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

 

[tyrael]

Oh well

 

[Fizurg]

Pretty sure it can go up! There has been talk for years of making it so they can’t go up to stop people using compassionate grounds as a way to get a pay rise. It has all come to nothing….

Pretty sure from all accounts Walsh is still on his Warriors contract.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

I am sure AFB's contract with us will mean nothing to whatever team he is going to since we would be releasing him, rather than another team taking on his contract

In the Walsh situation, he is getting paid about the same as he was with us because that is all the Broncos could offer I believe; If Walsh had said he wanted to go the Dolphins, he would have gotten that upgrade

 

[Fizurg]

I am sure AFB's contract with us will mean nothing to whatever team he is going to since we would be releasing him, rather than another team taking on his contract

In the Walsh situation, he is getting paid about the same as he was with us because that is all the Broncos could offer I believe; If Walsh had said he wanted to go the Dolphins, he would have gotten that upgrade

As far as I know that’s not how it works. You can’t ask for a release and get a better deal for the time you are currently contracted for elsewhere.

 

[CWC]

Aussie clubs can always offer shares to bars and hotels as bonuses lol

 

[Fizurg]

Aussie clubs can always offer shares to bars and hotels as bonuses lol

Totally, and if they do it right it’s all perfectly within the rules.

 

[ROCCO]

If AFB heading to the Tigers then wouldn't mind a swap with Utoikamanu. If he off to the Dragons, Lawrie. But my dream would be Tapine!

 

[Up the guttz]

Pretty sure from all accounts Walsh is still on his Warriors contract.

Yep he is cause broncos were the only team we would release him to so they didn’t need to offer anymore

 

[WahsaurusRex]

As far as I know that’s not how it works. You can’t ask for a release and get a better deal for the time you are currently contracted for elsewhere.

But is that not exactly what Ryan Matterson did? He wanted a release from the Tigers, got it, and signed for more with the Eels, or Latrell Mitchell getting a release from the Roosters, and signing for 1M with the Rabbitohs?

If a player asks for and is granted a released, that's it, that contract doesn't exist anymore, and he can sign where he wants, and for however much he can get (edit: Is what I thought the deal is)

Someone will come in and tell one of us we are wrong soon though I am sure of it

 

[Up the guttz]

This article was from 2020 when the NRL was going to discuss not letting released player signing for more (funnily enough due to AFB coming to us for more).
I can’t find out anything else but I thought it ended up going nowhere

 

[Fizurg]

But is that not exactly what Ryan Matterson did? He wanted a release from the Tigers, got it, and signed for more with the Eels, or Latrell Mitchell getting a release from the Roosters, and signing for 1M with the Rabbitohs?

If a player asks for and is granted a released, that's it, that contract doesn't exist anymore, and he can sign where he wants, and for however much he can get.

Someone will come in and tell one of us we are wrong soon though I am sure of it

Yeah, i honestly wouldn't know. I thought it was quite a new thing put in place to stop things like the examples you used. You need to remember the NRL needs to register the contracts. So the teams and players can agree to what ever they like but tthe NRL has to sign off on it. It might just be a case by case basis with no set rules though?

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Going off the last few posts I believe it can't go up but teams could offer him extra years at higher rates making his average per year higher then his current deal.

That sounds suspiciously like a back-ended contract, which is a practice that the NRL have removed. The grey of the NRL.

 

[Noitall]

Nicholas Halalilo signed by rabbitohs. Started this season off in nsw cup for Warriors then went to aussie mid season.

 

[SJ2k]

Wonder if we could get an underhanded deal with the tigers. They give us Klemmer for 2024, paying enough freight for us to afford him and Capewell. That immediately puts us as fringe contenders and all but guarantees some finals footy for 2025. 2025 we guarantee 'em AFB and take over Klemmers contract in full.

2025 is likely a rebuild year for us anyway. losing AFB and potentially SJ/Tohu we can work on blooding more youngsters then the pathways kick in from 2026 and we try and mimic the broncos.

 

[Horriors2013]

Wreaks of desperation. Brisbane has better weather, cheaper houses, better beaches, better looking woman, easier travel, better bars, restaurants, vibes, just introduced 30k home grants and I don’t think the fucking tax is that much different.

Half of Nz has literally moved to Brisbane.

What a fucking loser.

I know he's stretching it but you have to read the room. He's basically telling us he's coming here without causing a media furore and breaching NRL rules. It's how media and PR is done these days. It's fucked up. But it is what it is.

 

[j_p]

That sounds suspiciously like a back-ended contract, which is a practice that the NRL have removed. The grey of the NRL.

From what I understand, you can still do them but there's a percentage limit on how much higher you can pay them in the later years?

 

[Aman 2.0]

I know he's stretching it but you have to read the room. He's basically telling us he's coming here without causing a media furore and breaching NRL rules. It's how media and PR is done these days. It's fucked up. But it is what it is.

He’s not breaching NrL rules. Broncos have had given Capewell permission to talk.

What George should say instead is “ we want winners, Capewell a winner so he’d be a welcome addition to our team. We want people that move tot his club to win, to rep the jersey and play for NZ and become a part of greatness when we win our first premiership”

 

[Fizurg]

He’s not breaching NrL rules. Broncos have had given Capewell permission to talk.

What George should say instead is “ we want winners, Capewell a winner so he’d be a welcome addition to our team. We want people that move tot his club to win, to rep the jersey and play for NZ and become a part of greatness when we win our first premiership”

As a fan I prefer what the club released.

 

[snake77]

On AFB. Seen a few people discussing how he'll get a pay rise out of it. Two thoughts on that.

1. Him seeing what he could get elsewhere and it being more than what he is on here would likely make moving even more enticing. So his chance of staying would diminish. I understand the request for a release was on compassionate grounds but as he's going through the process of finding a club it will be competitive so clubs will present a compelling offer. His family would also be used to a certain way of life, he will also be wanting to continue to earn as much as he can to help with his life after football.
2. If he gets a larger contract it puts more pressure on that clubs salary cap. To me that puts a bit more pressure on them where they may have to release players which could open up an opportunity either for us or through the market.

On a potential swap. I can't see that being initiated via the new club. Better to try and keep their player and AFB if possible. The player coming back would likely be lesser value as why get AFB then. Sure two players could be an option but that makes it harder as it would need two players wanting to move to New Zealand. Targeting potential players would more likely come from the Warriors and then flow through to the player being interested in coming over to New Zealand.

The player wanting to move is the most important thing as we don't trade players as ruthlessly as the American clubs.

More likely the club finds someone who is interested in coming here either off contract. Or as it is well known there is a large amount of cap space becoming available a player decides to take advantage of the opportunity and starts pushing their manager to look at the Warriors. Would still need to talk with their club for a release.

My main concern is we deal with this large cap space being freed up better than we did replacing Johnson.

 

[kos]

Wreaks of desperation. Brisbane has better weather, cheaper houses, better beaches, better looking woman, easier travel, better bars, restaurants, vibes, just introduced 30k home grants and I don’t think the fucking tax is that much different.

Half of Nz has literally moved to Brisbane.

What a fucking loser.

I take exception to that.
Brisbane has no beaches zilch zero just some mudflats and a garbage beach at Redcliffe.
Gold Coast does have beaches but 80 km away.
Brisbane weather in Autumn Spring and Summer is hot and uncomfortably humid- it takes years and years to get used to it.