Recruitment Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
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-​	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	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔	✔
10	Tohu Harris	✔	✔
11	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔	M
12	Shaun Johnson	✔
13	Edward Kosi	✔	✔
14	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔
15	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔
16	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔	✔
17	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔	✔
18	Te Maire Martin	✔	✔
19	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔	✔
20	Marcelo Montoya	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔	✔
23	Adam Pompey	✔	✔
24	Demitric Sifakula	✔	✔	C
25	Jazz Tevaga	✔
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔	✔
28	Dylan Walker	✔	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔
D1	Ben Farr	D
D2	Etuane Fukofuka	D
D3	Patrick Moimoi	D
D4	Tanner Stowers-Smith	D	D
-	Jett Cleary	-	D	D	D
-	James Fisher-Harris	-	✔	✔	✔	✔
-	Kalani Going	-	D
-	Motu Pasikala	-	✔	✔	✔

key: C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, D = Development contract

Confirmed Top 30 2024: 29/30
Confirmed Development 2024: 4/6

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 28/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 4/6

2025 Gains: James Fisher-Harris (Panthers), Jett Cleary (Panthers Pathways), Kahu Capper (Roosters Pathways)
2025 Losses: Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks), Jazz Tevaga (Contract Expired), Shaun Johnson (Retirement)
2025 Off Contract: Nil

 

[Dannevegas]

Attack wise would be better than Bunty. Don’t know about defence thou

 

[kos]

RFM has been away from Auckland for a while
Wonder if he wants to come back
Guess if he retains that 400 k a year for years it’s worth it
I could see Gould talking to some one at Nzw about a deal. Gould loves deals that cost his club money .. that is dead money

 

[Noitall]

I don’t know if RFM has Instagram but an account with his name just started following the wahs

He had no instagram page only a few days ago and what’s on the newly created one is all new Warriors pictures and videos. He’s definitely joining the club.

 

[Defence]

A dog made me brake today as it ran across the road. That is proof positive RFM is signing from the Dogs.

Ya know- ya could’ve just hit the gas….
If he’s coming for free it’s hard to knock back but Curran for rfm would be an off season signing spree to forget.

 

[Wellington Taniwha]

The NRL have a salary cap exemption when signing players from other sporting codes and overseas, hence some recent RU interest.
Maybe the Warriors could take advantage of this?

I wonder if Richard agar has any inside knowledge on good pins that might want a couple of years in Auckland. Hella lot warmer than north of England

 

[Vancent]

This one? Doesn’t look too public…?!

 

[Noitall]

View attachment 4383
This one? Doesn’t look too public…?!

All speculation at this point, one things for sure is that he won’t be at the bulldogs next year unless something drastic changes. Does the kiwi fruit under Sydney .30 mean his Kiwis representative number is 811 and the NZ flag his Warriors number 200?

 

[nzwarriorsfaithful]

It’s his actual account. Followed by bulldogs playwrs

 

[WahsaurusRex]

I don’t know if RFM has Instagram but an account with his name just started following the wahs

Hahaha, yesss this is the kind of dribble this thread is all about baby, hook it straight into my veins

Could just be this years Josh Kerr, but where is the fun in that.. Hope he sticks it out with the Dogs as long as possible to squeeze every cent out of em, or at least gets them to pay a huge percentage of freight wherever he goes, be that with us or someone else

 

[Dannevegas]

It’s his actual account. Followed by bulldogs playwrs

U sure, only 9 followers?

 

[nzwarriorsfaithful]

U sure, only 9 followers?

Followed by bulldogs players. They wouodnt follow a fake account

 

[sballer7]

Its not true till some random changes his wikipedia page.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

The more I think about it the more I’m open, even kinda happy with the idea of RFM coming to the Warriors. At the right price of course.

You would have to assume that we would get some freight right? Surely. Plus we would be in a very strong negotiating position, again assuming no one else wants him. So we can put all kinds of stipulations in his contract, so we don’t end up with a straight up dud. 2 years (current pay) with a 3rd club option with pay cut. Take it or leave it.

He’s not small, and looking at some of his game stats from 23 season, they’re not bad especially in the early rounds. The real question. Is he better than Bunty or more probably Tom Ale? You’d have to say yes. I understand the idea that he would probably block a young gun for a little while. But would he?

As long as he’s cheap, like 150-200k off our cap cheap. I say do it.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

It’s all fun and games until..



We aren’t that incompetent thankfully, at least not anymore.

Reaching here, but last time we switched a 'homesick' star player for a kicked-to-the-curb Kiwi, with a bit of an injury drama, it is safe to say we wound up pretty chuffed with it, so you never know lol

 

[Up the guttz]

we let Curren go so he didn’t block juniors. Why would we sign RFM??

Is RFM a junior? No
Is RFM better than Curren? No
Is RFM old? Yes
Is RFM injury prone? Yes
Does RFM come with unknown risk to team culture? Yes

It doesn’t add up to me but hey I was never the best at Math.

