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

 

[PMQWAHS]

Pretty sure he asked for an early release to join the Storm… he was not buying into the Warriors culture. Same could be said about Isiah Papalili… potential realised playing for Parra. Gave it 110%. Went back to invisible for the Tigers.

If I recall correctly Eli had 2 seasons with us? His first he was great and 2nd Nathan Brown kept using him incorrectly and dropping him in and out of the team. Management and senior players knew how good he would be....
Anyway it's all water under the bridge now but the wahs could really do with a hard running, line breaking 2nd rower

 

[Noitall]

If I recall correctly Eli had 2 seasons with us? His first he was great and 2nd Nathan Brown kept using him incorrectly and dropping him in and out of the team. Management and senior players knew how good he would be....
Anyway it's all water under the bridge now but the wahs could really do with a hard running, line breaking 2nd rower

Can even recall the game where Brown packed a sad in the after match press conference saying we were no longer a development club after Katoa had a poor game. Real shame but I think we’re on the cusp of having some real bright prospects emerging

 

[Beastmode]

I hope JFH when he arrives injects some disciplined mongrel into our young props. From what I've seen so far, our young props are good and JFH could be the guy to make them better. AFB great as he is aint won a prem I believe JFH has won 3, so our young fellas have a leg up already..

Aren’t the young rookies Pacific Islanders? I would have thought AFB (rep Tonga) would have a greater influence? JFH being Māori is about as relateable as Barnett being Aussie.

If I recall correctly Eli had 2 seasons with us? His first he was great and 2nd Nathan Brown kept using him incorrectly and dropping him in and out of the team. Management and senior players knew how good he would be....
Anyway it's all water under the bridge now but the wahs could really do with a hard running, line breaking 2nd rower

I wouldn’t sleep on Laban and Hakasima. A couple more years expect them to be firing on all cylinders.

 

[Noitall]

Aren’t the young rookies Pacific Islanders? I would have thought AFB (rep Tonga) would have a greater influence? JFH being Māori is about as relateable as Barnett being Aussie.

As someone mentioned, might have been another thread that can’t remember a game in his time with us where AFB was captain. Really comes across as a lone mercenary. He was certainly excited when Sifakula scored the other week and looks to have lifted when the likes of Zyon Maiu’u debuted

I wouldn’t sleep on Laban and Hakasima. A couple more years expect them to be firing on all cylinders.

The way the younger guys seems to be progressing across the league, a second preseason could see some really prosper

 

[jumpman5xl]

If I recall correctly Eli had 2 seasons with us? His first he was great and 2nd Nathan Brown kept using him incorrectly and dropping him in and out of the team. Management and senior players knew how good he would be....
Anyway it's all water under the bridge now but the wahs could really do with a hard running, line breaking 2nd rower

Crazy is that now Eli is now an 80 minute back rower. Him and Papalii under Webster could've been really special for this team.

 

[JaggedJ]

AFB can be a double edged sword. He's a physical beast who has ridiculous speed and mobility for someone his size.

Very hard to ask other players to "do what he does" when the standard response would be "how?"

JFH is much closer to the stock standard height/weight so his dominance comes down to other things such as will power and preparation.

Andrew Johns talked about how Leo Thompson came back a different player after spending time with Tapine and JFH in the Maori team.

I'm hoping he has that same sort of affect on our young guys.

 

[JaggedJ]

AFB can be a double edged sword. He's a physical beast who has ridiculous speed and mobility for someone his size.

Very hard to ask other players to "do what he does" when the standard response would be "how?"

JFH is much closer to the stock standard height/weight so his dominance comes down to other things such as will power and preparation.

Andrew Johns talked about how Leo Thompson came back a different player after spending time with Tapine and JFH in the Maori team.

I'm hoping he has that same sort of affect on our young guys.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Bit unfair labelling us a bottom 4 team just yet.

We have a bye so should end further up the ladder and if we win one of our next 2 games could end up 11th or 12th? Rather than 14th!

We are a bottom 4 team currently even when fully fit.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Crazy is that now Eli is now an 80 minute back rower. Him and Papalii under Webster could've been really special for this team.

Let's just see what he can do with halasima, he's better than both these players at the same age.

 

[Canonball]

have happened to see a couple of NPC games on tv recently - absolutely miserable crowds and very little general interest it seems - surely our recruitment team could find one or two coachable players from these ranks who are sick of slogging it out in a sub-par competition ? Particularly large locks or outside backs...

 

[3rdstriker]

View attachment 8649
This post gives me huge hope for the future. What Penrith have done took 6 years. People made a mockery of Phil goulds 5 year plan, now look at them. They’ve got the best junior pathways in the competition, if not ever. The bulldogs are only going well because they’ve benefited from an external pathway program, the panthers. Kikau, Burton, Crichton, and their head coach. The dogs would still be cellar dwellers without the Penrith system.

That top post has seven future starters, all under the age of 22. Whilst some are not quite NRL ready right now, give them a year or 2, and look out. Our nsw cup side are sitting 4th, with all the chopping and changing going on at first grade due to a variety of reasons. Many of these players are jersey flegg eligible yet are playing against men.

