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

 

[Old Sid]

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

Always very impressed with your stats, player knowledge and independent opinions Cces. Thank you. No different again here.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

With JFH coming next year, would Te Whare be worth looking at (on the cheap)?

It sounds like he needs a bit of an attitude adjustment (lose a bit of weight etc..) and JFH could be the one to give it to him?

 

[Noitall]

With JFH coming next year, would Te Whare be worth looking at (on the cheap)?

It sounds like he needs a bit of an attitude adjustment (lose a bit of weight etc..) and JFH could be the one to give it to him?

Think if we’re after his type of frame in the centres, we’re better off waiting for Patrick Moimoi. Doesn’t fill me with confidence that someone like Bennett couldn’t get him disciplined around his weight. Perhaps transition him to front row to utilise his weight gain?

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Think if we’re after his type of frame in the centres, we’re better off waiting for Patrick Moimoi. Doesn’t fill me with confidence that someone like Bennett couldn’t get him disciplined around his weight

Fair call.

I'm just starting to see alot of players finding the Pasifika roots of the club to be motivational.

I guess that was my angle of thought with Te Whare.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

With JFH coming next year, would Te Whare be worth looking at (on the cheap)?

It sounds like he needs a bit of an attitude adjustment (lose a bit of weight etc..) and JFH could be the one to give it to him?

100% no. He got gifted the chance of a lifetime and blew it.

 

[Noitall]

Fair call.

I'm just starting to see alot of players finding the Pasifika roots of the club to be motivational.

I guess that was my angle of thought with Te Whare.

When you see the impact in the likes of Talakai at centre, there’s still definitely a place for this type of centre. If you could guarantee a buy in, it could go to well but I’d personally be hesitant

 

[MrFrankWhite]

When you see the impact in the likes of Talakai at centre, there’s still definitely a place for this type of centre. If you could guarantee a buy in, it could go to well but I’d personally be hesitant

The problem is Te Whare's ceiling isnt high enough to take the risk. Unlike Schuster for example

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

The problem is Te Whare's ceiling isnt high enough to take the risk. Unlike Schuster for example

Not sure that I'd be keen to go after a player who's former club is willing to pay close to $1m (allegedly) to get rid of.

 

[Blain]

If Te Whare had a motor, imagine him as a bench impact forward. He's too big for centre, and clearly doesn't have the aerobics to go 80 minutes in NRL.

He's a big project, no matter where he's going to play. But as a centre we certainly don't need him, with Ali in our NSW Cup looking as destructive. As a minimum wage forward, different story (won't happen, just dreaming)

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

If Te Whare had a motor, imagine him as a bench impact forward.

This is where I was going with this.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Not sure that I'd be keen to go after a player whose former club is willing to pay close to $1m (allegedly) to get rid of.

What’s that got to do with his potential athletic ceiling?

 

[Coops]

Yeah mate I think this is something that Webby should be/is working on.
It seems to me that when we are tackling, we are holding on for an absolute age - at least we have the last few weeks, but you can see were holding them down whilst looking directly at the ref so that when he says stop they are able to do so.
There were many times where I closed my eyes and waited for the whistle to come, but in those early stages of the last two games we never got pinged.
The problem is, I feel that that the ref then changes his tune and then starts to blow the whistle against us in those following 20 minutes and we seem to get nailed for subjective penalties.

I'm not talking about every penalty, we often don't help ourselves by doing dumb things (Dyl Walker with his little kick), but I think that in the last 2 weeks we've had between 3-5 'marginal' penalties where the ref hasn't been calling them in the first 20. So we continue to do them and then when the Ref wants to square things up or get the other team back into the game they blow it up.

You watch this weekend, I guarantee that we'll give away at least two penalties in the 20-45 minute mark that are questionable, or that they let go in the first 20. It makes

Really bugs me when they set the precedent only to seemingly backflip in the next quarter. I've developed a habit of counting the seconds in the ruck for both teams and the ref timing at different periods of the game can change without reason. I always notice when the ball carriers elbow has just touched a blade of grass and we're being yelled at to get off!

