General 2026/2027 - Predict the 17

[Te Mana-wah]

Webster, Robinson & Co must be pretty optimistic about the direction of this club. We've got a high calibre coach and a plethora of young home-grown special talent coming through. I truly believe we have the best junior nursery in the league at present and what looks like a very successful quality junior pathways program.
Harold Mats 2024 & 2025 ️
NSW cup minor prems ️
NSW cup winner (calling it now) ️

The likes of kayliss Fatialofa and Bishop Neal and Toby Crosby are in the spotlight - who else do you think is a bolter to play NRL in the next couply years?

Seems to be a lot of members on here with ear to the ground and keeping tabs on the juniors coming through.

With who we have contracted and who is coming off contract + Juniors coming through + a potential signing or 2 you would like to see what would your Warriors 17 look like in the next couple years that are going to take us to our maiden premiership!?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

1 C N Klokstad
2 D W Zelezniak
3 R Berry
4 A Leiataua
5 R T Sheck
6 C H Tavita
7 T Boyd
8 J F Harris
9 W Egan
10 J Ford
11 K Capewell
12 M Niukore
13 E Clark

14 S Healey
15 J Laban
16 D Vaimauga
17 L Halasima

2027

1 C N Klokstad
2 D W Zelezniak
3 R Berry
4 K Fatialofa
5 R T Sheck
6 L Metcalf
7 T Boyd
8 J F Harris
9 W Egan
10 M Barnett
11 L Halasima
12 J Laban
13 E Clark

14 S Healey
15 J Ford
16 D Vaimauga
17 M Gannon

 

[Theking267]

2027

1 CNK
2 DWZ
3 Rocco
4 Pompey
5 Mellars
6 CHT
7 Metcalf
8 JFH
9 W Egan
10 M Barnett
11 L Halasima
12 J Laban
13 E Clark
14 S Healey
15 J Ford
16 D Vaimauga
17 B Neal

 

[WahsaurusRex]

If Dallin is still our starting winger in the big 27, something has gone wrong

 

[Ref]

2027
Something like

Taine
Kali
Berry
Ali L
Norris
Linnane
Metcalf.
JFH
Healey
Demi
Leka
Laban
Clark

Fatialofa
TSS
EIT
Seu Salilo.

However 2025 ends, we will retrospectively say how did we do so well with that squad and the injuries.

 

[Horriors2013]

1 C N Klokstad
2 D W Zelezniak
3 R Berry
4 A Leiataua
5 R T Sheck
6 C H Tavita
7 T Boyd
8 J F Harris
9 W Egan
10 J Ford
11 K Capewell
12 M Niukore
13 E Clark

14 S Healey
15 J Laban
16 D Vaimauga
17 L Halasima

2027

1 C N Klokstad
2 D W Zelezniak
3 R Berry
4 K Fatialofa
5 R T Sheck
6 L Metcalf
7 T Boyd
8 J F Harris
9 W Egan
10 M Barnett
11 L Halasima
12 J Laban
13 E Clark

14 S Healey
15 J Ford
16 D Vaimauga
17 M Gannon

I can't fault the thinking behind this team. BUT. RTS and DWZ won't be here and although Kayliss at centre does make sense, I want to persevere with Leiataua. Why? He's still young and needs more time. He's a specialist centre, whereas Kayliss would be a makeshift centre cum backrower. That's not to say Kayliss wouldn't work. Just that I think Kayliss would be a better second rower than a centre and I prefer specialists.

So, I'd put Mellars and Kali on the wings and Leiataua/Berry at centre. Other than that you have the team exactly how I'd have it. Although I'd prefer a different FB.

 

[Horriors2013]

I'm assuming that Khan-Pereira signs and we don't sign a big prop.

2026

1. CNK

2. AKP/KALI
3. LEIATAUA
4. BERRY
5. DWZ/MELLARS

6. LINNANE
7. METCALFE

13. CLARKE
12. HALASIMA
11. CAPEWELL
10. JFH
9. EGAN
8. BARNETT

14. FORD
15. LABAN
16. GANNON
17. NIUKORE
18. HEALEY

I think there's only one reason we're courting AKP - RTS wants to go to rugby369 and has requested early release if posdible. I think Mellars and Kali are only half a season away from being ready. Once DWZ dies off one of them will fill the gap. If we miss out on AKP RTS will have to stay or we'll cave and just start Mellars or Kali. I don't think we'll cave though. I think we'll get AKP.

 

[Horriors2013]

Man I thought signing CNK to a long-term contract was strange, but we must not see any viable FB options out there. Joe Ratcliffe is young. Jeremiah Le Mana is young. Both aren't yet ready. Taine's small. I feel like Taine's days are numbered and he'll get picked up in November by Superleague. I suppose I can put up with another year of CNk if we have to speedy wingers. But CNK/RTS/DWZ as a combo is not enough to match it with other top 4 teams.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Why do people think RTS will be gone next year? Rugby 350 is still in the concept stage and even if it goes ahead, the season starts in October next year, after the season finishes.

