Recruitment Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
key: T = Team option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, D = Development contract

Confirmed Top 30 2024: 28/30
Confirmed Development 2024: 5/6

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 25/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 1/6

2025 Gains: Nil
2025 Losses: Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks)
 
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Really?
I thought he was awesome for us this year, gave us a real hard nosed approach, hit like a truck in attack and defence.
He had some REALLY good games this year, and some where he was quieter. I don't recall him having a bad game or 'doing as little as possible' though.

Imo very much in the mould of Melbourne Storm's Jeremy Smith in the early 2000s, real professional and hard guy who does the basics well, won't set the world on fire, but is a vital cog to his team's success
I thought so too. He’s not the type of player to pump out 150m and 40 tackles a game but he gives us a hard edge which we have lacked recently. His stats might not be great but they don’t show intensity and fear factor for the other team.
The Fifita square up was one of the best moments of the season haha
 
Hard to say, does Curran have any incentive to tell him the truth when he's on holiday, or while his agent is negotiating with other clubs?
Yeah context is important.

Butch: Josh mate there are stories you are leaving!
Curran: Butch, I can't say too much but at this stage I'm signed with the Warriors for the next couple of years.

Butch on Facebook: Josh is staying with the Warriors for the next couple of years!!
 
I'm always sceptical of the statements from players. You often hear I'm not going anywhere and there is no truth to the rumours, then there is an announcement they are leaving.

Wade McKinnon back in the day was definitely not leaving. He ended up moving on to the Tigers. The club he was definitely not going to and wasn't sure where the rumours came from.

Sometimes the answers are genuine and the player isn't going anywhere. We had an example on here last season with a player coming here. So they can also end up generating momentum and the players is genuinely confused on where they came from.

The deal may also end up falling through so they may not end up moving on.

I don't blame the players as there would be confidentiality clauses in some cases when the deal is getting done. Or it would look bad to some fans to say they are leaving and it falls through and play out their contract. They are in a difficult position needing to secure their futures and other elements we are not privy to.

It also pays to not get too excited with rumours of players from other clubs coming here. We have got excited in the past due to offers and the player in question re-signs with their current club or goes elsewhere.
 
Really?
I thought he was awesome for us this year, gave us a real hard nosed approach, hit like a truck in attack and defence.
He had some REALLY good games this year, and some where he was quieter. I don't recall him having a bad game or 'doing as little as possible' though.

Imo very much in the mould of Melbourne Storm's Jeremy Smith in the early 2000s, real professional and hard guy who does the basics well, won't set the world on fire, but is a vital cog to his team's success
Actually, on reflection he was great until the (bullshit) suspensions. Maybe he modified his game so as not to get suspended. However, watch his last few games and compare them to beginning of season.
 
Yeah context is important.

Butch: Josh mate there are stories you are leaving!
Curran: Butch, I can't say too much but at this stage I'm signed with the Warriors for the next couple of years.

Butch on Facebook: Josh is staying with the Warriors for the next couple of years!!
He’s gone.
Yes, he may have 1 year left but he’ll attract interest from other NRL clubs.
 
When Curran first arrived I remember his first few game were full of mistakes and dropping off tackles as he tried too many big hits. He looked good in the Indigenous game at the start of 2020 but then ended up well out of shape. If he left then it wouldn't of really raised any eyebrows.

He turned things around by improving his fitness but would still tend to drop off tackles. He had limited game time this year but looked to be becoming more of a developed player. One of the few that have improved here. If he leaves the next club will probably get his best years if he continues to train hard. Also dependent on choosing the right club.

The club well more so management have hinted next year would be their tilt at a premiership. I hope any off season moves improves our chances instead of huts them. Similar to how a certain move in the 2019 off season didn't help us following up from 2018.

Having Curran a reasonably experienced player helps our depth especially covering injuries and suspensions.

If he stays we keep the depth. If he leaves I'll be keen to watch him and see how he goes. But if he does move hopefully the club makes the right moves with how they manage the roster to build on 2023. Either promoting someone, rebalancing the positions, signing someone.
 
It's really not a good move for a player to say "Yeah, I'm looking around for another deal." If they end up seeing out their last year at the current club, it just shows that the player's not really that keen to be there and all the fans can hope for is that the quality of the player's performances can't be best illustrated by a photo of that player with his phone pressed to his ear (Mr Maloney was accused of that in 2012).

The only way to deal with the "looking for another club" situation is either to say nothing or to pretty quickly announce "Player A is beside himself with joy to announce a (whatever years length) extension to his current Warriors contract." Player A admits he had flirty eyes from Trent, Craig and Wayne but the wife/family are settled in Auckland etc the Warriors are going on to do great things (and, yep, we actually damn well might be!! :) ) etc.

Don't insult the fans intelligence by denying you were interested in anyone else when you were thinking "Hmmm, I think I'd like that..."

I forget who it was, but a Dragons player was interviewed during the season and almost literally said "I didn't really want to come here."

Gee, thanks, pal.
 
I know it's super unrealistic but would love us to make a play for Jason taumalolo surplus to needs at the cowgirls and would be a good fit in our squad.
 
Think that was Moses Suli.
RTS didn't want to come here in 2024 either!

change is awkward and stressful. Weighing up life's next steps are big decisions with many layers of knock on effects/opportunity costs. I think we can afford players a little bit of leeway when it comes to expressing themselves during these periods.
 
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