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	✔​	✔​	✔​
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	✔​	✔​
Connor Bowden	U​	U​	✔​
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: 29/30
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

 

[Noitall]

Niukore was floating between edge & middle back when he signed his deal with us. The year before he arrived he was predominantly a middle, even starting the GF at Lock. I just think he's lost some athleticism

It was the second row combo of him and Papali’i that really made an impact at eels

 

[JaggedJ]

Most people's issue with Niukore is that we paid him like a starting second rower when these days he's more a bench player.

We had to pay overs to get him to begin with and the value has only decreased since.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

With all the talk being around Niukore's role moving forward, and it sounds like most people are in agreeance that the issues are more around how much he's being paid compared to what he offers, what are peoples thoughts about keeping Niukore around but on a pay packet that reflects his current role in the team?

Is there still a place for him now that we have a lot of boom rookies coming through?
If we did keep him, what kind of money would you be happy for him to be on moving forward?

 

[sydneywarrior92]

With all the talk being around Niukore's role moving forward, and it sounds like most people are in agreeance that the issues are more around how much he's being paid compared to what he offers, what are peoples thoughts about keeping Niukore around but on a pay packet that reflects his current role in the team?

Is there still a place for him now that we have a lot of boom rookies coming through?
If we did keep him, what kind of money would you be happy for him to be on moving forward?

a lot of our boom rookies are backrowers, not middles. Marata still has a place in the middle rotation alongside Barney and JFH. At times he was our most physically damaging middle. The issue has been when injuries has forced him to move into the back row where his old legs and limited lateral movement gets exposed. Simplify his role to bench middle and he still has so much to offer.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

a lot of our boom rookies are backrowers, not middles. Marata still has a place in the middle rotation alongside Barney and JFH. At times he was our most physically damaging middle. The issue has been when injuries has forced him to move into the back row where his old legs and limited lateral movement gets exposed.

So you'd be open to keeping him in the middle? Or nah

 

[Cces]

It was the second row combo of him and Papali’i that really made an impact at eels

Shaun Lane & Papali'i is how I remember it with Niukore the fill in.
It'd be interesting to learn what his manager is currently doing behind the scenes

 

[sydneywarrior92]

So you'd be open to keeping him in the middle? Or nah

only in the middle. Barney and JFH start. Ford, Marata and Demi off the bench.

 

[cock_o]

So you'd be open to keeping him in the middle? Or nah

I think if he would stay for 2 more years for $350,000 per season, after his current deal expires, that would be a good option.
Use him as a bench middle. Not lose out to much if he gets injured.
Halasima, Laban, Fatialofa, EIT and Biship Neal cover the edges.
But him might get more at the Bears.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

I also wouldn't mind us trying Leka at center for an extended period. He is absolutely lethal in a one-on-one situation and in the limited situations where he's been given space as a backrower, he's destroyed teams. Doesn't really have a passing game but we've done well with powerful ball-running centers who can't pass before (ie Hurrell and Kata). I'd push Fatialofa or the young English boy to come into the back row in his place.

 

[Noitall]

A rare Warriors headache: Who starts 2026 in the halves?

Halves depth has been an issue for the Warriors in years gone by. In 2026, the issue will be who to select.

www.zerotackle.com

Article talking about who starts in the halves seems Luke Hanson is still with us

 

[Worried2Death]

I also wouldn't mind us trying Leka at center for an extended period. He is absolutely lethal in a one-on-one situation and in the limited situations where he's been given space as a backrower, he's destroyed teams. Doesn't really have a passing game but we've done well with powerful ball-running centers who can't pass before (ie Hurrell and Kata). I'd push Fatialofa or the young English boy to come into the back row in his place.

To start the season I'd bring Gannon off the bench at lock so Clark can go to front row, Erin's most damaging against tired legs, his motor's insane late in the game. Leka at centre I don't know, if he can't pass it's pretty limiting, good luck stopping him near the line though. If he can develop a pass, look out, him and Dal will be Leipana.

 

[cock_o]

I also wouldn't mind us trying Leka at center for an extended period. He is absolutely lethal in a one-on-one situation and in the limited situations where he's been given space as a backrower, he's destroyed teams. Doesn't really have a passing game but we've done well with powerful ball-running centers who can't pass before (ie Hurrell and Kata). I'd push Fatialofa or the young English boy to come into the back row in his place.

