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

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

Hunt 450-500k(that’s what I’d pay) over BHU 700k any day.

 

[Leon Black]

Willison and Leo Thompson, go hard Cam, Cappy and Webby for future.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Willison and Leo Thompson, go hard Cam, Cappy and Webby for future.

Willison looks f**king huge, scary prospect to have him and Haas in the same team...

 

[WahsUltras]

Willison looks f**king huge, scary prospect to have him and Haas in the same team...

And Te Kura who’s bigger than NAS.

 

[Lance155]

Hunt 450-500k(that’s what I’d pay) over BHU 700k any day.

Think you need to look at the salary cap adjustments if you believe that is possible

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Willison looks f**king huge, scary prospect to have him and Haas in the same team...

199cm Willison & 205cm Te Kura at the bronx.
While we have 168cm Tevaga & 170cm Afoa

 

[CWC]

The IG is private so what’s happening there with Hunt?

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Wish any chat linking us to Sharks props would just piss off. Hunt is scraping the bottom of the barrel.

 

[Fizurg]

Wish any chat linking us to Sharks props would just piss off. Hunt is scraping the bottom of the barrel.

It’s wouldn’t be so depressing if we weren’t trying to fill an AFB sized hole in our squad.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

It’s wouldn’t be so depressing if we weren’t trying to fill an AFB sized hole in our squad.

Yeah but there’s so many better props out there than what the Sharks currently offer. Hunt is a low minute myth.

 

[Fizurg]

Yeah but there’s so many better props out there than what the Sharks currently offer. Hunt is a low minute myth.

It’s not like either of them are “the next big thing” they both have had substantial NRL careers now and never kicked on. We also can’t even claim that running off SJ will improve them as they have both played with him before.
To be fair it had never occurred to me that maybe SJ is involved in this decision. Maybe he’s confident with the right environment they could add a lot to the team.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

It’s not like either of them are “the next big thing” they both have had substantial NRL careers now and never kicked on. We also can’t even claim that running off SJ will improve them as they have both played with him before.
To be fair it had never occurred to me that maybe SJ is involved in this decision. Maybe he’s confident with the right environment they could add a lot to the team.

I just can’t see how any environment gets those two beyond low minute moderate-to-satisfactory impact props. And for that output you don’t pay near what the Warriors are rumoured to be offering BHU. Hunt is all talk, he embarrassed himself having a go at Corey Horsburgh last year. Horsburgh owns him every day of the week.

 

[Cces]

We also can’t even claim that running off SJ will improve them as they have both played with him before.

To be fair to BHU there is a case to be made to show he's better with SJ alongside him. 8 career tries with SJ from 39 games & just 6 tries in the 60 without him

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

To be fair to BHU there is a case to be made to show he's better with SJ alongside him. 8 career tries with SJ from 39 games & just 6 tries in the 60 without him

Interesting numbers, but then the same could probably be argued for just about any prop recruit if given the opportunity. I reckon if SJ had one winger outside him across his entire career then Ken Irvine’s record would have been broken already.

 

[Inruin]

Interesting numbers, but then the same could probably be argued for just about any prop recruit if given the opportunity. I reckon if SJ had one winger outside him across his entire career then Ken Irvine’s record would have been broken already.

And while having some tries to their name is great, I'm not signing props for their ability to do so.

 

[Fizurg]

And while having some tries to their name is great, I'm not signing props for their ability to do so.

It’s like having a prop who’s a drop goal specialist. It’s nice and all but if you aren’t making the meters up front there’s no room for you in the 17.
I remember SJ copping flack for not doing enough hit ups in the past. Last thing I want is SJ hitting the ball up.

 

[Wrighty]

Interesting numbers, but then the same could probably be argued for just about any prop recruit if given the opportunity. I reckon if SJ had one winger outside him across his entire career then Ken Irvine’s record would have been broken already.

You have posted before props you do recommend...one of them was T May. But don't you think he is an unlikely target to come here.
The reason for targeting Sharks props is they have one too many with AFB going there. Who is else is realistic on your list....I think you said Wiremu Grieg. He is on a three year deal to the end of 2026. Can you bump your post - perhaps I will use the search function for when you posted three weeks ago.

 

[Wrighty]

Without wanting to be greedy, I’d take Wiremu Greig, Leo Thompson & Griffin Neame. Oh & Xavier Willison will be a gun so grab him as well.

Here is your post -

Greig free in 2027
Thompson free in 2026
Neame free in 2026
Willison free in 2026

I mean we could try to get these guys to break their contracts...but surely we would have to really throw huge moolah at them to get them to leave their contract? And then the huge offer would make them not worth it??

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Here is your post -

Greig free in 2027
Thompson free in 2026
Neame free in 2026
Willison free in 2026

I mean we could try to get these guys to break their contracts...but surely we would have to really throw huge moolah at them to get them to leave their contract? And then the huge offer would make them not worth it??

Yeah agree, however I was intentionally limiting it to young Kiwi boys. There’s a stack of other props that I’d chase well ahead of Hunt & BHU. No idea who could potentially break a contract early, however clubs are always looking to shuffle the deck chairs to fix a problem.

 

[Fizurg]

Yeah agree, however I was intentionally limiting it to young Kiwi boys. There’s a stack of other props that I’d chase well ahead of Hunt & BHU. No idea who could potentially break a contract early, however clubs are always looking to shuffle the deck chairs to fix a problem.

Isn’t Hunt technically contracted as well? So if you’re not willing to discuss contracted players then he’s off the list too.
Truth is for the Warriors to sort their propping issues the answer pretty much has to come from a contracted player or get lucky with a rookie.
(I probably quoted the wrong post, I know you’re not arguing that we shouldn’t be discussing contracted players)