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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No thank you to Crichton, we have better prospective juniors coming through, all we really need is another mid tier+ prop somewhere between AFB and Buntys level. Ideally would be Bunty if he can go to another level.
I like Bunty, but his ceiling has been reached.

We need a AFB replacement. Obvs we will not get the same but we need at least a rung down, like a prop from Newcastle, or one of the two Tiger's props.
 
Do we have any interest in Klemmer if he's sqeezed out of the Tigs?

Could see a world where the Dogs get AFB, taking them out of the Luai sweepstakes and letting Benji get him, and then Klemmer comes here (I would hope with the Tigers kicking in at least a bit)

There are Tigers/Knights props I’d want over Klemmer, but you could do a lot worse than him in replacing AFB.

Hes still only 29 somehow as well, so its not like we’d be bringing in some old fart that is just here to cash his cheques
 
I know there's not much floating around at the moment but I'm not really keen on Klemmer. Is it definite that AFB is leaving after next season? Originally the story was he would stay for 24' and then re-assess. Media are getting bored and are coming up with some random stuff. Maybe we should hold out signing some lump right now and when someone worth while comes along, or someone keen to enjoy the success of the Warriors wants to jump aboard, have a look then.
 
Risk vs reward doesn’t add up for a top 4 club.
If he played great he wouldnt change the team’s fortunes.
If his head wasn’t right it could effect the whole squad and turn us to a bottom 4 team.
I don't know if that's a fair representation of his issues tbh. He's got some issues that he's opened up about but they're his; he's not Matt Lodge or some other kind of locker room cancer.
 
I know there's not much floating around at the moment but I'm not really keen on Klemmer. Is it definite that AFB is leaving after next season? Originally the story was he would stay for 24' and then re-assess. Media are getting bored and are coming up with some random stuff. Maybe we should hold out signing some lump right now and when someone worth while comes along, or someone keen to enjoy the success of the Warriors wants to jump aboard, have a look then.
Agree - I'd be pretty disappointed to lose AFB and gain Klemmer. It sounds like there is going to be a bit of movement yet this offseason (if you believe the media hype), so likely someone else might get displaced or want out.
 
I wouldn't be opposed to Klemmer, he's a bigger body type and even tho age is catching up with him he still continues to make big meters with very few mistakes/errors in his game. However if he signed for 2025 he would be 31 before season even started so I'm not sure how much we would get out of him.

There's a few other players I'd prefer from them - Papalii, Utoikamano, even Blore - if the Tigers need to make room for Luai then they'll have to give us something we actually want
 
Klemmer is bog standard average these days. Sadly though he would probably be the Warriors second best prop behind AFB if he was playing for us. I wonder if Ipap would come back now the culture seems different. Doesn't his partner play for the silver ferns, so has to live in NZ?
 
Klemmer is bog standard average these days. Sadly though he would probably be the Warriors second best prop behind AFB if he was playing for us. I wonder if Ipap would come back now the culture seems different. Doesn't his partner play for the silver ferns, so has to live in NZ?

Mate where are you getting your information?
10th best prop for run meters this year, less mistakes and penalties than most props.

This is his worst year stats wise in at least 6 years, and he averaged 140m per game lol.

He would be the best prop at most teams, still a top 15 prop in the game easily.

If we could get him for next year that would be huge and I'd take him, if not I think id pass as he would be 31 at the beginning of 2025
 
Klem not my first choice but I would take him as long as injury free on the right price, enough go forward and mongrel to have a presence on the field and allows us to bring in the new blood.

Has represented state and country and played for teams under siege so is battle hardened

Not sure what price he comes in at ?
Def would not pay extra
 
I'm not sure why the Warriors are letting there be a "race" for AFB. He's contracted until 26 and will play for us next year. They should make it clear there are to be no discussions until the end of the 24 season, and if he doesn't want to stay, then we can talk about negotiating with other clubs for a release.

If we allow this circus to play out over the season it'll be a huge distraction for the team
 
I'm not sure why the Warriors are letting there be a "race" for AFB. He's contracted until 26 and will play for us next year. They should make it clear there are to be no discussions until the end of the 24 season, and if he doesn't want to stay, then we can talk about negotiating with other clubs for a release.

If we allow this circus to play out over the season it'll be a huge distraction for the team

I really highly doubt anyone has tabled offers to AFB, the whole "race for AFB" is just journos looking for something to talk about.

I don't think it is realistic to wait until the end of the next year and then release him if he is still unhappy, no team is going to keep over 1M to spend on one player for 2025 in October of 2024. The only time a 1 million dollar guy has made a switch like that is Latrell Mitchell, and that was off the back of cap exemptions for Inglis and Burgess leaving, and then it will be far more difficult to get anyone half decent to replace him

imo the best thing at this point would be for the club to find a player to bring in for 2025 ASAP, and once that is sorted, AFB can put pen to paper elsewhere. the blueprint has been set with CNK/Walsh.

I think it will be a circus if AFBs future team isn't sorted by the start of the season. Reporters will ask him about it every availability, and we'll be hearing "I am committed to the team for 2024, and we'll see what happens in the off-season" all year.

I jusy don't think there is any hope of changing his mind for 25 and beyond
 
I'm not sure why the Warriors are letting there be a "race" for AFB. He's contracted until 26 and will play for us next year. They should make it clear there are to be no discussions until the end of the 24 season, and if he doesn't want to stay, then we can talk about negotiating with other clubs for a release.

If we allow this circus to play out over the season it'll be a huge distraction for the team

Tricky times tho. If we wait until then, no one is going to be available for us to replace him with. Look at the end of this year moving in to 2024 - we desperately need a prop but there's f all available.

I'm hoping there's a massive deal in the works that involves a few clubs that gives us an option to sort this out before the start of the 2024 season - i.e either Dragons/Titans and us do
Fotueka > Warriors
AFB >Dragons
Hunt > Titans

Or Panthers/Tigers
Klem/Utoikamanu/Paps > Warriors
AFB> somewhere else
Luai > Tigers
(Obvs for 2025 as Panthers won't release Luai a year early)
 
I really highly doubt anyone has tabled offers to AFB, the whole "race for AFB" is just journos looking for something to talk about.

I don't think it is realistic to wait until the end of the next year and then release him if he is still unhappy, no team is going to keep over 1M to spend on one player for 2025 in October of 2024. The only time a 1 million dollar guy has made a switch like that is Latrell Mitchell, and that was off the back of cap exemptions for Inglis and Burgess leaving, and then it will be far more difficult to get anyone half decent to replace him

imo the best thing at this point would be for the club to find a player to bring in for 2025 ASAP, and once that is sorted, AFB can put pen to paper elsewhere. the blueprint has been set with CNK/Walsh.

I think it will be a circus if AFBs future team isn't sorted by the start of the season. Reporters will ask him about it every availability, and we'll be hearing "I am committed to the team for 2024, and we'll see what happens in the off-season" all year.

I jusy don't think there is any hope of changing his mind for 25 and beyond
I think it's very likely clubs have been chatting with his agent and throwing figures at them.

Remember the release request was leaked to the media for the Warriors and AFB supposedly didnt know how that happened.

Flannegan in particular looks quite shitty from all this IMO - 1. Refusing to realise Ben Hunt on compassionate grounds 2. Making public comment when the news broke how much they'd want 3. supposedly getting Tongan Dragons plays to talk to him about a release when in camp.

The Dogs are also a clean that will just find a way to make it happen≥
 
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