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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14 Walker (game changer - Jazz backup)
15 Barnett (prop/ 2nd row cover - Ale, Bunty backup)
16 Reserved for forward development (Sifakula, Laban, Zyon Maiu’u, etc approx 8 games each)
17 CHT (backup TMM, Metcalf or Lussick) partner Walker as mobile game changers and back injury cover.
Curren was directly taking the juniors position. 1 to many first grade quality players once Ford showed his worth.

It’s best for Currens career and our juniors development if he’s released.
 
Think we remember Curran being great in last year's bad year and we remember his couple of great games this year.

While he has a lot of potential I'm certain that he didn't really fit with Webbys plan.

I thank him for his service to the jumper but look forward to the cap space we get.
 
I think it's a disaster. Curran is not a bench player and showed his wares at the end of the season. I'd keep him over the too emotional mistake ridden Ford.
Think it’s best to trust the coach and staff as they’re privy to much more than the fans are. With Bunty in the same position as Curran I think it’s all designed to strengthen our roster, should wait and see what the plan is.
 
Two trains of thought on Josh Curran
1.The dynamic backrower who had a great 2022 season and who seemed to offer something extra ball skills wise and gap running than our current crop

Or

2. The backrower who couldn’t quite realise his potential and is now sitting behind a handful of big effort back rowers with exciting and high ceiling backrowers now on his tail on less $$

I remember when Wayne Bennett was in his first stint at the Broncos and he had a knack of letting go players at the right time - sometimes what looked to be head scratching decisions , but he’d be proved right.
 
Warriors will be looking to develop and debut/give time to at least 3 - 5 development players into the NRL next year.

This is the Brisbane Broncos model and Panthers established their team off this model too.

Bit of a head scratcher that we didn't do more of that this year then? Maybe you need to win before you start getting too cute, but it just seemed we missed an opportunity to give Ale a little more time, including finals experience this year, as well as a Zyon Maiu’u or Laban 3-5 games each this year, then another 5-10 next year.

How good would it be going in to the 2025 season with Ale having 45+ games and 2 finals series under his belt, with Zyon Maiu’u and Laban having 15 games each, 1 finals series and 2 full preseasons with the first grade team.
 
Bit of a head scratcher that we didn't do more of that this year then? Maybe you need to win before you start getting too cute, but it just seemed we missed an opportunity to give Ale a little more time, including finals experience this year, as well as a Zyon Maiu’u or Laban 3-5 games each this year, then another 5-10 next year.

How good would it be going in to the 2025 season with Ale having 45+ games and 2 finals series under his belt, with Zyon Maiu’u and Laban having 15 games each, 1 finals series and 2 full preseasons with the first grade team.
I think we essentially did give a bunch of rookie games to Metcalf, Berry, Sifakula and Leiataua. Even Going and Roache technically. The first two have unique circumstances due to COVID, injuries etc. But still gave a good chunk of game time to relative rookies.
 
Bit of a head scratcher that we didn't do more of that this year then? Maybe you need to win before you start getting too cute, but it just seemed we missed an opportunity to give Ale a little more time, including finals experience this year, as well as a Zyon Maiu’u or Laban 3-5 games each this year, then another 5-10 next year.

How good would it be going in to the 2025 season with Ale having 45+ games and 2 finals series under his belt, with Zyon Maiu’u and Laban having 15 games each, 1 finals series and 2 full preseasons with the first grade team.
I think the Warriors decided to go the ultra safe route and build a squad that competes and wins.

You can see that with the forward pack. It was downsized so much that Webby knew he would have a conditioned pack that could last 80 and therefore always be in the contest.

Where they got hurt in the end is they lacked the size to handle packs like the Broncos and the Panthers and ended getting blown apart in the middle.

We also lacked any game breakers who could win a game out of nowhere like a Walsh/Farnworth/Staggs/Cobbo/Mam/Haas/Fleger

Warriors have some of those types of players coming through but you must expect a 3 year development path from NRL debut.

Warriors have done pretty well but to win it they to lose some players/average fillers and bring through the next generation.
 

This was only a few weeks ago so something must have changed. If there’s any truth to giving Blake a lifeline all I can think of is they want an experienced centre in the squad after reading there was a role for Williame in 2024 before his retirement. That’s the only thing that’s happened recently that could make it plausible. Doesn’t fit Webster’s type though with such a poor tackling efficiency, fast though.
There no truth to it. Fox said we “needed” to sign him for this year in the preseason too. Like he was the missing ingredient to getting us a premiership. They really seam to have an agenda with Waqa to the Warriors
 
There no truth to it. Fox said we “needed” to sign him for this year in the preseason too. Like he was the missing ingredient to getting us a premiership. They really seam to have an agenda with Waqa to the Warriors
I tend to think it more to do with ignorance as we are outside their Sydney bubble. The writer was probably busy at a West Tigers lunch.
 
Really relieved to see that, Marata is the only one that never lived up to expectations IMHO.
Josh got a rev up and then came back better, Marata just seemed to be doing as little as he could to keep his spot.
I'd be giving Jazz that same rev up but with him it's likely he'd boot himself up the arse.
 
Really relieved to see that, Marata is the only one that never lived up to expectations IMHO.
Josh got a rev up and then came back better, Marata just seemed to be doing as little as he could to keep his spot.

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
 
The more I look at our bench options the more I think Jazz and Bunty don’t fit.

That same bench with a big junior forward instead of Jazz balances size, skill set, positional cover and provides development.

14 Walker (game changer - Jazz backup)
15 Barnett (prop/ 2nd row cover - Ale, Bunty backup)
16 Reserved for forward development (Sifakula, Laban, Zyon Maiu’u, etc approx 8 games each)
17 CHT (backup TMM, Metcalf or Lussick) partner Walker as mobile game changers and back injury cover.

Assume injury will give lots of opportunities for depth players.

Jazz costs a bit too I guess? I wonder if it's worth keeping him in the reserve as depth. Loan him to Super League for a year, does that relieve the cap? lol

The team was gun when we had Walker, Barnett and Curran off the bench

Size matters. lol
 
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