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

 

[Worried2Death]

Whispers Jazz is heading to manly
View attachment 8678

Good for him, deserves some success with a good team. He's right, they probably will come over and spank us, it's going to hurt even more now with Jazz rubbing it in.

 

[Worried2Death]

After the re-signings of Leniu and Watson, I'm just waiting for the Roosters to crush the infinitesimal hope of Sam Walker. We have to get halfback sorted to go anywhere in 2025 and beyond.

Let's face it we're no chance of a premiership window in the next couple of years without an elite halfback. Unless we've signed Hughes or someone of that calibre, last year with SJ was our shot for a while.

 

[Noitall]

Surely we have some ins coming? Even accounting for upgrades to promising juniors there should be cap space and roster spots to fill.

It would be nice to know if we are going for a big gun or some squad players with upside.

After the re-signings of Leniu and Watson, I'm just waiting for the Roosters to crush the infinitesimal hope of Sam Walker. We have to get halfback sorted to go anywhere in 2025 and beyond.

There was $700k we were sending SJ’s way for starters without Jazz going and making further room. Would imagine we would have a decent kitty?

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I hope we’re chasing naufahu whyte. Kiwi born & raised, and must be getting frustrated with limited minutes. Jared’s leaving next year but they’ve got Terrell May, Leniu just re signed, Collins, Nat butcher, radley, Egan butcher, Connor Watson all playing middle minutes. With Wong up and coming. All are first graders, can’t keep them all.

 

[Noitall]

Good for him, deserves some success with a good team. He's right, they probably will come over and spank us, it's going to hurt even more now with Jazz rubbing it in.

Was wondering why he was letting Nathan Brown run amok again manly? Because they’re going to be teammates

 

[Noitall]

Let's face it we're no chance of a premiership window in the next couple of years without an elite halfback. Unless we've signed Hughes or someone of that calibre, last year with SJ was our shot for a while.

Mitchell Moses swap for Bunty

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Halfbacks Off contract after 2025 & can start negotiating in November, (we all know contracts mean nothing these days too)

Jake Arthur, Daniel Atkinson, Tanah Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Tom Duffy, Kyle Flanagan, Jackson Hastings, Bailey Hayward, Ben Hunt, Drew Hutchison, Lachlan Ilias, Sean O'Sullivan, Jonah Pezet, Adam Reynolds, Brad Schneider, Toby Sexton, Aidan Sezer, Blake Taaffe, Chad Townsend, Braydon Trindall, Sam Walker

Some decent names here. Boyd, Ilias, Pezet, Schneider, sexton, Walker are probably the only options with upside. The rest are either washed up, too old, aren’t leaving or not worth chasing imo.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

There’s also the rumour of Moses to roosters, walker to broncos when Reynolds retires. He was a broncos junior after all. I’d say he’s more likely to end in there, than take a million + with the warriors.

 

[Worried2Death]

Halfbacks Off contract after 2025 & can start negotiating in November, (we all know contracts mean nothing these days too)

Jake Arthur, Daniel Atkinson, Tanah Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Tom Duffy, Kyle Flanagan, Jackson Hastings, Bailey Hayward, Ben Hunt, Drew Hutchison, Lachlan Ilias, Sean O'Sullivan, Jonah Pezet, Adam Reynolds, Brad Schneider, Toby Sexton, Aidan Sezer, Blake Taaffe, Chad Townsend, Braydon Trindall, Sam Walker

Some decent names here. Boyd, Ilias, Pezet, Schneider, sexton, Walker are probably the only options with upside. The rest are either washed up, too old, aren’t leaving or not worth chasing imo.

Cherry-Evans you say... can we get him and Saab in time for when we play Jazz

 

[Ever Hopeful]

There’s also the rumour of Moses to roosters, walker to broncos when Reynolds retires. He was a broncos junior after all. I’d say he’s more likely to end in there, than take a million + with the warriors.