Interesting you say we did well with Hurrell and Kata at centre .
We want to be a top 4 team year after year.

 

[Brightman]

I also wouldn't mind us trying Leka at center for an extended period. He is absolutely lethal in a one-on-one situation and in the limited situations where he's been given space as a backrower, he's destroyed teams. Doesn't really have a passing game but we've done well with powerful ball-running centers who can't pass before (ie Hurrell and Kata). I'd push Fatialofa or the young English boy to come into the back row in his place.

how many games have the warriors (or Tonga) won when Leka plays at centre..

 

[Tookey 2.0]

how many games have the warriors (or Tonga) won when Leka plays at centre..

Haha come on man, bit of a silly question. Hes started there only the 1 time, but he's been moved there a couple of times from memory.

I get it tho. While it's highly unlikely Leka gets moved there, potentially moving Leka to a spot where he has more room to move and will probably has more 1 on 1 opportunities against backs instead of forwards, it's not hard to see whats attractive about that.

If you got Leka and his winger 2 on 2 with a defence 4 times in a game, he probably scores/ sets up a try2 or 3 times.

Centre currently our weakest position, 2nd row is our strongest.

If the option moving forward was Pompey at centre and Leka at edge, or Leka at centre and Fatialofa on an edge, I think it's a pretty fair question, and with the jam that we have in the 2nd row fast approaching with Leka, EIT, Laban, Fatialofa, Bishop Neale, it's probably a good conversation to be having sooner rather than later.

 

[Defence]

It’s a fair question.
I’d let him setting an edge- that’s his spot and he’s ready imo.
Always reminded me of nanai- some kids just have the gift.

 

[Blain]

I don't know if the solution to a busted body is to flog it even more in a prolonged preseason. Let him rest and recover, he'll be ready to go when the season starts.

I didn't say flog him - Pre season is about readying bodies, you don't belt the shit out of Egan like you would with a young gun. But a tight fitness regime to get his body ready for a big year will be a key to our season. I'm sure he's working on himself away from the group regardless.

 

[Naynay]

If the option moving forward was Pompey at centre and Leka at edge, or Leka at centre and Fatialofa on an edge, I think it's a pretty fair question, and with the jam that we have in the 2nd row fast approaching with Leka, EIT, Laban, Fatialofa, Bishop Neale, it's probably a good conversation to be having sooner rather than later.

If Ali can hit his straps i would say Leka on that edge could be real dangerous.

Either way you would move Fatialofa to centre, he can learn it in NSW cup if they wanna go that route seems a waste of time now Leka has established himself as potential a game breaking second rower to move him around.

Probably saw it in the finals game as well Lekas game at the moment should be as simple as possible, ball in hand run it. He looked a bit overwhelmed in the panthers game a couple of times and made the wrong decisions or mistakes

 

[Five&Last]

If Ali can hit his straps i would say Leka on that edge could be real dangerous.

Either way you would move Fatialofa to centre, he can learn it in NSW cup if they wanna go that route seems a waste of time now Leka has established himself as potential a game breaking second rower to move him around.

Probably saw it in the finals game as well Lekas game at the moment should be as simple as possible, ball in hand run it. He looked a bit overwhelmed in the panthers game a couple of times and made the wrong decisions or mistakes

I'm going to go completely against the grain here and say Leka is actually better when he's initiating contact. Think about how many linebreaks he's created with late footwork into contact and bumping away. He's going to get those looks at second row, not at centre.

I wasn't at all impressed with his game at centre against the Panthers. I thought he struggled to process everything with all the additional space.

Fatialofa is the one who would take advantage of the space at center more than Leka. He's faster, better ball skills and higher IQ (better decisions) than Leka.

I don't think Leka is the one that will be accomodating others in this second row logjam. I think its more likely Second Row: Leka & Bishop / Prop: Laban & EIT / Centre: Fatialofa / Lock: EIT

As long as we pay Laban, Fatialofa and EIT well, hopefully they'll stick around instead of chasing a second row spot elsewhere.

 

[The Undertaker]

2026 is the year Ali Leiuatua finally comes of age. I expect a break out campaign.

 

[Noitall]

2026 is the year Ali Leiuatua finally comes of age. I expect a break out campaign.

I really think Caelys Putoko is joining the group so I agree that Leiataua needs to stamp his mark. Not sure what the club will decide with Berry?