Recruitment Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
​

-​	Player​	2024​	2025​	2026​	2027​	2028​
1	Bunty Afoa	✔	✔
2	Tom Ale	✔	✔
3	Mitchell Barnett	✔	✔
4	The Greatest of All-Time	✔	✔	✔
5	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔	✔
6	Wayde Egan	✔	✔
7	Addin Fonua-Blake	✔
8	Jackson Ford	✔	✔
9	Tohu Harris	✔	✔
10	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔	M
11	Shaun Johnson	✔
12	Edward Kosi	✔	✔
13	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔
14	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔
15	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔	✔
16	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔	✔
17	Te Maire Martin	✔	✔
18	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔	✔
19	Marcelo Montoya	✔	✔
20	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔
21	Marata Niukore	✔	✔	✔
22	Adam Pompey	✔	✔
23	Demitric Sifakula	✔	✔	T
24	Jazz Tevaga	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔	✔
27	Dylan Walker	✔	✔
28	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔
D1	Ben Farr	D
D2	Etuane Fukofuka	D
D3	Leka Halasima	D	D	✔
D4	Patrick Moimoi	D
D5	Tanner Stowers-Smith	D
-	James Fisher-Harris	-	✔	✔	✔	✔

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: 26/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 1/6

2025 Gains: James Fisher-Harris (Panthers), Jett Cleary (Panthers)
2025 Losses: Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks)
2025 Off Contract: Shaun Johnson, Jazz Tevaga

 

[kos]

Cam George has just flown out to Australia for some non-disclosed reason. Who knows?

Meeting of club CEO s ( guessing a more likely reason)

 

[Playdaball]

Cam George has just flown out to Australia for some non-disclosed reason. Who knows?

Picking up more tracksuits?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I’d want an ironclad medical and Cows paying 50% each year to even consider it.

BUT. JT + BHU

 

[Noitall]

I’d want an ironclad medical and Cows paying 50% each year to even consider it.

BUT. JT + BHU

Risk of injuries for both but there’s an element of luck involved anyway, we lost AFB for most of the season not long after he signed with us. I’d be willing to pay $750-$800k per season to get him on the potential that Webster can get the best out of him, which I think he could with his approach polar opposites to Payten. AFB throughout his career has been a superior defender to Taumalolo but AFB had a career best average of 171m per game whereas twice in his career
Taumalolo has averaged over 200m per game. I think a defined role from Webster with a change of scenery could do wonders for him. I like the potential of this front row pairing if this happened.
Taumalolo
Egan
BHU
Capewell
Ford
Harris
would be a great pack for 2025 I reckon. I see SJ as the main ingredient to our premiership window and I think we’d still be in one for 2025 if he plays on and we had a pack like that. Hopefully we’re going for our second title.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

I’d want an ironclad medical and Cows paying 50% each year to even consider it.

BUT. JT + BHU

I want jt to go to the Dolphins.

 

[Noitall]

I want jt to go to the Dolphins.

I reckon there’s a strong chance that happens.

 

[Neo]

The problem with JT is that you are taking over a high priced contract that runs until 2027. You may get some value in the next couple of years but the length makes it a risky investment

 

[Fizurg]

The problem with JT is that you are taking over a high priced contract that runs until 2027. You may get some value in the next couple of years but the length makes it a risky investment

Totally, The value for the team when they sign a really long contract is that they get the early years as a bargain and then slowly you assume the contract slips to the players favour as players usually tend to lose value when they get older. The Cowboys have had the "bargain" years of the contract and are now stuck with the less desirable ones that will be harder to sell to a new team. I can see a scenario where its a staggered payout where the cowboys pay something like $100k of his contract the first year and then each year pay $100k more than the year before. Or something similar

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

Although Jason Taumalolo is far from done, his best days are well behind him.
I real question is how much? 5-550k on our cap I feel is acceptable, with the cowboys topping up the rest.
2025 will probably be algud, maybe even 26. But 2027 he’ll probably be a shell.

Another question is, how many older players will we (potentially) have in 2025 if we signed them all. Do we want that many?
Taumalolo, RTS, BHU, Tohu, Capewell, Barnett, Johnson, Walker maybe even Jazz (assuming we resign him)
By then CNK and DWZ will be turning 30. Bunty and Niukore will be 29.

That’s a lot…..

 

[Noitall]

2020 highlights: Francis Molo

Highlights from North Queensland Toyota Cowboys prop Francis Molo's 2020 season.

www.cowboys.com.au

Wonder if Francis Molo is someone we could look at? Certainly has a colourful past and can be good for a high shot but very physical and has an offload in his game.

 

[Bevosa]

Another question is, how many older players will (potentially) have in 2025 if we signed them all. Do we want that many?
Taumalolo, RTS, BHU, Tohu, Capewell, Barnett, Johnson, Walker maybe even Jazz (assuming we resign him)
By then CNK and DWZ will be turning 30. Bunty and Niukore will be 29.

That’s a lot…..

I'm assuming Webster is going after aging stars as he already knows who he will be replacing them with once our juniors come of age.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

I'm assuming Webster is going after aging stars as he already knows who he will be replacing them with once our juniors come of age.

