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

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

I think he mentioned a fishing/outdoor gig with TMM after his time is up so not sure he has any intention of heading to UK or across the ditch

Let's say he's offered a contract under 400k a season for two more years and he's not guaranteed a bench role and he accepts, are we going to be happy with that?

Fuck yeah I will! And I would find somthing for him a little later on for doing that.

There are so many ways to be creative here.

 

[Beastmode]

Let's say he's offered a contract under 400k a season for two more years and he's not guaranteed a bench role and he accepts, are we going to be happy with that?

Fuck yeah I will! And I would find somthing for him a little later on for doing that.

There are so many ways to be creative here.

He’s only 28

Still plenty in the tank

The sacrifice will be one of the juniors gets poached which I am ok with so they go over the ditch to learn their craft and come back home later in their prime…

 

[ToiletDuck]

It's usually not a case of the club not wanting to pay these guys more...it's usually that it comes at the cost of upgrading someone else. In isolation it often seems like a no brainer to sign player X on for another year or two at 300k (or similar), but in reality that means not upgrading a younger player and potentially losing them. Then at the end of that year or next you're left without player X (retired or gone overseas) and without the younger player who has moved on.

 

[Beastmode]

It's usually not a case of the club not wanting to pay these guys more...it's usually that it comes at the cost of upgrading someone else. In isolation it often seems like a no brainer to sign player X on for another year or two at 300k (or similar), but in reality that means not upgrading a younger player and potentially losing them. Then at the end of that year or next you're left without player X (retired or gone overseas) and without the younger player who has moved on.

These kids can go play under Benji for a few years. Or uncle Ivan can babysit them. This club will only grow and they will watch from a distance with an itch to come home as the club ascends.. just ask JFH

 

[ToiletDuck]

These kids can go play under Benji for a few years. Or uncle Ivan can babysit them. This club will only grow and they will watch from a distance with an itch to come home as the club ascends..

Uncle Ivan please...

Not sure Benji and the Tigers are going places.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

It's usually not a case of the club not wanting to pay these guys more...it's usually that it comes at the cost of upgrading someone else. In isolation it often seems like a no brainer to sign player X on for another year or two at 300k (or similar), but in reality that means not upgrading a younger player and potentially losing them. Then at the end of that year or next you're left without player X (retired or gone overseas) and without the younger player who has moved on.

And who is that next player aye!

I guess Leka Halasima needs to be one.

Then there is E I Toeava and T S Smith. So yes it's fucken tight. We will lose some players from this year's cup side no doubt.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Also one more thing, don't hold me to these same sentiments when it's Bunty's turn!

 

[CWC]

Toby Crosby? That highlight reel lol

 

[dean]

Unless the club is run putting the needs of the club first without regard to player sentiment, we will get nowhere.

 

[Beastmode]

Unless the club is run putting the needs of the club first without regard to player sentiment, we will get nowhere.

It’s these small acts that make a huge difference to a clubs perception. $50K is no small change. I think Ron is still without a contract? Would we take him back?

Warriors’ classy act to injured playmaker Ronald Volkman afer Dragons axing

Warriors’ classy act to young playmaker afer Dragons axing

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[dean]

It’s these small acts that make a huge difference to a clubs perception. $50K is no small change. I think Ron is still without a contract? Would we take him back?

Warriors’ classy act to injured playmaker Ronald Volkman afer Dragons axing

Warriors’ classy act to young playmaker afer Dragons axing

www.foxsports.com.au

We were not liable. He played a season and wanted out?
The perception is we are a soft touch.

 

[PNG Kiwi]

We were not liable. He played a season and wanted out?
The perception is we are a soft touch.

I am slightly out of the loop regarding ACC in NZ but would have thought if the accident happened in NZ and the accident registered, ACC pays and not the club.
So possibly good PR spin.

 

[Beastmode]

I am slightly out of the loop regarding ACC in NZ but would have thought if the accident happened in NZ and the accident registered, ACC pays and not the club.
So possibly good PR spin.

I think ACC is only for locals/kiwi passport holders/PR residents

 

[j_p]

I think ACC is only for locals/kiwi passport holders/PR residents

Would professional sports teams even use acc? Thought they would all have private insurance for their employees(players).

 

[dean]

I am slightly out of the loop regarding ACC in NZ but would have thought if the accident happened in NZ and the accident registered, ACC pays and not the club.
So possibly good PR spin.

