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

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I'd take him in a heart beat. Imo he's had 2 quiet seasons (by his standards) and I wonder if a trip home could spark a bit more form.

Would be better than everything we have on centre at the moment, and if you consider Rocco's on about 500k, a little top up on that and we'd likely have him

A month in kiwis camp could tip this over the line

 

[UpTheWahs]

Timoko testing the market.. he’d be another good get, bringing an Auckland boy back home.

Would love to see him here. Played 105 consecutive games from round 19, 2021 to round 26, 2025 without missing a single game. That kind of reliability is a pipe dream at the wahs.

 

[WAH MAN]

Bula’s better than Taine and Charnze

I have it on good authority that I.......











Sometimes make stuff up and post it on the internet.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Bula’s better than Taine and Charnze

Sure....As an attacking threat. By far. But then, He balances it out by being one of the weakest, If not the weakest defensive FB in the comp. Little Jye Grey has more Kahuna's than him.

 

[sup42]

Timoko testing the market.. he’d be another good get, bringing an Auckland boy back home.

Hard to know what the Raiders will do eh. But Ricky has a stacked Roster for backs so it is not like he can throw big money at him to stay, even before considering they probably don't want to.

This signing would really give Ali a Rocket, it would likely mean he has to come up near Pompeys defensive work rate, which would be ideal, hard but hey it would make Ali an Elite center if he was a good tackler.

 

[Wrighty]

Taine is our most positively productive full back option who also kicks goals.
Webby has several experienced players who have been awesome for the club but he has to know when to show them the door.

I don't think anybody is violently opposes to this view. There are four possible viewpoints on fullback in 2026

1) CNK is the best choice - to my knowledge no one on this message board is in this camp.
2) Being resigned to CNK being the fullback - Lots of people are in this camp including me. They just re-signed him f0r 2027 and 2028. Surely that means they are commited to him and must have made their mind up about Taine.
3) Taine is the best choice for Fullback - lots of people in this camp. This is my preference but don't see it happening so not getting my hopes up.
4) RTS should replace CNK. Plenty of people in this camp but the tide has gone back out to sea in the last 48 hours with a number of posters pointing out it doesn't make sense with RTS only being here one more year and what happens when he goes, does CNK come back into the top grade side at that point.

I think we can win with CNK he just needs to get better. And stop making dumb game losing mistakes like he did in the playoffs standing on his 10 metre line for the Cleary clearance which Penrith regathered and scored from.
Playing CNK opens us to playing AKP. Probably they don't pair Taine and AKP together due to the obsession with back three yardage carries under Webster ball. We can also compensate for CNKs lack of offence if we pair Pompey with an attacking centre. So maybe Leiataua needs to come back or maybe we go to market and we snake a centre signing for 2026.
Every team in the league has better centres than the Warriors 2025 centres.

 

[WAH MAN]

Sure....As an attacking threat. By far. But then, He balances it out by being one of the weakest, If not the weakest defensive FB in the comp. Little Jye Grey has more Kahuna's than him.

How many kahunas can someone have?

 

[Buzz Killington]

I would put RTS and number 1 and challenge him to get the Dally M! He is the sort of person that would go out and give it a good crack! I reckon he has a career best year in him!

 

[Noitall]

Would love to see a group of Kiwi men doing what the Ladies are and coming home and stacking the team

 

[Naynay]

Playing CNK opens us to playing AKP. Probably they don't pair Taine and AKP together due to the obsession with back three yardage carries under Webster ball.

I think its worth noting on this all the top teams do this, it’s pretty much the new way wingers play so it makes sense to have a line up that can also do this.

 

[Dannevegas]

I don't think anybody is violently opposes to this view. There are four possible viewpoints on fullback in 2026

1) CNK is the best choice - to my knowledge no one on this message board is in this camp.
2) Being resigned to CNK being the fullback - Lots of people are in this camp including me. They just re-signed him f0r 2027 and 2028. Surely that means they are commited to him and must have made their mind up about Taine.
3) Taine is the best choice for Fullback - lots of people in this camp. This is my preference but don't see it happening so not getting my hopes up.
4) RTS should replace CNK. Plenty of people in this camp but the tide has gone back out to sea in the last 48 hours with a number of posters pointing out it doesn't make sense with RTS only being here one more year and what happens when he goes, does CNK come back into the top grade side at that point.

