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]

Are you sure about all this? Where does it come from?

There could potentially be a miscalculation in there somewhere but here's the #'s from his NSWRL profile. My numbers, if I hadn't made it clear, are his averages against those sides

Official The Knock On Effect NSW Cup profile of Tobias Crosby for New Zealand Warriors NSW Cup | NSWRL

The The Knock On Effect NSW Cup profile of Tobias Crosby including career statistics, season stats, games, tries, goals, tackles and fantasy scores.

www.nswrl.com.au

 

[sup42]

With all due respect, I really don't think this is accurate. In the last 2 years, across all grades, Crosby has 9 tries (with over half of these in U21s) and Fatialofa 18 tries (with 78% of these in NSW Cup).
Once we know who our 5 Development/Supplementary contracts have been given to, in addition to Cleary, then we'll get a better idea of who was prioritized over Crosby

Yeah I wasn't comparing their stats in the game, merely the player type/role in a league system based off their physical attributes.

 

[Defence]

There’s clearly a relationship built between the panthers & the warriors, which has extended to recruitment. They’ve sent over their spiritual leader, the coaches son & Luke Hanson, we’ve sent over Ale, Moimoi, Crosby, kalani, essentially all in the last year or so.

There’s clearly convos happening between the two clubs eg we can’t keep this guy but he’s extremely talented, we’d recommend him, or this guy has potential but needs to leave our environment, or in our case sending Cleary to get out of the Sydney headlights or fish heading back to his homeland.

The reality is, we can’t keep them all. What it does look like though, is we’ve not only kept the best ones but we’ve locked them down to long term deals eg Leka, Demi, Laban, tanner, kayliss, Neal.

Who knows, they might go over there, develop & come home, just like we might do with Cleary. If there’s any other club in the NRL that I’d want a positive relationship with, it’s the panthers. If we could, and recruitment requires it, I’m sure we could take some of their juniors, like they’ve done to us, in the future.

Another positive is, the best club in the history of the NRL is taking players from our club. This indicates that we’re selecting quality players in the pathways program, developing them into NRL players that are worthy enough to be recruited.

That shows our pathways system is working, albeit the talent being distributed, but revisiting my first point, I believe firmly we’re keeping the best of the best. This only points to long term success for our club.

I’ve started a couple of similar posts but struggled to put it into words.
To my knowledge there’s no other 2 clubs working together like this- that has to give as a competitive advantage over the rest right?
Two heads are better than one and all that… especially when those 2 heads are Webby and Cleary- that’s the dream team right there.
We couldn’t be connected to a better club.

 

[Defence]

View attachment 14998

Usually when u see a player in a new strip they always look weird but he kinda suits it for some reason.
Maybe because he looks like the love child of nathan Cleary and Liam Martin.
Hope he goes well there- he’s got some things that can’t be taught- still a rough diamond but he’s gone to a great system.
Good luck young man.

 

[Wrighty]

I’ve started a couple of similar posts but struggled to put it into words.
To my knowledge there’s no other 2 clubs working together like this- that has to give as a competitive advantage over the rest right?
Two heads are better than one and all that… especially when those 2 heads are Webby and Cleary- that’s the dream team right there.
We couldn’t be connected to a better club.

Wasn't it the Panthers who we had to outbid to keep Kayliss? They may not be as much cooperation as you guys think there is. However, I don't know you and Warriorsfan92 could be right.

 

[Cces]

It went under the radar but the Panthers did poach Siale Faeamani to play for them this year & he started for them in the Flegg GF at Centre. Moving onto the Titans now with a 2 year Development contract

 

[Cces]

* apparently the caption has since been removed

 

[Neo]

His has genuine gas. They can teach him a side step with some drills. He has pace. Real pace. Gas is wasted at prop.

I disagree with the assessment, but surely if people believe he was a second rower then there was absolutely no qualms about letting him go. The talent coming through in that position means he was never going to get a game in Cup in the second row.

If you look at someone like Whyte, he is very quick for a middle, and uses it to land on his front and have staggered markers.

 

[Falcon]

View attachment 14998

There is no doubt he’s built like a rock.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

View attachment 15003
* apparently the caption has since been removed

Very interesting. I read it as Freddy's Mrs saying they're leaving, but that could be more hope than anything.

Just wondering, but we're currently at 30 contracts I believe? If that is the case, we would have to get rid of someone before signing someone else.

Outside of us signing someone, would there be any reason to release Freddy so soon after preseason has started? Especially since he's known as a great trainer which would be good for the youngins coming through...

Just putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with NAS

 

[3rdstriker]

On social media I see lots of people upset about Toby Crosby. No doubt he has great highlights but he seems a flat track bully. 4 tries this year but none against playoff teams. Season average of 83m per game but here's his #'s pg against the top 6:
Dragons (3 games) - 46m
Eels (2) - 107m
Jets (2) - 59m
Raiders (2) - 69m
Panthers (2) - 64m

11 games against the top 6 & broke 100m just once, in a 54-4 rout against the Eels

Was just a bench player with limited minutes in our nsw cup team, cant hold onto everyone

 

[sup42]

Wasn't it the Panthers who we had to outbid to keep Kayliss? They may not be as much cooperation as you guys think there is. However, I don't know you and Warriorsfan92 could be right.

Fan fondness for Ivan has invented a narrative of cooperation where you rightly point out when rubber hits road they are the competition not friend category.

I am sure they have good personal relationships but beyond that each man is in it to put themselves ahead of the other end of story.

I am just waiting for us to beat the Panthers so someone can post "Ivan let his friend Webby win".

 

[Wrighty]

Fan fondness for Ivan has invented a narrative of cooperation where you rightly point out when rubber hits road they are the competition not friend category.

I am sure they have good personal relationships but beyond that each man is in it to put themselves ahead of the other end of story.

I am just waiting for us to beat the Panthers so someone can post "Ivan let his friend Webby win".

You would think their foundational documents signed with the NRL prevent collusion and or alliances with another club. That is speculation however. Clubs being friendly with each other and finding each other easy to deal with is common place though. A few seasons ago POS was in with the roosters and we had plenty of transactions with them.
This level of back and forth with Panthers is unprecedented in my time as a fan so I can understand the narratives being generated.

 

[Cces]

Daeon Amituanai, Preston Riki & William Fakatoumafi all jumped from Warriors/Redcliffe to Penrith in the 2021 offseason so this trend predates Webster

 

[CWC]

View attachment 15003
* apparently the caption has since been removed

Kinda sad but Freddie junior will find a new gf, probably at Penrith

It looks like we are having a Cape 2.0, I’m hoping for Drinkwater but more likely NAS

 

[CWC]

On Crosby it’s a hard journey I’m sure he came to the warriors as a childhood fan but now has to leave home to continue his career. However all the highlights and stuff, is it still the field length tries he scored at high school comp? That’s about 5 years ago and he’s turning 23

Just imagine if we kept him over one of Leka, Laban, EIT or Fats. TSS I think is ok but if you can’t beat him then ya..

As for our relationship with ex-coach turned 4-peat premiership winner Ivan, I mean they released Fish swiftly and a Cleary coming here is a massive endorsement for our development program to attract other young aussie talents, I don’t get the hostility, did Ivan steal someone’s wife or something? Dude did not look salty when Webby beat him to the award, he looked genuinely proud