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

 

[Five&Last]

No response to the actual stats I post after youve requested them! No stats from you, just your opinion. Which is great, but if you're going to call me out about stats...maybe be able to back your argument up too?

Can you read??

Edit: here's a stat for you, there's only 4 forwards in the top 50 for total handling errors this season across the whole competition. If you want to use stats, make them relevant to the argument and compare apple with apples.

 

[Defence]

Wrighty, Evan's debuted in Round 5 & then played in 10 of the next 12 games (6 starts) in the lead up to writing that on his wrist, when he was 18th man! The bloke wasn't hard done by, he was mentally unstable as shown by his 2 Sin Bins in 30 minutes!

Haha didn’t realize he was 18th man-
That makes it so much funnier who was he gonna fold?
Could’ve wrote something more useful- like “peel some oranges”

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Can you read??

Edit: here's a stat for you, there's only 4 forwards in the top 50 for total handling errors this season across the whole competition. If you want to use stats, make them relevant to the argument and compare apple with apples.

What are you two actually arguing about? Jazz’s 4 handling errors this season, none of which I recall directly resulting in us losing games… unlike RTS & Tohu.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

What are you two actually arguing about? Jazz’s 4 handling errors this season, none of which I recall directly resulting in us losing games… unlike RTS & Tohu.

Keep Jazz, drop Tohu.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Keep Jazz, drop Tohu.

Cool, sorry I missed all yesterdays action on here. I reckon Jazz has been fantastic for us since coming back from his injury. Tohu has been blah so far this season, needs to lift. On recent form I wouldn’t have him starting & need to question what of our salary cap we’re allocating to him. If it’s a question of freeing up space for our youngsters then surely there has to be pressure on him.

 

[Falcon]

There is going to be a lot of money to spend for the 2026 season due to so many players off contract, some will not be resigned/ retiring.
Targets available from November. It will be interesting to see who they are.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

There is going to be a lot of money to spend for the 2026 season due to so many players off contract, some will not be resigned/ retiring.
Targets available from November. It will be interesting to see who they are.

It will be Dylan Brown, Xavier Willison, Selwyn Cobbo & Haumole Olakau'atu. I know because i am the mysterious big guy with the leg tattoo at the bar talking to Mohawk & he told me then.

 

[Wah's Up]

Can you read??

Edit: here's a stat for you, there's only 4 forwards in the top 50 for total handling errors this season across the whole competition. If you want to use stats, make them relevant to the argument and compare apple with apples.

May I suggest we go to the video Ref or the third umpire to settle this dispute.

 

[Makasene]

Cool, sorry I missed all yesterdays action on here. I reckon Jazz has been fantastic for us since coming back from his injury. Tohu has been blah so far this season, needs to lift. On recent form I wouldn’t have him starting & need to question what of our salary cap we’re allocating to him. If it’s a question of freeing up space for our youngsters then surely there has to be pressure on him.

How would that work though? Who's going to take him for $700k ish next year? Would he even want to leave?

Medical retirement would be the only option in my eyes.

Unless Tohu pulls stumps himself.

Most likely outcome would be he sees out his final year next year

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

How would that work though? Who's going to take him for $700k ish next year? Would he even want to leave?

Medical retirement would be the only option in my eyes.

Unless Tohu pulls stumps himself.

Most likely outcome would be he sees out his final year next year

Yeah agree, contractually there’s probably very little we could do. Just need to hope he finds some energy & gets back towards what he’s delivered in the past.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

How would that work though? Who's going to take him for $700k ish next year? Would he even want to leave?

Medical retirement would be the only option in my eyes.

Unless Tohu pulls stumps himself.

Most likely outcome would be he sees out his final year next year

If he’s not performing to the KPI’s in his contract, justifying his huge pay, wouldn’t the club have a talk and they ‘agree’ it’s time to retire?

 

[Tragic]

How can be go from one of the best players in the league to mud in 12 months? Injury? Age/ speed? Form slump? Or is it just that the team is all not playing as well?

 

[Falcon]

I think Tohu is a pretty awesome player who we will be thankful he’s back in the side for the 2nd half of the season.
I’d like to see AW manage his minutes a touch, - possibly coming on first interchange to half time, playing the first 15 of the 2nd half snd then coming on for the last 15 of the 2nd half.
His interlinking ball play is great, he’s a fantastic tackler and never shy taking a hit up,. He does currently play massive minutes in the middle and that’s going to sap the energy levels and possibly dilute the great qualities he offers the team.

 

[jonesy101]

May I suggest we go to the video Ref or the third umpire to settle this dispute.

Five&Last gets 2 weeks for an early guilty plea and Tookey 2.0 a $1500 fine.

 

[Makasene]

I think Tohu is a pretty awesome player who we will be thankful he’s back in the side for the 2nd half of the season.
I’d like to see AW manage his minutes a touch, - possibly coming on first interchange to half time, playing the first 15 of the 2nd half snd then coming on for the last 15 of the 2nd half.
His interlinking ball play is great, he’s a fantastic tackler and never shy taking a hit up,. He does currently play massive minutes in the middle and that’s going to sap the energy levels and possibly dilute the great qualities he offers the team.

Well put, the next step is to find a way to make him more effective.

If it means less minutes then that's what's required to do.

 

[j-p]

Hire can be go from one of the best players in the league to mud in 12 months? Injury? Age/ speed? Form slump? Or is it just that the team is all not playing as well?

1 thing that never fails is people are very quick to write off a player/coach. I still remember everyone being happy he extended his contract lol

 

[Beastmode]

Well put, the next step is to find a way to make him more effective.

If it means less minutes then that's what's required to do.

It’s that simple really…
Just play him less minutes

 

[Ever Hopeful]

I think Tohu is a pretty awesome player who we will be thankful he’s back in the side for the 2nd half of the season.
I’d like to see AW manage his minutes a touch, - possibly coming on first interchange to half time, playing the first 15 of the 2nd half snd then coming on for the last 15 of the 2nd half.
His interlinking ball play is great, he’s a fantastic tackler and never shy taking a hit up,. He does currently play massive minutes in the middle and that’s going to sap the energy levels and possibly dilute the great qualities he offers the team.

Yep, last year he was in the trifecta of 'irreplaceables.' Time does catch up, but I agree that less minutes are the way forward. Particularly if it means a dynamic spell at 13 from Walker.

 

[watcher]

Regarding Jazz I believe he has a future at the Warriors as a mentor at NSW Cup outside the top 30. He is a proven success for young Polynesian/Maori players from the suburbs and young players will recognise and trspect that. If needed he can play first grafe when the restrictions end.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Five&Last gets 2 weeks for an early guilty plea and Tookey 2.0 a $1500 fine.

Can I pull a Ryan Matterson and just miss the 2 weeks instead