Recruitment Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
​

-​	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

 

[sup42]

Any interest in grandad JWH before he retires to his roogbah league rest home up in pommyland?

Not for mine.
The Roosters would have drained the last drop there.
Also I dunno if he would be good for the culture of the club.

 

[Five&Last]

The more I watch Paul Roache, the more I think he’s a dummy half like his brother. Seems hard to stop close to the line. Got a good try in the trial and another in the NZa game in similar fashion. Passing looks fairly decent too.

I seriously doubt Fukofuka is still considered a hooker as well. Guy looked like a prop on the weekend.

Probably has good potential as a ball-playing lock now.

Wonder if he’s still developed his kicking game, as that was a huge point of difference for him as a prospect imo.

Wonder if we have the first prop/lock who also takes the 5th tackle kicks and goal kicking.

 

[Billyspleen75]

I seriously doubt Fukofuka is still considered a hooker as well. Guy looked like a prop on the weekend.

Probably has good potential as a ball-playing lock now.

Wonder if he’s still developed his kicking game, as that was a huge point of difference for him as a prospect imo.

Wonder if we have the first prop/lock who also takes the 5th tackle kicks and goal kicking.

I'd be incredibly surprised if they intentionally nullified his dummy half skills. That's one of the positions we really struggle to develop.

I think he will head towards the lock/hooker #14 hybrid role though, like Havili or if Jazz could pass.

 

[WahsUltras]

actually news on that front has been reeeaaal quiet lately.

Todd Payten recently said he’s not going anywhere and will see out the remaining years of his contract…

 

[Noitall]

Todd Payten recently said he’s not going anywhere and will see out the remaining years of his contract…

Would assume that Leilua gone gives them the money to keep Luki and Finefeuiaki, but with Leilua offered to other teams by the cowboys for a while it would be interesting to know if they contribute to his dragons salary? Would imagine the raiders interest went after CHN is cleared to come back and the medical retirement the raiders were seeking never eventuated which would have seen Leilua as his replacement.

 

[Up the guttz]

Imagine turning down $700k to be the pack leader of a mighty premiership winning team, to instead play NSW cup for a lot less money.

 

[SJ2k]

Think we're all agreed he was not the ideal choice, but he was the best available for 2025. Unfortunately looks like 2025 might be a quick rebuild year if we can't land a true veteran prop. The young boys are looking great, but will still be way too young to carry the middle. By 2026 they should be ready, especially if they end up having to play a lot in 2025. We're likely losing Tohu and SJ for 2025 so it'd be a good opportunity to re structure our cap to setup for 2026 - 2030 run.

There's a lot more talent available for 2026 if we're cashed up.

 

[Dantheman]

Think we're all agreed he was not the ideal choice, but he was the best available for 2025. Unfortunately looks like 2025 might be a quick rebuild year if we can't land a true veteran prop. The young boys are looking great, but will still be way too young to carry the middle. By 2026 they should be ready, especially if they end up having to play a lot in 2025. We're likely losing Tohu and SJ for 2025 so it'd be a good opportunity to re structure our cap to setup for 2026 - 2030 run.

There's a lot more talent available for 2026 if we're cashed up.

Pretty sure Tohu has signed on for the 25 season as well.

 

[Teets]

Take it with a grain of salt but I was chatting with a relative of Xavier Willison end of last year and I actually asked if they thought he'd consider coming to the Warriors.

They said he was pretty fiercely loyal to the Bronx because of how loyal they were to him through his development and injuries so they thought it unlikely he'd leave by choice.

 

[Fizurg]

Reece might demand highest contract in comp now, I think Cleary and Ponga are on upwards of 1.3 mil, he could be the first 1.5 million dollar man.

Broncs can't keep them all, mind you his bff Sam Walker at the chooks could be a draw there too, that's the bones of a premiership spine for a decade. Fuck knows how the Roosters could afford him but we all know they can.

Roosters have a bunch of highly paid players leaving next year. It will be the one year where i wont be giving them sideways looks as they sign every gun player on the market.

 

[~Navigator~]

while it would be interesting to know if they contribute to his dragons salary?

I read that the Cowboys have paid him for the last 4 months as the contract started in November, so the Dragons get him discounted for the first year.

"It’s a win for the Dragons because North Queensland have already paid Leilua for four months of this calendar NRL season which means the Red V will only pay a tick over $500,000 for Leilua this season."

Hoops: How Flanno’s $600k move for rising Cowboys star helped seal Leilua switch

Hoops: How Flanno’s $600k move for rising Cowboys star helped seal Leilua switch

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[JaggedJ]

Take it with a grain of salt but I was chatting with a relative of Xavier Willison end of last year and I actually asked if they thought he'd consider coming to the Warriors.

They said he was pretty fiercely loyal to the Bronx because of how loyal they were to him through his development and injuries so they thought it unlikely he'd leave by choice.

This is how clubs like the Broncos and Roosters work (and to be fair, any well run club). They create almost a cult like mentality. Can guarantee they weren't fiercely loyal to the kids with half his talent, but they would have reminded him weekly how loyal they were to him.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

actually news on that front has been reeeaaal quiet lately.

Lol you have no idea

 

[Barty]

Looking at the Sharks roster moving forward, and in particular their middle forwards. They appear to have a lot for next year at least. I see

Oregon Kaufusi has a MO for next year. Could he be a target? I've never really taken an interest in him, but was born in Auckland?​

 

[Canadian_Warriors_Fan]

Looking at the Sharks roster moving forward, and in particular their middle forwards. They appear to have a lot for next year at least. I see

Oregon Kaufusi has a MO for next year. Could he be a target? I've never really taken an interest in him, but was born in Auckland?​

Yep, born and raised.

 

[Noitall]

Looking at the Sharks roster moving forward, and in particular their middle forwards. They appear to have a lot for next year at least. I see

Oregon Kaufusi has a MO for next year. Could he be a target? I've never really taken an interest in him, but was born in Auckland?​

Another who was apart of the Samoan World Cup team that Webster was assistant coach.

 

[WA Warrior]

Another who was apart of the Samoan World Cup team that Webster was assistant coach.

He pulled out of the World Cup campaign because he got the Warriors job I believe bro.
So he wasn’t involved at the World Cup.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Jeeze maybe we're all over the show with how much a contract is worth these days. We all baulked at how much we offered BHU, but Dragons ended up offering 12 game NRL player Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 600k, before getting Luciano for around 900k...

Crazy times

 

[CWC]

Jeeze maybe we're all over the show with how much a contract is worth these days. We all baulked at how much we offered BHU, but Dragons ended up offering 12 game NRL player Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 600k, before getting Luciano for around 900k...

Crazy times

Then we go to the bakery and realizes a pie cost $7

BHU for $750K?

 

[Blain]

Jeeze maybe we're all over the show with how much a contract is worth these days. We all baulked at how much we offered BHU, but Dragons ended up offering 12 game NRL player Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 600k, before getting Luciano for around 900k...

Crazy times

The cap increased by 25%, which I think many on this forum have forgotten about. $700k is the old $550k, $1 million is the old $800k etc.