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

 

[cock_o]

Would you swap Bunty for Wiramu Greig? Yay or Nay

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

View attachment 7002

Going for Munster or Brown would make more sense than SJ.

 

[Ref]

Would you swap Bunty for Wiramu Greig? Yay or Nay

I wouldn’t.
Bunny knows his job and excels

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

I'm willing to bet my left nut for a second time that this doesn't happen haha

I remember this bet last year!

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

I'm willing to bet my left nut for a second time that this doesn't happen haha

I tell you what, if we can't get the Knights this weekend he might actually consider it!

 

[Defence]

Would you swap Bunty for Wiramu Greig? Yay or Nay

Yay

 

[Defence]

Going for Munster or Brown would make more sense than SJ.

Neither of them are on the market though.
He’s clearly the best half on the market and they need one and are cashed up- doesn’t sound that crazy to me that they would come knocking.
Politis could open plenty of doors post footy.

 

[Damo]

He will retire before leaving NZ again imo.

 

[Defence]

He will retire before leaving NZ again imo.

Tend to agree but if there was one club that could tempt him it’s probably the rorters.

 

[Noitall]

Tend to agree but if there was one club that could tempt him it’s probably the rorters.

Surely he copped enough for his sharks stint that didn’t go well as far as expectations are concerned to go back to Sydney?

 

[Ever Hopeful]

I have seen somewhere in the long distant past that he had a desire at one point to play for the Roosters (around the Cronk time perhaps). Perhaps he talked about nearly signing for them or something like that? Or maybe he was lining up a spot before things soured at the Warriors a year early? I forget the context, but I could swear I remember a candid interview where he discussed it..

I'm sure there is no substance, but it is not a ridiculous scenario. As others have said, the Roosters aren't looking for one marquee player next year, they have the room and cash to build a new look squad. I don't think the Warriors would be competing financially.

I guess it depends on whether NZ or Australia ends up being their long-term home.

Lots of media opportunities in Sydney, post career.

 

[Noitall]

Neither of them are on the market though.
He’s clearly the best half on the market and they need one and are cashed up- doesn’t sound that crazy to me that they would come knocking.
Politis could open plenty of doors post footy.

Brown has a player option each year of his contract but hasn’t shown he’s a game manager

 

[Ever Hopeful]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/04/10/johnson-was-chased-by-roosters-before-sharks-circled/

 

[Wrighty]

Surely he copped enough for his sharks stint that didn’t go well as far as expectations are concerned to go back to Sydney?

He had no mana at the Sharks so the senior players would ignore his calls. Same thing will happen at Rorters. SJ did not get enough pill when he was demanding it for the Sharks and they would give the ball to someone else to spite him. He must have hated every second of it it and if I were him I would have taken unders to get out of there.
Please don't challenge me on this post. I have no footage to back this up or articles. It was just my view from watching the games would could obviously be wrong.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Brown has a player option each year of his contract but hasn’t shown he’s a game manager

They have Walker who is starting to show his promise. Brown would complement Walker.

 

[Noitall]

He had no mana at the Sharks so the senior players would ignore his calls. Same thing will happen at Rorters. SJ did not get enough pill when he was demanding it for the Sharks and they would give the ball to someone else to spite him. He must have hated every second of it it and if I were him I would have taken unders to get out of there.
Please don't challenge me on this post. I have no footage to back this up or articles. It was just my view from watching the games would could obviously be wrong.

Injuries didn’t help either

 

[Boats n Hoes]

He had no mana at the Sharks so the senior players would ignore his calls. Same thing will happen at Rorters. SJ did not get enough pill when he was demanding it for the Sharks and they would give the ball to someone else to spite him. He must have hated every second of it it and if I were him I would have taken unders to get out of there.
Please don't challenge me on this post. I have no footage to back this up or articles. It was just my view from watching the games would could obviously be wrong.