Completely agree. I’m absolutely positive they’ll have a plan.
But that’s a lot of turnover, you’d have to pray that the majority of our juniors actually kick on.
That’s a big assumption btw, given the quality of the players they need to replace.

Of course we actually have to sign BHU and Taumalolo first.

 

[Noitall]

I'm assuming Webster is going after aging stars as he already knows who he will be replacing them with once our juniors come of age.

There’s no substitute for experience. When you look at the majority of the best performers last year, I reckon a majority have played multiple years in the nrl and nearing the 30 year old mark. It’s up to those younger guys to take it away from them, our young guys saw plenty of debutants last year so know there’s something to work towards.

 

[WA Warrior]

I really think Taumalolos body is starting to pay the price for being of the best forwards the game has ever seen.

I would like JT to stay at the Cowboys and get paid what he is owed. He has carried that team for 10 years. He was probably on unders the first half of the contract. Now I can see Payton agitating to get rid of him when he starts slowing down. Show some loyalty and look after the club legend that he is.

Also I like the fact it puts pressure on their cap. Makes their team weaker if they release/can’t resign star players.

 

[Noitall]

I really think Taumalolos body is starting to pay the price for being of the best forwards the game has ever seen.

I would like JT to stay at the Cowboys and get paid what he is owed. He has carried that team for 10 years. He was probably on unders the first half of the contract. Now I can see Payton agitating to get rid of him when he starts slowing down. Show some loyalty and look after the club legend that he is.

Also I like the fact it puts pressure on their cap. Makes their team weaker if they release/can’t resign star players.

Will be interesting to see the cowboys plan around Townsend too. With Ben Hunt keen to leave the dragons, I could see Flanagan and Townsend linking up again. Ben Hunt keen on a return to queensland but with Payten talking about the future with his captaincy choice, I reckon they could try out Clifford at halfback with Dearden five eighth? Interesting too because the dragons are chasing Luki and Finefeuiaki and I reckon cowboys would be keen to keep both? They’ve got a plethora of second rowers there but I reckon Finefeuiaki could transition to front row fairly effectively.

 

[Fizurg]

Im adding 2 + 2 and getting 5 here but having Taumalolo on the market drives down BHUs value a bit. BHU was the best of an average bunch. Now he’s second best.

 

[watcher]

Captaincy is just a title at the end of the day & has extra media responsibilities associated with it.
Campion lost the captaincy tag in 2002 and then Monty & Ivan had the C next to them when Stacey was unavailable. Stacey lost it to Monty the following year too

A mediocre or bad captain is just a tag. A good captain though adds a lot of value.

 

[Fufu]

Why would Taumalolo come here, I know its international footy but he's already declined NZ before to stick with Tonga.

Johnson gets us through 2024, will be replaced by CHT.
AFB gets us through 2024, will need to be replaced via recruitment.
Barnett gets us through 2025, can potentially be replaced in house by Zion.
Tohu gets us through 2025, probably needs a recruit.
Walker gets us through 2025, can be replaced in house (Jazz)or re-signed on the cheap.
Capewell gets us through 2026, definitely gets replaced in house.
RTS gets us through 2026, definitely gets replaced in house.

Im really confident in what Webby and the club are doing in terms of recruitment and pathways. Give it a good 3, 4 maybe 5 years and we will really start bearing the fruit of our Harold Matts, SG Ball and Flegg teams and then we wont have to worry about homesickness and all that rubbish. We will have homegrown players that want to be here and represent. We should be drip feeding these guys first grade over the next 3 years and hope that by season 2027 which is 3 full seasons away, we have at least 5 or 6 or hopefully more of those pathways graduates as part of our starting 17.

 

[cock_o]

Why would Taumalolo come here, I know its international footy but he's already declined NZ before to stick with Tonga.

Johnson gets us through 2024, will be replaced by CHT.
AFB gets us through 2024, will need to be replaced via recruitment.
Barnett gets us through 2025, can potentially be replaced in house by Zion.
Tohu gets us through 2025, probably needs a recruit.
Walker gets us through 2025, can be replaced in house (Jazz)or re-signed on the cheap.
Capewell gets us through 2026, definitely gets replaced in house.
RTS gets us through 2026, definitely gets replaced in house.

Im really confident in what Webby and the club are doing in terms of recruitment and pathways. Give it a good 3, 4 maybe 5 years and we will really start bearing the fruit of our Harold Matts, SG Ball and Flegg teams and then we wont have to worry about homesickness and all that rubbish. We will have homegrown players that want to be here and represent. We should be drip feeding these guys first grade over the next 3 years and hope that by season 2027 which is 3 full seasons away, we have at least 5 or 6 or hopefully more of those pathways graduates as part of our starting 17.

He will be chasing a couple of primeships

 

[Noitall]

Johnson gets us through 2024, will be replaced by CHT.
AFB gets us through 2024, will need to be replaced via recruitment.

I just can’t see SJ giving it away if we’re pressing for a title still and a serious injury hasn’t occurred, why would you when that’s what you play for? Plus the fact he’s playing on a reduced salary to what he could attract elsewhere says he’s here for a title. I don’t believe losing AFB closes our premiership window either, I believe losing SJ does.