The organisers have also said players would be released for tests so you would think they would also be released for finals game next year if there was a clash.

Worst case he would request a release mid season?

 

[Playdaball]

Man I thought signing CNK to a long-term contract was strange, but we must not see any viable FB options out there. Joe Ratcliffe is young. Jeremiah Le Mana is young. Both aren't yet ready. Taine's small. I feel like Taine's days are numbered and he'll get picked up in November by Superleague. I suppose I can put up with another year of CNk if we have to speedy wingers. But CNK/RTS/DWZ as a combo is not enough to match it with other top 4 teams.

If CNK is one of the slowest fullbacks in the NRL now - that won’t change and he’ll only get slower

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I was quite stoked to see so many young guys getting a run this year - we were all aware Leka, Laban and Demi would get minutes this year but also seeing Healey, TSS and EIT get minutes was really cool.

Realistically, do we think we've got any young guys who will start to get a fair run or introduced next year?

Outside of Gannon, do we have any potential players getting 10+ games like TSS this year

 

[Noitall]

I was quite stoked to see so many young guys getting a run this year - we were all aware Leka, Laban and Demi would get minutes this year but also seeing Healey, TSS and EIT get minutes was really cool.

Realistically, do we think we've got any young guys who will start to get a fair run or introduced next year?

Outside of Gannon, do we have any potential players getting 10+ games like TSS this year

Fatialofa must be close to a debut?

 

[Theking267]

Fatialofa must be close to a debut?

Kali depending on his health. Salalilo, with Bunty, Ale & Crosby departing and no replacements coming in for those players.

 

[Noitall]

Kali depending on his health. Salalilo, with Bunty, Ale & Crosby departing and no replacements coming in for those players.

Wouldn’t mind seeing Salalilo add a few kgs in the offseason and I very much see him in the mould of Moses Leota

 

[Theking267]

Wouldn’t mind seeing Salalilo add a few kgs in the offseason and I very much see him in the mould of Moses Leota

He seems to be the next one up. Hopefully we don’t see Freddy Lussick playing middles this year in the NRL.

 

[Noitall]

He seems to be the next one up. Hopefully we don’t see Freddy Lussick playing middles this year in the NRL.

EIT was 18th man quite a number of times this season before his debut, haven’t seen Salalilo 18th man yet and Fatialofa got a couple at 18th man I think? If he has a big preseason, I think he must be knocking on the door

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Healey, Ieremia, and Stowers all had 43/44 reserve grade games before they made their debuts.

Ignoring the obvious fact that injuries played a part in them getting their debuts, I'm going to say that is the magic number and that Kayliss (36 games as of this weekend) will debut in Round 8 or 9 next year lol

 

[CWC]

I was quite stoked to see so many young guys getting a run this year - we were all aware Leka, Laban and Demi would get minutes this year but also seeing Healey, TSS and EIT get minutes was really cool.

Realistically, do we think we've got any young guys who will start to get a fair run or introduced next year?

Outside of Gannon, do we have any potential players getting 10+ games like TSS this year

I think Laban should be legit regular alongside Demi and Leka next year, Healey needs to share 1/3 of the workload for Egan either off the bench or starting and leave Egan out for conditioning

I'd prefer EIT to get the Leka/Demi treatment and get a regular spot on the bench or first drop forward depth either prop or 2nd row, did you see how fast he runs from marker to the 1st receiver

Fats probably get the EIT gig having random games in the back half of the season to cover injuries, we really need to demote or move on Marata

 

[Hitro]

I think Laban should be legit regular alongside Demi and Leka next year, Healey needs to share 1/3 of the workload for Egan either off the bench or starting and leave Egan out for conditioning

I'd prefer EIT to get the Leka/Demi treatment and get a regular spot on the bench or first drop forward depth either prop or 2nd row, did you see how fast he runs from marker to the 1st receiver

Fats probably get the EIT gig having random games in the back half of the season to cover injuries, we really need to demote or move on Marata

Agree - would be awesome to get a full season of Laban and Leka as our starting edges, easier to build combos around. Marata does become somewhat surplus if he's just a bench prop rotation.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

I think Laban should be legit regular alongside Demi and Leka next year, Healey needs to share 1/3 of the workload for Egan either off the bench or starting and leave Egan out for conditioning

I'd prefer EIT to get the Leka/Demi treatment and get a regular spot on the bench or first drop forward depth either prop or 2nd row, did you see how fast he runs from marker to the 1st receiver

Fats probably get the EIT gig having random games in the back half of the season to cover injuries, we really need to demote or move on Marata

EIT looks to have the goods for a long NRL career.

Just the fastness, mobility and speed he plays at while doing all the fundamentals well.