Everyone is covered by ACC while employed here.
Volkmans original injury happened when he played for someone else, before us, probably the Roosters or maybe before that, I don't know. He aggravated that old injury when out of contract with us and it was picked up by the Dragons and he was not signed.
Volkman has an agent. His agent should have advised him to insure himself between contracts if they were not contemporaneous.
We were not liable and foolish to again play the good guy (idiot).
I could possibly understand paying if it was someone like Simon Mannering leaving after 12 years and falling over in the carpark on his way out.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Also one more thing, don't hold me to these same sentiments when it's Bunty's turn!

Haha I was actually wondering where he comes in to the equation. He's contracted til end of nek year, and is likely on significantly less than Jazz so that will play a part, however both Jazz and Bunty likely coming into their prime as front rowers, so for me who ever looks the best for us moving forward id be happy to keep.

If we lost one of Bunty or Jazz, by the end of 2025 we've likely freed up huge space in our cap:
Tohu gone end of 2025
Walker 32 and imo unlikely we resign after 2025
Jazz or Bunty also gone.
Capewell moves to bench in 2026 to free up more game time for younger players.

Mitch Barnett is contracted til the end of 2025, I think we offer him another 2 years but as hed be 32 at the start of 2026 he may want to head back home.

So yeah, it feels to me that there's loads of minutes coming for a lot of our juniors in the not to distant future

 

[CWC]

I am slightly out of the loop regarding ACC in NZ but would have thought if the accident happened in NZ and the accident registered, ACC pays and not the club.
So possibly good PR spin.

I think ACC is only for locals/kiwi passport holders/PR residents

Foreigners can use ACC even when they're just tourists, you probably still get 80% of salary if you can't work due to the injury.

Volkman seems he had an incident in NZ before the scan picked up the chocolate shoulder by the Dragons, this gets a bit complicated and ACC will say it actually happened in AUS, or they will find some arthritic disease in there and claim it's congenital or it's a pre-existing condition and decline his cover.

And yes all these should all be under private insurance anyway instead of relying on ACC, and not sure if Volkman has it personally or as part of the package deal with the Wahs or Dragons

I can see Wahs paying it out as the Aussie media are spinning it into a bad PR to leave him hanging and you never know what the Dragons higher ups might whisper in NRL's ears to smear us in other ways ie on field, salary investigation, off field stuff

In a way this is a payment to avoid unwanted negative press and hassles, ie "Hush money"

 

[dean]

Volkman seems he had an incident in NZ before the scan picked up the chocolate shoulder by the Dragons, this gets a bit complicated and ACC will say it actually happened in AUS, or they will find some arthritic disease in there and claim it's congenital or it's a pre-existing condition and decline his cover.

Unless his shoulder was screwed back together while with us, he didn't get the injury while contracted to the Warriors.
It is a simple situation and nothing to do with ACC.

 

[CWC]

Unless his shoulder was screwed back together while with us, he didn't get the injury while contracted to the Warriors.
It is a simple situation and nothing to do with ACC.

The news articles were literally saying he hurt his shoulder in Nov last year with us and everybody from our medical team and his agent brushed it off, that's why the Dragons were directing fire at us when they did scans later and found out the chocolate lol. He could have structurally damaged it in Aussie but there is ground for them to say it was already there and he happened to get injured in November with us

If he didn't get a shoulder injury, on the same shoulder, in November 2023 in NZ then Cameron George would have just said F off Drags. Too much smoke lol

 

[dean]

The news articles were literally saying he hurt his shoulder in Nov last year with us and everybody from our medical team and his agent brushed it off, that's why the Dragons were directing fire at us when they did scans later and found out the chocolate lol. He could have structurally damaged it in Aussie but there is ground for them to say it was already there and he happened to get injured in November with us

If he didn't get a shoulder injury, on the same shoulder, in November 2023 in NZ then Cameron George would have just said F off Drags. Too much smoke lol

The news articles were literally saying he hurt his shoulder in Nov last year with us and everybody from our medical team and his agent brushed it off, that's why the Dragons were directing fire at us when they did scans later and found out the chocolate lol. He could have structurally damaged it in Aussie but there is ground for them to say it was already there and he happened to get injured in November with us

If he didn't get a shoulder injury, on the same shoulder, in November 2023 in NZ then Cameron George would have just said F off Drags. Too much smoke lol

The article says he aggravated an old injury when he was out of contract with us but still training with us.
He asked to leave his contract early and we let him go. He didn't want to play for us.