From everything i saw and heard he absolutely loved his time at Cronulla. First year was pretty average, trying to find his way in a new system, 2nd season he actually got voted their player of the year. Was on a career high for try assists and they were flying high going into the finals, then he picked up a long term injury game out from the finals which effectively ended their season. But the signs were their that season his game manager skills were starting to evolve.
3rd season was just injury plagued and failed to make enough of an impact, so they went in another direction......thankfully for us,

 

[snake77]

From everything i saw and heard he absolutely loved his time at Cronulla. First year was pretty average, trying to find his way in a new system, 2nd season he actually got voted their player of the year. Was on a career high for try assists and they were flying high going into the finals, then he picked up a long term injury game out from the finals which effectively ended their season. But the signs were their that season his game manager skills were starting to evolve.
3rd season was just injury plagued and failed to make enough of an impact, so they went in another direction......thankfully for us,

His time at the Sharks does get misrepresented. Like you stated he actually went quite well there.

A lot of people get excited how Hynes has gone and say he replaced Johnson who wasn't performing. Even that idiot Rothfield would say that even though he's a huge Sharks fan and should know more about their games than fans of other clubs.

The stats people were quoting on Johnson when he was there say a different story. High try assists. He did well with Townsend guiding them around the field then he'd control his side and create points.

He got criticism when he first arrived. A lot of that was from players who likely didn't watch the Warriors much and expected the highlight plays all of the time. One of those that criticised him was Cronk. He started his media career going hard criticising some players like Johnson and Reynolds. But has pulled back quite a bit.



The Roosters inquiring about him isn't surprising. Even back in the 80s or 90s when they were known as the transit lounge they would go after guys close to retirement for name value. Now they go for success. They probably look at him like Cronk. An experienced player for 1-2 years. They could give him money that would make him have to at least consider it.

The Tigers tried the same last year. Moving back to Sydney for a lot of money is a lot more appealing with the Roosters than the Tigers when you look at where both teams are when they are approaching him.

More than likely he will either retire or carry on with the Warriors. He wanted to move home when he signed and has talked about how much success here would mean to him.

 

[Noitall]

His time at the Sharks does get misrepresented. Like you stated he actually went quite well there.

A lot of people get excited how Hynes has gone and say he replaced Johnson who wasn't performing. Even that idiot Rothfield would say that even though he's a huge Sharks fan and should know more about their games than fans of other clubs.

The stats people were quoting on Johnson when he was there say a different story. High try assists. He did well with Townsend guiding them around the field then he'd control his side and create points.

He got criticism when he first arrived. A lot of that was from players who likely didn't watch the Warriors much and expected the highlight plays all of the time. One of those that criticised him was Cronk. He started his media career going hard criticising some players like Johnson and Reynolds. But has pulled back quite a bit.



The Roosters inquiring about him isn't surprising. Even back in the 80s or 90s when they were known as the transit lounge they would go after guys close to retirement for name value. Now they go for success. They probably look at him like Cronk. An experienced player for 1-2 years. They could give him money that would make him have to at least consider it.

The Tigers tried the same last year. Moving back to Sydney for a lot of money is a lot more appealing with the Roosters than the Tigers when you look at where both teams are when they are approaching him.

More than likely he will either retire or carry on with the Warriors. He wanted to move home when he signed and has talked about how much success here would mean to him.

Sharks had a pretty impressive roster in 2019 so I could imagine there would be a bit of bitterness thinking SJ was the missing piece of the puzzle. He was predominantly playing five eighth too with Townsend playing halfback. Josh Morris backed him and once Fitzgibbon got the job he went in a different direction than both of them

 

[Cces]

Shaun Johnson won 67% of the games he played at Halfback for the Sharks. Unfortunately for their supporters, John Morris was reluctant to give him the #7 jersey. 7 out of the 12 times he played Halfback for Cronulla occured after Morris got the sack. Josh Hannay got himself 5 wins on his CV from 7 games with SJ as his dominant playmaker.
Regardless of that information, Albert Vete is more likely to play #7 for the Warriors than Shaun Johnson is to play for the Roosters