Recruitment Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
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-​	Player​	2024​	2025​	2026​
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

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)
2025 Off Contract: Shaun Johnson, Jazz Tevaga

 

[Noitall]

Listed doesn't mean much, Berry was listed as a fullback when he entered the competition.

I do think Graham-Taufa is far better on the wing but just commenting on what has happened so far with him playing 5/6 games at centre.
Defensively he has had some very poor reads the last few games I have watched.

Take a look at our team listings, Pompey has been 18th man a few times this season so we’re lacking another centre to go with Leiataua with Kosi unable to fill another role and Tu playing fullback this season away from his wing. Who knows, perhaps their thinking centre is where they see him? I personally think he’s just shifted to accommodate other players and perhaps brush up on defence?

 

[Damo]

Take a look at our team listings, Pompey has been 18th man a few times this season so we’re lacking another centre to go with Leiataua with Kosi unable to fill another role and Tu playing fullback this season away from his wing. Who knows, perhaps their thinking centre is where they see him? I personally think he’s just shifted to accommodate other players and perhaps brush up on defence?

I understand what you are saying, I agree he's a winger. I just disagreed that he had been shifting between wing and centre this season, as evidenced by the team lists.

 

[Noitall]

I understand what you are saying, I agree he's a winger. I just disagreed that he had been shifting between wing and centre this season, as evidenced by the team lists.

Reminds me a lot of Kayal Iro in stature, just think it’s the role of outside backs in this day and age to cover centres and wing. You’re right, centre has been where he’s been playing but with 5 good performances stats wise, have to wonder if there were other circumstances that led to his indifferent game yesterday. Must be very hard for the nsw cup team being chopped and changed each week, especially the spine

 

[hornbybrown]

I love Montoya but if we had a bit more pace on the wing on that side I think we would be a bit more potent.

Yeah this is where I’m at and why I think wing is a need.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Think Moala Taufa Graham is progressing nicely

I'm excited about Sio Kail. Needs some more meat on his frame. But from what we saw of him he's already a strong brute, Great step & fend.
Haven't seen him in space with room to show us his pace. But from all reports he has some toe.

 

[Uster101]

On Jack Williams - If you saw the Sharks Vs Souths game you would have seen Tom Burgess bowl Wiliams over when Williams tried to tackle Burgess. Then Williams went off with an injury. Not the sort of softie the Warriors should be even looking at !

 

[Dangerous]

On Jack Williams - If you saw the Sharks Vs Souths game you would have seen Tom Burgess bowl Wiliams over when Williams tried to tackle Burgess. Then Williams went off with an injury. Not the sort of softie the Warriors should be even looking at !

Not to mention his soft as knock from a pretty run of the mill tackle. He looked very average!!!! Not sure why we would b looking at Jack Willliams tbh we have better guys in cup & theyre not even going great at the moment

 

[Old Sid]

I found it very interesting to see Tof Siply (?) this week. He was very impressive. But, how long has it taken for him to have that kind of impact. When did he leave us. Must be 4 years?
Perhaps realistically we're looking at similar lengths of time for our young forwards to mature. Hope not given our major challenge for next year.

How long has Havili been away and just seems to be coming into his own. Many young ones have left to hardly being heard of again. The Storm even struggled with Eli Katoa last year even though he was a first-grader for us.

Hopefully Ale comes good next year given extra time on the field this year? Can Bunty still also raise his own effectivity bar?
Maybe we just have to trust that it takes time patience, hard work and lots of luck. One or possibly 2 at best out of 5 might make the grade.

 

[Worried2Death]

I found it very interesting to see Tof Siply (?) this week. He was very impressive. But, how long has it taken for him to have that kind of impact. When did he leave us. Must be 4 years?
Perhaps realistically we're looking at similar lengths of time for our young forwards to mature. Hope not given our major challenge for next year.

How long has Havili been away and just seems to be coming into his own. Many young ones have left to hardly being heard of again. The Storm even struggled with Eli Katoa last year even though he was a first-grader for us.