Massively long odds, but this club needs to make a big play at quality. Maybe we need to buy a few of his mates to go with Kurt Capewell. Whānau away from home.

I'm sure there are irons in the fire with him and Hughes. Both near impossibilities.

 

[Noitall]

Halfbacks Off contract after 2025 & can start negotiating in November, (we all know contracts mean nothing these days too)

Jake Arthur, Daniel Atkinson, Tanah Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Tom Duffy, Kyle Flanagan, Jackson Hastings, Bailey Hayward, Ben Hunt, Drew Hutchison, Lachlan Ilias, Sean O'Sullivan, Jonah Pezet, Adam Reynolds, Brad Schneider, Toby Sexton, Aidan Sezer, Blake Taaffe, Chad Townsend, Braydon Trindall, Sam Walker

Some decent names here. Boyd, Ilias, Pezet, Schneider, sexton, Walker are probably the only options with upside. The rest are either washed up, too old, aren’t leaving or not worth chasing imo.

We could see TMM having a couple of solid years as our halfback? Coming into his best years age wise as far as a lot of halves go and a settled life with a newborn. Certainly provided plenty of try assists and was noticed by many leading us around. He and Metcalf could be a good pairing for us? Injuries are a worry for both also

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Halfbacks Off contract after 2025 & can start negotiating in November, (we all know contracts mean nothing these days too)

Jake Arthur, Daniel Atkinson, Tanah Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Tom Duffy, Kyle Flanagan, Jackson Hastings, Bailey Hayward, Ben Hunt, Drew Hutchison, Lachlan Ilias, Sean O'Sullivan, Jonah Pezet, Adam Reynolds, Brad Schneider, Toby Sexton, Aidan Sezer, Blake Taaffe, Chad Townsend, Braydon Trindall, Sam Walker

Some decent names here. Boyd, Ilias, Pezet, Schneider, sexton, Walker are probably the only options with upside. The rest are either washed up, too old, aren’t leaving or not worth chasing imo.

Thought I read something awhile back that Ilias was free to go to a club for 2025.

 

[Noitall]

There’s also the rumour of Moses to roosters, walker to broncos when Reynolds retires. He was a broncos junior after all. I’d say he’s more likely to end in there, than take a million + with the warriors.

So much surely going on at the broncos with the players they need to re sign. They’ve got a highly regarded Coby Black that they’ve just re signed

 

[Warriorsfan92]

We could see TMM having a couple of solid years as our halfback? Coming into his best years age wise as far as a lot of halves go and a settled life with a newborn. Certainly provided plenty of try assists and was noticed by many leading us around. He and Metcalf could be a good pairing for us? Injuries are a worry for both also

I’m personally very optimistic around TMM/metcalf. Running 6, controlling 7. TMM try assists were right up there with the best in the league when he was given the keys. If this is the pathway, we need to find the right balance in our squad if our spine isn’t going to be elite.

I guess the reality is, TMM & charnze are both international players, Egan was highly touted for an origin debut this year & Metcalf has been a gun in waiting for many years. If that spine can be serviceable, with the forwards laying the platform & the backs finishing we could do well. I just don’t think that’s strong enough to compete to win a premiership when you’re going up against spine of Cleary/edwards, turbo/dce/brooks, Hughes/papi/grant/munster.

It does feel like our cap is a little skewed. When you look at Melbourne, they’ve put 80% of their cap into their spine & chosen battlers and/or out of favour players in blore, katoa, utoikamanu etc and been the most consistent team this last decade. Whereas we’ve gone the opposite approach & put all our money into an aging forward pack .

It’s evident our issues are our execution when in the red zone. Forwards are doing their job, but the halves aren’t creating enough opportunities and we’re getting turned around to defend. We’ve dominated field position, run metres, post contact metres etc this year but lose on the scoreboard. It doesn’t take a genius to work out where we need to invest imo.

