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

 

[defensivebomb]

I agree with most of this but a majority of FG teams carry a 9 cover on the bench. The position touches the ball the most and one of your top tacklers. We didn't really carry one last year but we had a guy like Sironen who was a serviceable 9.

yeah true. I guess with Egan, it's the approach for 9 cover that is a bit of an issue. Egan is a 60 minute hooker, unlike say Cameron Smith who played 80 mins.

Which then means the hooker cover becomes critical. Siro was actually very versatile, in hindsight. More so than Lussick (who is a half decent hooker but definitely a fill-in elsewhere). Webster could potentially solve the conundrum now by permanently transitioning CHT to interchange / hooker. The problem now though is that with the halves combinations being up for grabs, CHT's ultimate home will be up in the air for another half season. My view is that CHT doesn't switch on for 80 mins in the halves, and has never had an amazing boot, so should permanently move to the forward interchange now. That way we'd have the hooker role & 13 covered and backline utility covered by CHT and Capewell.

Or we just continue to run with Lussick performing a similar role. But neither Lussick nor CHT currently match what Siro could

 

[~Navigator~]

Moses is managed by the biggest parasite in player management history… there is no chance we would consider him.

Funny you say that as Roosters big gun uncle Nick has said hell would freeze over before they would take Moses, due to the fact of his manager.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

If CHT is smart he'll use this next 18 months and two preseasons to transition to that 14 role.

Imo he hasn't got enough to be an out an out half in the NRL - similar to both Dylan Walker and Connor Watson who reinvented theirselves as bench utilities and have excelled there.

If playing rugba leeg is what CHT really wants to do he needs to knuckle down and make himself an asset to the team. He could essentially play 25-50 minutes EVERY game for the next 9 years off the bench, filling in to the starting 13 when injury hits. Or he could press on as a half and struggle to nail down a spot like he has the last 5 years.

 

[kos]

I have a feeling we have our recruitment / squad fairly wrong right now:

• we have three specialist fullbacks (I am including RTS here)
• once Walker goes, our utilities are either too small (CHT, Lussick) or too slow (Capewell - keep at second row)
• our remaining halves are second-tier and haven't gelled
• aside from Berry (just), our centres aren't FG ready
  • happy for RTS and Berry to continue to lock down centre however
• we need more speed
• we need more kicking variation
• as @Brightman mentioned, we carry an extra man on the bench to cover Egan

I'm keen for the club to desparately get the squad FG ready for next year, which will resolve a number of those points but some of those other elements can only be fixed by having a bit of reflection on our squad balance

Adam Pompey is (all subjective) a terrific defensive centre and probably our best attacking centre. As you say RTS /Rocco lack speed as does Pompey - DWZ locks one wing for try scoring ability - need a speedster on the other wing plus Montoya as back up.

And who takes AFB s spot?
I have a view but I will get flamed alive -burned at the cross.

 

[John Nick]

Adam Pompey is (all subjective) a terrific defensive centre and probably our best attacking centre. As you say RTS /Rocco lack speed as does Pompey - DWZ locks one wing for try scoring ability - need a speedster on the other wing plus Montoya as back up.

And who takes AFB s spot?
I have a view but I will get flamed alive -burned at the cross.

I know how you feel mate.
The site is full of experts.

 

[Noitall]

And who takes AFB s spot?
I have a view but I will get flamed alive -burned at the cross.

Who?

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Who?

Pretty easy to guess lol

 

[Wrighty]

Pretty easy to guess lol

Bunty Afoa come on down,

 

[Noitall]

Pretty easy to guess lol

Matt Lodge had his chance

 

[Inruin]

Who?

Has JFH changed his mind or something?

 

[kos]

Has JFH changed his mind or something?

You have it!
A Friday special guessing game!

 

[Wah's Up]

Adam Pompey is (all subjective) a terrific defensive centre and probably our best attacking centre. As you say RTS /Rocco lack speed as does Pompey - DWZ locks one wing for try scoring ability - need a speedster on the other wing plus Montoya as back up.

And who takes AFB s spot?
I have a view but I will get flamed alive -burned at the cross.

Oh no, the dreaded "B" word

 

[John Nick]

You have it!
A Friday special guessing game!

Nothing much has changed Kos.
The usual experts reading too much into shit

 

[Inruin]

You have it!
A Friday special guessing game!

So JFH for Jazz and Bunty for AFB?

Like for like. Like for like.

 

[Noitall]

https://preview.redd.it/2024-roster-analysis-experience-vs-age-v0-q0grs292mklc1.png?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=709cefa00c9a9fb6285c2fdf927353b19f9a109f

Looking at this table we have an average age in the team of around 26 and playing guys with more games under their belt than not. Tigers playing a very young team

 

[defensivebomb]

Adam Pompey is (all subjective) a terrific defensive centre and probably our best attacking centre. As you say RTS /Rocco lack speed as does Pompey - DWZ locks one wing for try scoring ability - need a speedster on the other wing plus Montoya as back up.

OMG I actually forgot we have Pompey. Agree with your post

 

[Noitall]

So JFH for Jazz and Bunty for AFB?

Like for like. Like for like.

As much as I’m a big fan of Bunty, I just don’t see how he plays his way back when we’ve been in contention to make the top 8 in recent weeks and he hasn’t been played despite being healthy. He obviously isn’t in their plans. I agree with everyone saying he’s a great mentor for the guys coming through in nsw cup, cheap and great depth but I don’t see the club rushing to play him even when injuries have warranted it. I’m not sure where the club sees Ale either? The fact there’s interest in Bunty and Kosi from other clubs gives me the impression that the club has put their names out there to see what interest there is

 

[John Nick]

As much as I’m a big fan of Bunty, I just don’t see how he plays his way back when we’ve been in contention to make the top 8 in recent weeks and he hasn’t been played despite being healthy. He obviously isn’t in their plans. I agree with everyone saying he’s a great mentor for the guys coming through in nsw cup, cheap and great depth but I don’t see the club rushing to play him even when injuries have warranted it. I’m not sure where the club sees Ale either? The fact there’s interest in Bunty and Kosi from other clubs gives me the impression that the club has put their names out there to see what interest there is

Tough call but those guys aren't going to win us anything

 

[Blain]

When the game is on the line in 2025, who do we want to have the ball in their hands? Who is our go to player with no SJ? Every team seems to have a guy, we don't. We don't have an X factor player who can win us a game from nothing, every other team seems to have one. Even the Tigers have Luai next year. We really need a signing IMO.

 

[Inruin]

As much as I’m a big fan of Bunty, I just don’t see how he plays his way back when we’ve been in contention to make the top 8 in recent weeks and he hasn’t been played despite being healthy. He obviously isn’t in their plans. I agree with everyone saying he’s a great mentor for the guys coming through in nsw cup, cheap and great depth but I don’t see the club rushing to play him even when injuries have warranted it. I’m not sure where the club sees Ale either? The fact there’s interest in Bunty and Kosi from other clubs gives me the impression that the club has put their names out there to see what interest there is

Worth a minimum contract you would think? Doesn't get himself in to trouble, good mentor for cup guys. It also doesn't take many injuries in the squad before our depth is really tested, as we found out this year. Always need a few experienced guys in cup to help bring the youth through