2 year contract (in Riki's case) and then adding more years on top, at probably a higher rate.

Riki would be the epitome of buy high when it comes to trading. His stocks will never be higher.

He is not what we need. He is the product/beneficiary of good players around him making him look better than he is.