Hopefully Ale comes good next year given extra time on the field this year? Can Bunty still also raise his own effectivity bar?
Maybe we just have to trust that it takes time patience, hard work and lots of luck. One or possibly 2 at best out of 5 might make the grade.

No way we go into next year without signing a decent alpha prop, probably need two. As you say the next crop could take years to dominate consistently, including Ale and Sifakula, but they're both 2nd rowers/locks. Wiremu Greig's a good benchie, reminds me of Beastwood though, might have the wrong body shape for today's speed game.

 

[JaggedJ]

No way we go into next year without signing a decent alpha prop, probably need two. As you say the next crop could take years to dominate consistently, including Ale and Sifakula, but they're both 2nd rowers/locks. Wiremu Greig's a good benchie, reminds me of Beastwood though, might have the wrong body shape for today's speed game.

We might sign one mid level prop/middle. Doubt we sign two. Unless someone suddenly becomes available.

 

[Worried2Death]

We might sign one mid level prop/middle. Doubt we sign two. Unless someone suddenly becomes available.

Yeah that's what worries me, so it's Bunty, Barney, Marata, Jazz and maybe Mau'u and the new guy, who I hope is that guy from the pub, he sounds big.

 

[j_p]

and the new guy, who I hope is that guy from the pub, he sounds big.

Would automatically be the biggest player in the comp at 5x the size of Robinson.

 

[Worried2Death]

Would automatically be the biggest player in the comp at 5x the size of Robinson.

How big is robbo, he looked about 5 foot when he had his mohawk, including his hair

 

[JaggedJ]

Yeah that's what worries me, so it's Bunty, Barney, Marata, Jazz and maybe Mau'u and the new guy, who I hope is that guy from the pub, he sounds big.

Middle is middle these days and that includes lock.

Barnett
Niukore
Harris
Bunty
Ale
Zyon Maiu’u
Sifakula

Jazz is off contract and if we're looking at a guy like Williams I doubt we're looking to extend Jazz in a hurry.

I think 8 middles is about right for a squad of 30 so room for one more. It's just unlikely to be anything more than a mid level replacement.

 

[Worried2Death]

Middle is middle these days and that includes lock.

Barnett
Niukore
Harris
Bunty
Ale
Zyon Maiu’u
Sifakula

Jazz is off contract and if we're looking at a guy like Williams I doubt we're looking to extend Jazz in a hurry.

I think 8 middles is about right for a squad of 30 so room for one more. It's just unlikely to be anything more than a mid level replacement.

Do you think those 8 guys are a top 4 pack? Just doesn't look enough depth to me amid the current injury crisis. But Ale and the young rookies there might go next level in 2025, who knows.
For mine the solution is obvious, we bring home the two prodigal sons Sipley and Faitala-Mariner, they went away boys and return grizzled veterans ready for their shot at bringing that trophy home in webby's field of dreams, tell then something like that and give them 800K each for 3 years.

 

[Completion Rate]

Poach Cody Vai from the AB sevens, he'd be a deadly winger. Very rangey, good balance, good in the air.

 

[WahsUltras]

Surely Trey Mooney is worth a look as it's been mentioned a lot. He's been an absolute gun in cup and will continue to have limited opportunity when Whitehead re-signs.

 

[Worried2Death]

Surely Trey Mooney is worth a look at it's been mentioned a lot. He's been an absolute gun in cup and will continue to have limited opportunity when Whitehead re-signs.

It's hard to get Canberra players out from under Ricky's spell where they're all "one of us" and it hurts him too much when they go. They need deprogramming, it's like a cult, it's harder to rescue them from there than Gloriavale.

 

[Damo]

It's hard to get Canberra players out from under Ricky's spell where they're all "one of us" and it hurts him too much when they go. They need deprogramming, it's like a cult, it's harder to rescue them than Gloriavale.

Charnze might be able to snap him out of it, he's been saved by the Webbysiah.

 

[Mr Drag]

How big is robbo, he looked about 5 foot when he had his mohawk, including his hair

No more Mohawks!