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Really bugs me when they set the precedent only to seemingly backflip in the next quarter. I've developed a habit of counting the seconds in the ruck for both teams and the ref timing at different periods of the game can change without reason. I always notice when the ball carriers elbow has just touched a blade of grass and we're being yelled at to get off!

Because of the refs interpretation of a dominant tackle. Last few weeks we are losing the middle, losing dominance and the ref is blowing accordingly (mostly)

 

[WA Warrior]

100% no. He got gifted the chance of a lifetime and blew it.

Yeah totally agree.
He made a name for himself last year and could have commanded a handy contract somewhere.
But in a professional environment with the games most successful coach and still not being disciplined enough to keep the weight down.
No thanks.

 

[Beastmode]

Started looking closely at JFH stats. He doesn’t play big minutes . +40 compared to AFB who does anywhere between 60-70. Same with Barnett.Those are long minutes for a Prop. Be good to see Webby change the game plan with shorter stints and longer usage of the bench when he arrives. He’s also not a big body. AFB is big. Never seen him dominated in a tackle. Even with 3 guys trying to stop him. Happy we got fish, but he brings a completely different skill set to the table. Aggression and energy. I think we still lack that big boy in the forwards. Bunty looks like the only one?

We’ll be one of the smallest packs in the comp - especially if Jazz stays along with Walker.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Would you swap Bunty for Wiramu Greig? Yay or Nay

Absolutely!

 

[~Navigator~]

ANYONE INTERESTED IN VALYNCE TE WHARE

Dolphins’ fan favourite Valynce Te Whare will reportedly not be offered a new contract by the club as Kristian Woolf begins to stamp his authority on the roster.

According to News Corp, the out-of-contract cult hero dubbed ‘Val Meninga’ will be axed after an ongoing battle for fitness.

The 23-year-old Kiwi flyer enjoyed a dazzling debut with two tries against the Sharks in Magic Round last year, and the fleet-footed big man finished his maiden NRL campaign with six tries in 12 appearances.

But after the final game of the 2023 season, Te Whare revealed he weighed 123kg – and after struggling to shed excess kilos in the off-season, Wayne Bennett sent him for an individual training program with Mark ‘Chopper’ Burgess, the personal trainer who was renowned for his work with Bennett at the Broncos.

In an inspiring story, Te Whare slimmed down by almost 10 kilograms in a bid to revive his NRL career.

The rugby union convert has struggled this season however, stuck in the QLD Cup behind the likes of Dolphins centres Herbie Farnworth and Jake Averillo.

Te Whare’s weight has dipped back out to 119kg and Wayne Bennett’s successor at Redcliffe, Kristian Woolf, has reportedly told the Kiwi he will not receive a contract for next season.

 

[snake77]

I'd prefer we stay away from Te Whare. We already have centre stocks. The only time to look at another one is if someone provides more than them.

From what I've seen he's mainly been on the right. We already have Berry & Leiataua developing. Both have more of the body shape we should be aiming for in a centre. A few more off-seasons and they should get a bit more muscle on and fill out.

Te Whare didn't impress me much with his weight down. I'll admit the sample size is limited. But if he has already put weight on it doesn't scream sign me in terms of attitude.

Woolf would want to free up some spots for recruitment or to promote someone in to the top 30. So can understand their position.

 

[PullingTeets]

It's a no from me to Te Whare, we could pick up a dozen NPC players with a higher ceiling and better attitude. (Please don't ask me to name any, I havnt watched any NPC for a few years).

 

[CWC]

If the dude can't discipline himself overseas under a top coach he's certainly not going to at home in his comfort zone

The only thing we should take out of his story is to attract more NPC players or youth level kids from our backyard with good attitude and discipline