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

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Where is Bishop Neal and the mikaele bros?

And Jackson Stewart and Quinlan for that matter?

I watched the highlights of the SG Ball & Harold Matthew's teams to see if i could get a glimpse of young Bishop. Nothing. Must be injured?

 

[PNG Kiwi]

On another topic I think letting go of Sironen was a huge mistake, he is a better hooker than Lussick and I think we are really going to struggle to score points with him on the field, he does’t engage the markers at all and his passing is slow, it allows the opposition to rush our line and we lose all our shape,

He played well in the end, but I understand he was overpaid for what we got. All to do with balancing the cap.

 

[Worried2Death]

Why can't we groom our own NAS or Ben Te Kura through our own pathways. We comstantly read articles about the warriors signing a great prospect 16 year old who plays second row and lock, why don't we have anyone in SG Ball or Flegg who is a hulking prop. Tanners Stowers Smith was our hope for a while but he is only 183cms and 101kgs. And yes size does matter for props, most of the elite props are big units even though people point out exceptions to that rule. There will always be exceptions but exceptions don't disprove a rule.
Where are our big units? We are New Zealand, we must be able to develop some or do all the other australian clubs nab the biggest teenagers first?

All playing union or yeah nabbed by other clubs. I see the Broncos picked up the young West Coaster Antonio Verhoeven last week, 198cm at age 16. A southern NRL franchise would presumably help keep more South Island kids in NZ but Broncs are always going to be an attractive draw too.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

The really big units are marked to be union forwards from a young age, we’ve always had (still have) plenty of backrowers and OBs, been difficult to get quality hookers, halves and props

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

What more does Graham Taufa need to do to get a contract?

Everytime I've seen him play he rips in!

 

[Cces]

Where are our big units? We are New Zealand, we must be able to develop some or do all the other australian clubs nab the biggest teenagers first?

We have the luxury of watching a brilliant big man like NAS most weeks but finding someone that is his size & has anything above an average career is like finding a needle in a haystack. Ben Te Kura hasn't achieved anything. Sam Lousi had the same physical dimensions as NAS & was a huge underachiever. Isaac Matalavea-Booth is another monster who has had big fanfare at the Titans & Dogs but is yet to debut at 22 years old. Franklin Pele (albeit 10cm shorter at 1.90m) has already been shipped to Super League by an NRL club devoid of decent middles.
Rodney Tuipulotu Vea is our genuinely big guy coming through but, as shown by the Panthers, bigger isn't necessarily better

 

[Five&Last]

Where is Bishop Neal and the mikaele bros?

And Jackson Stewart and Quinlan for that matter?

Bishop Neal is like 15, you’re gonna be waiting a long time

 

[Riz]

Bishop Neal is like 15, you’re gonna be waiting a long time

I hope Jackson Stewart gets a go, he's classy.

 

[Five&Last]

I hope Jackson Stewart gets a go, he's classy.

More than the current sg ball centers? They have super rugby age grade honours.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

at 6 waving players through?

I think fullback is easily his best position. Hides his frailties while allowing him to inject his speed where he sees in attack.

Ponga is the same

 

[BabylonPink]

I'd be very happy with
6.TMM
7.Metcalf

Or vice versa if SJ wins the premiership and rides off into the sunset...

 

[mrblonde]

Also regarding Taumalolo, he finished the game playing a bare 22 minutes for 58m. Not sure what’s going on here but could a move be on the cards in the near future?

I wouldn't be happy paying $1m/season for that kind of output myself...
Not sure who to blame here, JT for obviously being greedy (TBF, it's not JT's job to think about the Cowboys' finances or future, only his family's) or the Cowboys Recruitment Manager for not thinking "hang on, his body's going to catch up with him at some point, let's just make this 7 seasons..."

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Bishop Neal is like 15, you’re gonna be waiting a long time

Oh really! I was thinking he could play the storm this weekend.

 

[Up the guttz]

We have the luxury of watching a brilliant big man like NAS most weeks but finding someone that is his size & has anything above an average career is like finding a needle in a haystack. Ben Te Kura hasn't achieved anything. Sam Lousi had the same physical dimensions as NAS & was a huge underachiever. Isaac Matalavea-Booth is another monster who has had big fanfare at the Titans & Dogs but is yet to debut at 22 years old. Franklin Pele (albeit 10cm shorter at 1.90m) has already been shipped to Super League by an NRL club devoid of decent middles.
Rodney Tuipulotu Vea is our genuinely big guy coming through but, as shown by the Panthers, bigger isn't necessarily better

Good point on Lousi and there have been others. Finding those giants are hard enough, once you find them there is no guarantee they will be able to use thier body correctly.
You also have to find the sweet spot. Jordan Mailata is 2.03m 166kg, played under 20s for the bunnies and was told he’s too big and will never make it in the NRL so went to the NFL.

 

[John Nick]

Ponga is the same

Big forwards always run at the 6 obviously because of size.
Ponga got too damaged there & the experiment was quickly stopped

 

[WahsaurusRex]

What if we threw a massive contract at Finefeuiaki? Article says he moved to SEQ when he was 11, and he was born in Auckland so likely lived here for 11 years.

He's similar size and height to Tapine so he could be our monster prop for years.

Honestly, we have whiffed on so many big boy young guns over the years (JT twice, NAS in '17, Tino in '19) we surely must be due to win a signing race for one now

AFB was probably it, but he was closer to his mid-20s while the others were 19-21 so I am not counting him for my argument's sake lol

 

[Billyspleen75]

https://www.zerotackle.com/three-clubs-interested-in-ex-origin-forward-207006/

Warriors interested in Francis Molo

 

[Cces]

Sanele Aukusitino isn't listed alongside the other development players amongst the NRL player profiles but Sio Kali is. Aukusitino has been removed from the NRL contract list too.
Anyone got an insight? I messaged the club but no reply.

Teams

2021 New Zealand Warriors NRL Telstra Premiership squad, Warriors players, Canterbury Cup NSW squad.

www.warriors.kiwi

 

[Up the guttz]

https://www.zerotackle.com/three-clubs-interested-in-ex-origin-forward-207006/

Warriors interested in Francis Molo

I hope not!!

It could be true but from now on we will be linked to every off-contract middle as a “direct replacement for AFB”

 

[WahsaurusRex]

https://www.zerotackle.com/three-clubs-interested-in-ex-origin-forward-207006/

Warriors interested in Francis Molo

Would be a killer signing, and not in a good way..

It smells of the Warriors-of-old tbh