I think we can win with CNK he just needs to get better. And stop making dumb game losing mistakes like he did in the playoffs standing on his 10 metre line for the Cleary clearance which Penrith regathered and scored from.
Playing CNK opens us to playing AKP. Probably they don't pair Taine and AKP together due to the obsession with back three yardage carries under Webster ball. We can also compensate for CNKs lack of offence if we pair Pompey with an attacking centre. So maybe Leiataua needs to come back or maybe we go to market and we snake a centre signing for 2026.
Every team in the league has better centres than the Warriors 2025 centres.

The argument that Roger is only here for 1 more year, therefore they’d rather keep Charnze at fullback because he’s here for 2. If that’s the case we’re stuffed.

Its like we’re only picking Charnze at fullback out of necessity because we re signed him for 2 more years for some reason.

 

[JaggedJ]

Would be all over Timoko. A genuine game breaker you can throw the ball to and just say "do something".

RTS, CNK, DWZ and probably TT too are all on the outs within 2 seasons. We have spots in the back 5 to fill. We can purchase 1-2 without cutting off the local talent from succeeding if they're good enough.

 

[Blain]

The argument that Roger is only here for 1 more year, therefore they’d rather keep Charnze at fullback because he’s here for 2. If that’s the case we’re stuffed.

Its like we’re only picking Charnze at fullback out of necessity because we re signed him for 2 more years for some reason.

That's simplifying things a bit. There is little difference in their ability at 1. RTS was our player of the year this season on the wing. CNK can maybe play centre, but is not one of our top 2 centres if our backline is fit. Was pretty rubbish there when moved this season. I would argue it's more about keeping RTS where he performed this season.

If you want to arse CNK, Taine makes more sense from a future thinking point of view. He has more playmaking than both combined, is younger, and is more elusive in broken play. His only knock is he is a little small.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Timoko’s defence increasingly being pointed to as problematic for the Raiders. Their right edge definitely began to leak points in the later rounds & into the finals.

 

[Horriors2013]

The argument that Roger is only here for 1 more year, therefore they’d rather keep Charnze at fullback because he’s here for 2. If that’s the case we’re stuffed.

Its like we’re only picking Charnze at fullback out of necessity because we re signed him for 2 more years for some reason.

Not out of necessity. But safety. He's the safe option. Except for the try he handed Samoa last game. Don't get me wrong. I'd rather play Taine. But it feels like CNK won't go away. As I said he gave Samoa a try. Doesn't offer anything in attack. But still picked ahead of Kini.

 

[hornbybrown]

To who exactly?

Name one other club he would start at in the NRL, I promise you can't, he wouldn't even be next up at most clubs

I tend to agree with this view. I think we massively overvalue him. I think he is third best FB at the warriors.

 

[Ferdie]

I would be surprised to see Timoko leave the Raiders. They've done a lot for him, including assisting his mother get a job with the club and helping her with accommodation.
I understand through the grapevine that Matt and his mother now live just down the road from each other in Canberra and he's really tight with her.
So it would take a big offer to break up a good thing that he's got going over there.

 

[cock_o]

I would be surprised to see Timoko leave the Raiders. They've done a lot for him, including assisting his mother get a job with the club and helping her with accommodation.
I understand through the grapevine that Matt and his mother now live just down the road from each other in Canberra and he's really tight with her.
So it would take a big offer to break up a good thing that he's got going over there.

Good way to dodgy up the Salary Cap.

On the NRL website it says the Raiders have a club option on Timoko for 2027 and 2028.

 

[Noitall]

Good way to dodgy up the Salary Cap.

On the NRL website it says the Raiders have a club option on Timoko for 2027 and 2028.

Looks like 2027 is a mutual option that lets him test his value and 2028 is the club option. Might need to offer Mum a job. Looks like he plays on the right predominantly so he’d be the kick chaser

 

[Cces]

We're already committed to Tuaupiki until he's 27 years old. He could play 24 games as our #1 next season & still not have 40 caps as a NRL Fullback come 2027 when he will turn 28. Decent player, & Cody Walker is a great example of a late bloomer, but I think he is a better fit for the Perth Bears than us. Financially you'd think it'd make better sense for him as an individual, if that's is a priority in his decision