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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Thanks for the response. We've seen Webby work some miracles with the players form, I'm just hoping we can grab the right battler and turn them into a startable prop.
Wonder if Ale could be the one that steps into the starting prop role, he’s roughly the same size as Moses Leota but with more ball playing ability. I like that all our props bar Bunty have second row/lock ability so have either footwork or ball playing to go with solid defence. Looking at Ale’s stats, although he played many more games this year than previous it was a breakout season for him. With another preseason behind him, he could really cement a spot in the 17 as a starting prop or bench prop/lock.
 
Wonder if Ale could be the one that steps into the starting prop role, he’s roughly the same size as Moses Leota but with more ball playing ability. I like that all our props bar Bunty have second row/lock ability so have either footwork or ball playing to go with solid defence. Looking at Ale’s stats, although he played many more games this year than previous it was a breakout season for him. With another preseason behind him, he could really cement a spot in the 17 as a starting prop or bench prop/lock.
Ale done much better in cup with the 13 on his back. Not sure if he was given a different role than at prop but his stats were much better
 
With the roster we’ve got I’d play Tohu and AFB as the starting and finishing ‘prop’ rotation. Jazz would start at 13 and swap for Walker at 30 mins.

Barnie and Ale/Bunty come on for the middle stint prop rotation.

Would be great to upgrade Bunty/Ale but hopefully they can upgrade themselves in the off season.
big call making Barnett a bench prop rotation, he's too experienced to be a bench player for me. If Barnett is not a starting prop then I would hope he's an edge back rower and maybe do the Tohu like Stint from edge to middle and bring Curran on.

Ale is an interesting one because I think he's been used wrong as a bench prop, even though he's had a few good games there. I feel like edge or lock should be his go?

8 A F Blake
9 W Egan
10 T Harris
11 M Barnett
12 M Niukore
13 D Walker

14 C H Tavita
15 T Ale
16 J Tavaga
17 J Curran

Ale and Walker team up middle, maybe start Ale?

Jazz covers Tohu in the middle?

But to be honest, tohu is one of the best lock forwards in the game, I don't think it's smart to do that to accommodate jazz. If anything jazz loses out alltogether like you have been saying this season and perhaps it's time for a young bull like Zyon Maiu’u
 
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Wonder if Ale could be the one that steps into the starting prop role, he’s roughly the same size as Moses Leota but with more ball playing ability. I like that all our props bar Bunty have second row/lock ability so have either footwork or ball playing to go with solid defence. Looking at Ale’s stats, although he played many more games this year than previous it was a breakout season for him. With another preseason behind him, he could really cement a spot in the 17 as a starting prop or bench prop/lock.
I hope so.
I’d like to see him get a little quicker which would make his natural footwork and ball skills all the more potent.
He could be that ‘explosive’ player coming off the bench for AFB 🤞🏾
 
Every AB wants to have a go at league when it’s contract time 🙄
But Ardie did say if he was to play NRL it would be for Storm or Roosters
He said that when we were 1000-1 to win a title. Huge fan of the Wahs, after this WC maybe?? Phenomenal player, played fullback in a club game in Wellington, multi skilled, speed and power.
 
I also have some hope that Sifakula will emerge as a genuine first grader this year
Definitely - having him show some of the aggressive form in NSW cup in top grade would be a awesome addition for us

Yep agree. He did it in May though so if his recovery goes well he should be well on the way back by christmas

August operation unfortunately, probably more like April >> https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2023/08/23/injury-report-barnett-and-tevaga-making-progress/
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Are all ACL surgeries the same? is it 6/7 months absolute minimum from the op? (not including conditioning etc). I see Williamson is back at the Cricket WC six months after rupturing his ACL. Understandably a pretty big difference from batting to taking carries in the middle in NRL.
 
I thought we should’ve stuck with Ale- gave us a better balance.
Can’t understand the calls to move tohu- he’s one of the best 13s in the world- some would argue THE best.
Hes got a special skill set that can’t be replaced- certainly not by jazz.
Don’t get too carried away with ‘move’

This year he started at 13 then mostly played prop

I’m suggesting we reduce his minutes and only play him as a ball playing prop
 
I thought we should’ve stuck with Ale- gave us a better balance.
Can’t understand the calls to move tohu- he’s one of the best 13s in the world- some would argue THE best.
Hes got a special skill set that can’t be replaced- certainly not by jazz.
Middle is essentially middle these days anyway.
 
Rumour Dept:
Will Curran be at the Warriors in 2024?
Is Coach Webster happy with his attitude?
I’m sure a lot of clubs would be keen on curran- if we could use his money to sign a specialist middle I’d pull the trigger on that.
Niukore, Barnett, Harris is a great backrow.
Slip ford in there if u want and we got a couple of young ones coming through.
 
Don’t get too carried away with ‘move’

This year he started at 13 then mostly played prop

I’m suggesting we reduce his minutes and only play him as a ball playing prop
No don’t like it sorry- it takes away one of our strengths and adds nothing.
A few less minutes is likely but no need to change his role while he’s out there.

Middle is essentially middle these days anyway.
So why change numbers?
Tohu plays a very different role to our props.
 
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