If he was coming I’d assume a Jurno would have mentioned it as they are currently all over this story. So far by all reports he has no interest from any NRL teams. If we suddenly jumped in that would ring alarm bells, why do none of the shit teams want him for cheap??

 

[Tookey 2.0]

we let Curren go so he didn’t block juniors. Why would we sign RFM??

Is RFM a junior? No
Is RFM better than Curren? No
Is RFM old? Yes
Is RFM injury prone? Yes
Does RFM come with unknown risk to team culture? Yes

It doesn’t add up to me but hey I was never the best at Math.

If he was coming I’d assume a Jurno would have mentioned it as they are currently all over this story. So far by all reports he has no interest from any NRL teams. If we suddenly jumped in that would ring alarm bells, why do none of the shit teams want him for cheap??

I guess it depends how you look at it. I don't believe the line about Curran blocking juniors and feel he was let go to try and balance the squad a bit more and get a decent prop. Now that AFB is leaving too, it changes the plan a little. I look at it as:
Can RFM play as a prop? Yes
Does RFM have experience to impart to our up and comers? Yes
Does he cost 300k less than Curran? Yes

In the next 3 years or so we'll likely be losing a lot of experience, I think it makes sense to have an older head in the background, a solid old head who has some mana and can give some consistency over the next 2-3 years which will have a heap of turn over and change.

When fit, RFM has always gone pretty good. Id back Webby to get a little more out of him than other coaches have, so there's a chance we get a decent forward for next to nothing. Worst case scenario we have him here for 2 years on bigger all money, and helps maintain team standards and culture as a leader. Very low risk, high reward scenario at best

 

[Drake_83]

we let Curren go so he didn’t block juniors. Why would we sign RFM??

Is RFM a junior? No
Is RFM better than Curren? No
Is RFM old? Yes
Is RFM injury prone? Yes
Does RFM come with unknown risk to team culture? Yes

It doesn’t add up to me but hey I was never the best at Math.

If he was coming I’d assume a Jurno would have mentioned it as they are currently all over this story. So far by all reports he has no interest from any NRL teams. If we suddenly jumped in that would ring alarm bells, why do none of the shit teams want him for cheap??

He was in out u20 squads 10 plus years ago, guess that kind of makes him a junior.

 

[Riz]

He was in out u20 squads 10 plus years ago, guess that kind of makes him a junior.

We traded him for fucking Shaun Lane!*

* He didn't actually fuck Shaun Lane...

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

we let Curren go so he didn’t block juniors. Why would we sign RFM??

Is RFM a junior? No
Is RFM better than Curren? No
Is RFM old? Yes
Is RFM injury prone? Yes
Does RFM come with unknown risk to team culture? Yes

It doesn’t add up to me but hey I was never the best at Math.

If he was coming I’d assume a Jurno would have mentioned it as they are currently all over this story. So far by all reports he has no interest from any NRL teams. If we suddenly jumped in that would ring alarm bells, why do none of the shit teams want him for cheap??

Look I get it bro, I do. But IMO there are more positives than negatives.
He was named as bulldogs club captain I doubt they would have done that lightly.
It is reported that pretty much all RFM did was take some other players grievances to the bulldogs management. (For the record, although ruthless. I kinda support the bulldogs crushing any chance of a rebellion) None the less, it would seem to me that RFM is the unwitting casualty of that scenario. And I dare say he won’t make the same mistake again with us…… Nothing a contract stipulation can’t fix.

Now, the thing with Josh Curran and RFM. I’d argue that RFM is more the body type we need, at half the price.
This is our window (apparently). SJ will probably retire at the end of the season, AFB is probably leaving and Tohu is getting old. This is it. No one is confusing RFM as the second coming of Jesus, but we need as stronger squad as we can this year and RFM is better than any of our juniors (Atm). We get an ok experienced forward for not much. If we have to pay more than half his salary then fuck that, then it’s a hell no. But bang for buck, come on guys be reasonable.

And we still have AFB’s money for 2025. Hopefully we get a good trade, I believe we will.

 

[Up the guttz]

I guess it depends how you look at it. I don't believe the line about Curran blocking juniors and feel he was let go to try and balance the squad a bit more and get a decent prop. Now that AFB is leaving too, it changes the plan a little. I look at it as:
Can RFM play as a prop? Yes
Does RFM have experience to impart to our up and comers? Yes
Does he cost 300k less than Curran? Yes

In the next 3 years or so we'll likely be losing a lot of experience, I think it makes sense to have an older head in the background, a solid old head who has some mana and can give some consistency over the next 2-3 years which will have a heap of turn over and change.

When fit, RFM has always gone pretty good. Id back Webby to get a little more out of him than other coaches have, so there's a chance we get a decent forward for next to nothing. Worst case scenario we have him here for 2 years on bigger all money, and helps maintain team standards and culture as a leader. Very low risk, high reward scenario at best

Curren on $700k ?????