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

 

[juju]

I love Ngani... but he should go to Moana Pacific I think.
Where do we fit him in the squad at this point.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Have the best crop of young centres we've had in a while, and 5'7 is far too short for a modern winger. Perhaps a Talakai-esque role off the bench

Love Ngani, Always remember my Under 13s team went to Eden Park when we smashed the Raiders- He and SJ tore them a new one lol

 

[Jeetz]

no thanks to ngani. Didn’t work the first time.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I mean, to all those saying they're not keen because of his age, who would you rather fill in when we have multiple injuries to our backline in the next 2 years - Kosi or Laumape?

Wing and centre have many examples of older players going well, if he's good enough and it's cheap enough I think it would be at worst, a failure that costs us very little. At best we have a Michael Jennings type who can come in to the team and do a solid job when we're down on troops

 

[Canadian_Warriors_Fan]

I mean, to all those saying they're not keen because of his age, who would you rather fill in when we have multiple injuries to our backline in the next 2 years - Kosi or Laumape?

Wing and centre have many examples of older players going well, if he's good enough and it's cheap enough I think it would be at worst, a failure that costs us very little. At best we have a Michael Jennings type who can come in to the team and do a solid job when we're down on troops

If that's the case, ok that's fine. However, he hasn't played rugby league in 10 years. You give the example of Michael Jennings, he hadn't played in 3 years but he was still playing well before his suspension.

 

[juju]

no thanks to ngani. Didn’t work the first time.

It worked.

He injured his knee... Rugby offered him a multi year deal. Warriors year by year.

 

[peewee]

It worked.

He injured his knee... Rugby offered him a multi year deal. Warriors year by year.

I see him having more impact than Ford at the moment

 

[Jeetz]

It worked.

He injured his knee... Rugby offered him a multi year deal. Warriors year by year.

Look at the body shape of the top centres in the comp. None are short nuggets.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

wow, how did he get to 31 all of a sudden - though he would have far less miles on the body than the average NRL outside back at the same age - remember Williame? he couldn't even run anymore.

you wouldn't have him and Rog re-learning to play center in the same squad though

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Should say, his comments also seem to be from a guy who wants a job back in NZ, and we are the only one that doesn't involve the NZR. I am pretty sure things ended on bad terms between them.

I don't think it happens, but Cappy was here his entire time with us and that quote makes him sound really keen, so not impossible ig.

There are probably worse players we could have fill the last 3 spots we have open for next year, and I'd much rather have him as the 4th man on the bench than Pompey or Taine if Webby keeps churning out, for lack of a better word, retarded benches/rotations when there are a few injuries

 

[juju]

Should say, his comments also seem to be from a guy who wants a job back in NZ, and we are the only one that doesn't involve the NZR, and I am pretty sure things ended on bad terms between them

I don't think it happens, but Cappy was here his entire time with us and that quote makes him sound really keen, so not impossible ig.

There are probably worse players we could have fill the last 3 spots we have open for next year, and I'd much rather have him as the 4th man on the bench than Pompey or Taine if Webby keeps churning out, for lack of a better word, retarded benches/rotations when there are a few injuries

And money would likely not be a massive motivation - he would of done really well in France and Japan.

 

[Damo]

Seems like a strange thing to post from the official team account.

 

[SBW1]

Probably toying with the idea of either coming to Wahs, MP or Hurricanes.

 

[Wellington Warrior]

Seems like a strange thing to post from the official team account.

Yeh thats exactly what I thought. Almost like testing the waters on social media before anything official is announced.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Could we fit him in our cup team?

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Not sure why we need to be a retirement option for aging Rugby players? I know that is harsh but we need some speed in our backline and signing backs that are 30+ is not going to get that for us

 

[afakasi247]

I’m all for redemption arcs but as we’ve seen with RTS this season, I personally don’t think we should invest big dollars into older players that “on paper” would make a immediate difference, as it can go sideways and at the expense of a spot for a younger player. Let alone another player that hasn’t played League in years and coming back from Rugby.

I do believe that club have a long term strategy in place for identifying and growing younger talent through our system. However, as we saw with the RTS/Capewell signings for this season, and after the success of last season, recruiting older proven talent to maintain our momentum in the interim (as well as the off field qualities they provide) doesn’t always work out. While injuries have played a major role, RTS as centre wasn’t it and Capewell had been rather unwhelming (abeit solid I guess) before his Origin stint.

All that to say I’d accept Ngani on a cheaper contract as depth for injuries, but not as a marquee signing we’d slot straight in at the expense of the Ali/MGT/Berry, who are younger and if they develop will give us many years ahead.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I'd be stoked to have him back in the mix, one of my favorite ever Warriors!


View attachment 8384

no thanks. If it meant that much to him he should have stayed. 31/32. 32-33 when his contract starts? Lol tell em hes dreaming

 

[Zarjaz]

I'd rather hear news of another decent front rower joining JFH for 25.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Not sure why we need to be a retirement option for aging Rugby players? I know that is harsh but we need some speed in our backline and signing backs that are 30+ is not going to get that for us

Because we are all about the vibes, not winning prems