 

[Worried2Death]

So much surely going on at the broncos with the players they need to re sign. They’ve got a highly regarded Coby Black that they’ve just re signed

Are we any chance at Cobbo? He seemed to have a good time here last offseason, he got so comfortable he admitted Kevvie can't coach on a poddy.

 

[Inruin]

Are we any chance at Cobbo? He seemed to have a good time here last offseason, he got so comfortable he admitted Kevvie can't coach on a poddy.

I seriously hope not. Really don't rate him, his defence or his work rate. And he's a moron.

 

[Noitall]

I’m personally very optimistic around TMM/metcalf. Running 6, controlling 7. TMM try assists were right up there with the best in the league when he was given the keys. If this is the pathway, we need to find the right balance in our squad if our spine isn’t going to be elite.

I guess the reality is, TMM & charnze are both international players, Egan was highly touted for an origin debut this year & Metcalf has been a gun in waiting for many years. If that spine can be serviceable, with the forwards laying the platform & the backs finishing we could do well. I just don’t think that’s strong enough to compete to win a premiership when you’re going up against spine of Cleary/edwards, turbo/dce/brooks, Hughes/papi/grant/munster.

It does feel like our cap is a little skewed. When you look at Melbourne, they’ve put 80% of their cap into their spine & chosen battlers and/or out of favour players in blore, katoa, utoikamanu etc and been the most consistent team this last decade. Whereas we’ve gone the opposite approach & put all our money into an aging forward pack .

It’s evident our issues are our execution when in the red zone. Forwards are doing their job, but the halves aren’t creating enough opportunities and we’re getting turned around to defend. We’ve dominated field position, run metres, post contact metres etc this year but lose on the scoreboard. It doesn’t take a genius to work out where we need to invest imo.

Watching the team play with SJ, it looks like the opposition knows exactly what’s coming. SJ had massive success taking the ball deep into the line last year, something I noticed with TMM this year. I mentioned last year how lucky we were getting SJ at the salary we were with his form, we were able to put a large emphasis on our forward pack but I think a bit more unstructured play could benefit us. Nothing changes from needing Egan to suck defenders in to create space for the halves and think this has been an area that’s let us down this year amongst others

 

[Worried2Death]

And he's a moron.

Yeah but we're not in a position to discriminate just because they're Queenslanders mate

 

[Noitall]

Are we any chance at Cobbo? He seemed to have a good time here last offseason, he got so comfortable he admitted Kevvie can't coach on a poddy.

See police have let him off his domestic violence charge. Broncos can keep him and force Willison out with his large salary he wants hopefully

 

[Inruin]

Watching the team play with SJ, it looks like the opposition knows exactly what’s coming. SJ had massive success taking the ball deep into the line last year, something I noticed with TMM this year. I mentioned last year how lucky we were getting SJ at the salary we were with his form, we were able to put a large emphasis on our forward pack but I think a bit more unstructured play could benefit us. Nothing changes from needing Egan to suck defenders in to create space for the halves and think this has been an area that’s let us down this year amongst others

With TMM at 7 we scored enough points to win the majority of games. It was our defence that let us down. Whether that is the change in assistant coaches, perhaps a bit of attitude with AFB leaving or RTS taking a potentially unearned spot or a combination of all of that. Whatever it was it didn't look like the team had bought in to it the same way they had in 2023. I did enjoy the combined onfield leadership of TMM, Walker, Barney when they were together and seemed to have the playing group with them. Add in JFH and that's a good combination of players to follow on and off field.

A decent winger who can defend well should be high on our list of needs and I'm really struggling to fit RTS anywhere now in the team. Probably left wing instead of Montoya? RTS has made some rookie errors this year and is a very individualistic player with ball in hand. If TMM and LM are our halves then I'd go with Ali and Berry (is there any update on him) as our centres. Both run good lines, hit the holes. Which is what a player like TMM needs to utilize his short passing game. RTS doesn't fit that.