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

 

[John Nick]

Too right. And don't underestimate the general lure of Australia. It isn't just sportspeople who go there for job opps. Auckland or Christchurch in July just don't have the same appeal as Sydney, Melbourne, or the Gold Coast.

TBF it's not fair to compare an up and coming potential NRL player to the average family wanting to move to places like the Gold coast.
Things are tough there for the average person.
Two tent cities for the homeless unfortunately

 

[El Chuckie]

TBF it's not fair to compare an up and coming potential NRL player to the average family wanting to move to places like the Gold coast.
Things are tough there for the average person.
Two tent cities for the homeless unfortunately

That right? Don't know much about the place other than a lot of NZers head there.

 

[John Nick]

That right? Don't know much about the place other than a lot of NZers head there.

I lived there for 23 years and that's a while ago .The place has changed so much. Surfers was the main attraction.
People avoid Surfers now.
Not much different to Auckland CBD
.

 

[Defence]

Best front row in the comp?

www.thekennel.net.au

Does Niukore at prop move us up the list?

If we can’t replace afb we go from 7th to 17th real quick.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

PNG bid is as bogus as hell. PM Albo was salivitating over the Kumuls when they played the PM 13 invitational last year, some of the most pathetic commentary of league I have ever seen. Simply a move to get PNG onside, would be a disaster sending NRL teams to a country which isn't that far off a warzone every couple of weeks.

Players struggle to move to Auckland, let alone Port Morsby, I have major doubts about a PNG franchise.

 

[Pop Dukez]

TBF it's not fair to compare an up and coming potential NRL player to the average family wanting to move to places like the Gold coast.
Things are tough there for the average person.
Two tent cities for the homeless unfortunately

Sheesh…. I never liked the Goldie, whanau & friends all over Aussie. I liked north Brizzy though and Newy……didn’t know GC had tent cities there now, skid row Aussie style doesn’t sound crash hot….the influx of fentanyl etc and they’ll be up there with Kensington, Philadelphia too. Terrible.

 

[John Nick]

Sheesh…. I never liked the Goldie, whanau & friends all over Aussie. I liked north Brizzy though and Newy……didn’t know GC had tent cities there now, skid row Aussie style doesn’t sound crash hot….the influx of fentanyl etc and they’ll be up there with Kensington, Philadelphia too. Terrible.

PS I haven't seen it for myself since 2019 but a mate of mine who has offices in Surfers is getting out of them because of the grottiness of the place.
He is looking to move to Broadbeach.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Too right. And don't underestimate the general lure of Australia. It isn't just sportspeople who go there for job opps. Auckland or Christchurch in July just don't have the same appeal as Sydney, Melbourne, or the Gold Coast.

Melbourne in July?? No thanks.

 

[SBW1]

Brisbane doesn't really have beaches unless you include SouthBank which is a manmade beach for cooling off near the Brisbane River. There might a few that are beaches nothing great. The Dolphins which sometimes share their homeground with the Sunshine Coast and possibly will in the future probably offer a better lifestyle than the GC. Lots more crime on Goldie and opportunity for players to get in trouble.

 

[John Nick]

Melbourne in July?? No thanks.

Or Steak,n..

 

[Noitall]

If we can’t replace afb we go from 7th to 17th real quick.

You think AFB/Niukore lifts us higher than 7th with AFB/Barnett as listed?

 

[Defence]

Tent cities on the gc? I mustn’t get out much.
If u were gonna be homeless it’s the perfect spot though- good weather year round, free showers and bbqs by the beach….
Last time I was in Auckland I made the mistake of giving a homeless guy (obviously suffering from mental illness) a meal from Burger King and it got a bit scary tbh- homeless people come from everywhere- i only had a bit of lose change so handed that over but they hassled me all the way to the casino- it was full on.

 

[Defence]

You think AFB/Niukore lifts us higher than 7th with AFB/Barnett as listed?

I thought the muss was the better option there but Webby obviously preferred Barnett.
I definitely think we need to get more out of Marata for the money he’s on.

 

[Noitall]

I thought the muss was the better option there but Webby obviously preferred Barnett.
I definitely think we need to get more out of Marata for the money he’s on.

I’d like to see him spend the year getting accustomed to the role before JFH joins him.

 

[Noitall]

Sorry I was meant to put , I haven’t heard anything. That’s pure hope.

 

[Tonbridge(aka Swanley)]

I lived there for 23 years and that's a while ago .The place has changed so much. Surfers was the main attraction.
People avoid Surfers now.
Not much different to Auckland CBD
.

I went there once on holiday...I was shocked, the whole place feels transient and there were a lot of homeless around. Not the tourest mecca I was expecting.

 

[kos]

PS I haven't seen it for myself since 2019 but a mate of mine who has offices in Surfers is getting out of them because of the grottiness of the place.
He is looking to move to Broadbeach.

Live on the Gc
There is a little tent city south of Coolangatta Airport terminal
There s not a second tent city I m aware of. But there maybe
There’s a few people living in tents in the scrub and adjacent car parks at Main Beach/ Spit but they seem to be foreign back packers or domestic travellers
Tents bit risky…. Snakes and now imported fire ants on the march
Surfers only time I go there is for work purposes lot of empty shops last time walked round there few months back

Just like Nz the cost of real estate to buy and rent is a huge issue

Aus has imported 500000 extra people this year there was a housing issue before these 500 k and now it’s worse … certainly not building enough… and on the Gc half the builds are high end pricing only available to v wealthy folk. Severe lack of affordable housing.

I was in a couple of coastal near coastal towns on Monday in Northern Nsw - rents two to three k a week all houses over 1.2 mill certainly pushed up a bit by holiday season but….

Byron bay now the highest per centage of rough sleepers in the whole of Australia

It’s easy to fail in Aus and the govco support is not as good as Nz.

There is still good opportunities here but the Gold Coast and Northern Nsw are risky … Brisbane and West Australia are better bets to reduce risk

 

[Akkerz]

So as I understand the present situation my first holiday in 4 years shouldn't be on the Gold Coast. . Used to go over every year or so but wasn't anything like what I'm reading on here. L A yeah well that's a different story

 

[kos]

So as I understand the present situation my first holiday in 4 years shouldn't be on the Gold Coast. . Used to go over every year or so but wasn't anything like what I'm reading on here. L A yeah well that's a different story

No mate if you like the coastal vibe and enjoy the beach still a great place for a holiday
Surfers as John Nick said is getting tatty holiday south of there anywhere between Broadbeach to Coolangatta.

 

[Horriors2013]

I guess time will tell with the Capewell thing. A successful team needs a good leadership group......he fits that bill i suppose.

For mine tho doesnt address the imminent AFB departure and the chasm that will leave, and i do a get a bit of Ryan Hoffman vibes about him.....hopefully he has a bit more impact on an edge than Hoffman did......who knows, if he signs tho ill be all in.

Fair call. Not a like for like. He's a bit of a journeyman. Solid but not spectacular. I wouldn't have him and Ford on at the same time unless we're committed to a grinding phase. I'd want Niukore to compliment him. 80 minute player can be handy though. Having an abundance of those this year helped.

We still need a big bopper with experience. I'm sure we're lining up JFH, Leota or Tapine. Or even NAS. I'd be planning a big offer for either of those. Penrith can't hold on to both for much longer surely. Raiders probably can afford Tapine, especially with Paps retiring. NAS I reckon might want to move to progress further. I think he's stagnated lately - although he was mean v Australia.