We all want instant success, but this is only due to the lack of success we’ve experienced the last decade. We’ve tried to recruit our way to premierships, this has been short lived. Our seasons have yo-yo’d from top 8 to bottom 8, almost every year. The head coach is locked in for the next 5 years+, we have a full developmental system aligned with other major clubs. Our 17s are the reigning champions, and the above players are on the path to future NRL players.

Unfortunately we will need to wait a few more years to see success at the top grade imo, whilst our pathways are set up to provide long term consistency.

The reality is, what we’ve been doing hasn’t been working. we now have the model for success, however we now just need to wait for these future first graders to develop.

This might seem like another ‘just be patient’ post, but when you actually stop and reflect on the organisational changes the club is making, you can start to see the plan they’re deploying & the future is extremely bright for the warriors

Spot on bro it all starts from the grass roots.
We seem to be producing a lot of second rowers and front rowers, if we can sort our spine hookers 5 eights etc to come through with premium experience we will be okay in the next 4 years.
Maybe that's where SJ can slot in as a half's coach/guide.

 

[3rdstriker]

I've not posted for a long time on hear. But it's not all negatives about the Warriors.

It's the fine margin games have costs and unprecedented amount of injuries for sustained period of time to key players in key positions.

Webster I have faith in. The only thing lacking is a winger with pace to burn and maybe next year some ageing forwards.

But there is depth coming through. Hopefully with Jazz leaving and Johnson it gives the club the ability to sign further competition for spots.

Good to see some positivity back in here, I doubt AFB and Jazz leaving next year will be a huge loss in someways it may just be what we need to give a youngster time and the negative traits of afb.

 

[Noitall]

Let's just see what he can do with halasima, he's better than both these players at the same age.

Was interesting to hear Clinton Toopi interview with sen on another thread liking him at centre. He also said he thinks they see him as a prop? Not sure he’s got any inner info on that but fair to say he’s got plenty of growing to do so you never know? Think he probably could play centre at his current size in preparation for the second row or front row position he’ll assume. Think they may need to find somewhere for Eddie Ieremia Toeava and he keeps going back to second row after they’ve played him at centre and prop now. Looks to me the way they’re played in nsw cup that they want players to cover second row and front row. Zion Zyon Maiu’u and TSS are about the only two played solely in the front row

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Spot on bro it all starts from the grass roots.
We seem to be producing a lot of second rowers and front rowers, if we can sort our spine hookers 5 eights etc to come through with premium experience we will be okay in the next 4 years.
Maybe that's where SJ can slot in as a half's coach/guide.

Spot on bro it all starts from the grass roots.
We seem to be producing a lot of second rowers and front rowers, if we can sort our spine hookers 5 eights etc to come through with premium experience we will be okay in the next 4 years.
Maybe that's where SJ can slot in as a half's coach/guide.

Nz can produce quality halves, but they’re few and far between, particularly those who’ve developed in NZ. The best halves traditionally are those who are born in nz, then move to aus & develop In Their superior systems. I’m hopeful this may shift now we’ve got these pathways. I do think we probably need to recruit some of our spine, either Australians or kiwi born aussies (brown etc), as their development is far ahead of the kiwi developed halves.

I think we can see that in our dev recruitment. We’ve brought across a bunch of young Aussie halves. This is the right move, for now.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Spot on bro it all starts from the grass roots.
We seem to be producing a lot of second rowers and front rowers, if we can sort our spine hookers 5 eights etc to come through with premium experience we will be okay in the next 4 years.
Maybe that's where SJ can slot in as a half's coach/guide.

Am I the only one that doesn't want SJ near our young halves?

He can't teach game management?

I mean, Stacy Jones could not teach SJ much?

Maybe I'm being too harsh but media is where he belongs.

 

[3rdstriker]

Am I the only one that doesn't want SJ near our young halves?

He can't teach game management?

I mean, Stacy Jones could not teach SJ much?

Maybe I'm being to harsh but media is where he belongs.

Sj said he had no help from any halves coach when he was brought through, I'm sure his experience is valuable to any up and comer.
Plus I'm not really that keen on hearing his bro voice through the media haha.

 

[juju]

Am I the only one that doesn't want SJ near our young halves?

He can't teach game management?

I mean, Stacy Jones could not teach SJ much?

Maybe I'm being to harsh but media is where he belongs.

It would be a very valuable asset mentoring talent coming through - how many other people could the club access who would have the insights and experience he has had.

A Dally M 7 of the year couldn't teach game management? really? Then theres all the other experience of preparation, handling expectation etc etc

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

It would be a very valuable asset mentoring talent coming through - how many other people could the club access who would have the insights and experience he has had.

A Dally M 7 of the year couldn't teach game management? really? Then theres all the other experience of preparation, handling expectation etc etc

Well that's what I want my halves to learn and learn fast. Sometimes too many cooks in the kitchen can be more confusing. We still have RTS and JFH and Tohu who can lead on the prep and expectations front.

 

[hornbybrown]

Shaun Stevenson would definitely bring a bit of pace. He is a classy player. A little on the Slender side so could do with putty on a couple kgs

 

[Inruin]

Am I the only one that doesn't want SJ near our young halves?

He can't teach game management?

I mean, Stacy Jones could not teach SJ much?

Maybe I'm being too harsh but media is where he belongs.

Andrew Johns, Cooper Cronk, Jonathon Thurston... All would be handy people to have involved in some capacity.

SJ needs to step away for a year or two at least before getting involved