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

 

[Inruin]

In a squad of 30, I would say 14-16 players coming off contract is as "war chest"ey as it gets tbf haha

Barring Taine, Ali, and Te Maire, can't see any of those players being due big pay rises either, that is if they are extended at all

its going to be an interesting couple of seasons ahead. AW has been working largely with the squad he inherited. We are now starting to head in to the period where he is putting together the group of players he wants. From our youth we look like we have some potential stars in the forwards and a couple of outside backs. We look a little short at hooker and probably our weakest area would be our halves at the moment. Be interesting to see not only who we sign but also who he is comfortable with letting go and when.

 

[Noitall]

its going to be an interesting couple of seasons ahead. AW has been working largely with the squad he inherited. We are now starting to head in to the period where he is putting together the group of players he wants. From our youth we look like we have some potential stars in the forwards and a couple of outside backs. We look a little short at hooker and probably our weakest area would be our halves at the moment. Be interesting to see not only who we sign but also who he is comfortable with letting go and when.

Don’t mind the look of the hookers in nsw cup Tafua and Auloa. Still reckon Roache is a dummy half too

 

[Defence]

Funny one with our hookers- we always seem to have these boom juniors who get talked up a treat but never arrive.
Maybe need to look at the type of athletes we are trying to develop in that position.

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Funny one with our hookers- we always seem to have these boom juniors who get talked up a treat but never arrive.
Maybe need to look at the type of athletes we are trying to develop in that position.

Our nuggety hookers always seem to turn out as locks - Havili, Clarke, Otukolo playing some time there in lower grades.

Tafua looks a more traditional hooker's build

 

[Noitall]

Our nuggety hookers always seem to turn out as locks - Havili, Clarke, Otukolo playing some time there in lower grades.

Jazz too at one stage had hooker on his resume

 

[Theking267]

Tafua & Aloua look promising at hooker. Hanson will probably get some game time in the halves next year at the NRL level. Jack Thompson looks like the best half prospect in the system, after winning the Harold Matthew’s & he is getting time at ASSRL Championship with NSW CCC.

 

[Kav1]

At least once every three pages someone mentions Willison.
There is no rumour he is coming here. He is signed to the end of 2025 and can come here 2026 at earliest.

NRL site says he becomes available from November 1 this year.

 

[Teets]

Funny one with our hookers- we always seem to have these boom juniors who get talked up a treat but never arrive.
Maybe need to look at the type of athletes we are trying to develop in that position.

Our nuggety hookers always seem to turn out as locks - Havili, Clarke, Otukolo playing some time there in lower grades.

Tafua looks a more traditional hooker's build

Yeah this why I wasn't as high on Fukafuka as others here were. Classic old school Warriors junior type, power athlete with barnstorming highlight reel from big 1st XV pedigree.

Was ahead of Tafua even though Tafua was always the best hooker at every rep tournament for his age group.

Problem with these gun rugby players in the playmaking positions is even though the core skill set doesn't look too disimilar for say a union half v league hooker, they're worlds different.

I still think Fukafuka can be something good, he's certainly skilled and strong, but I think it'll probably be more in that hybrid Havili, Clark, Cheese mode.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

NRL site says he becomes available from November 1 this year.

He'll be available from 2026 onwards, but is able to negotiate from November this year for his next contract.

 

[Five&Last]

Yeah this why I wasn't as high on Fukafuka as others here were. Classic old school Warriors junior type, power athlete with barnstorming highlight reel from big 1st XV pedigree.

Was ahead of Tafua even though Tafua was always the best hooker at every rep tournament for his age group.

Problem with these gun rugby players in the playmaking positions is even though the core skill set doesn't look too disimilar for say a union half v league hooker, they're worlds different.

I still think Fukafuka can be something good, he's certainly skilled and strong, but I think it'll probably be more in that hybrid Havili, Clark, Cheese mode.

Tbf Fukafuka has a gun kicking game which sets him apart from Tafua and Auloa. But I dont know what it is, maybe he's just a poor trainer like Otukolo was.

 

[Noitall]

Tbf Fukafuka has a gun kicking game which sets him apart from Tafua and Auloa. But I dont know what it is, maybe he's just a poor trainer like Otukolo was.

Even though it was a losing effort on the weekend, Tafua looks nippy

 

[Five&Last]

Funny one with our hookers- we always seem to have these boom juniors who get talked up a treat but never arrive.
Maybe need to look at the type of athletes we are trying to develop in that position.

I think they're starting to do that. For example, its pretty devastating to lose Kaawyn Patterson to the Bulldogs. Dominant at hooker in Harold Matts. But the kid is tiny. Maybe like 5'7, if that? Looks considerably smaller than Auloa when standing next to each other at the awards night. How much chance does he have of becoming a quality first grader at that size unless he has a late growth spurt. Similar issues for Paul Roache.

Maybe they've put their eggs in the Tafua and Auloa basket.

Tafua looks like the one that could make the transition easiest. Big for a hooker, strong on defense, Brandon Smith like try scoring ability and good passing service.

He doesn't have the speed off the mark that Patterson has, but still probably a safer bet.

 

[Worried2Death]

It’s been plain to see that Robinson is willing to make big calls and go after the best. Hughes falls into that echelon. To me, he or Dylan Brown are the best out there that fit the Warriors

Hughes and Brown is a premiership winning halves pair, I'd shed a few players to get them including SJ, Metcalf, TMM as he likely wouldn't stay to play backup half. Keep CHT as 14. Won't happen but doubt we're a genuine title threat in the near future without the best halves in the comp.

 

[Noitall]

Hughes and Brown is a premiership winning halves pair, I'd shed a few players to get them including SJ, Metcalf, TMM as he likely wouldn't stay to play backup half. Keep CHT as 14. Won't happen but doubt we're a genuine title threat in the near future without the best halves in the comp.

Expensive pairing but storm are doing it with Munster and Papenhuyzen out the back. Still hopeful that Webster can figure out a way to make it work between SJ and TMM when he returns. Still hard to say why SJ hasn’t taken the offer on the table for him?

 

[Worried2Death]

Expensive pairing but storm are doing it with Munster and Papenhuyzen out the back. Still hopeful that Webster can figure out a way to make it work between SJ and TMM when he returns. Still hard to say why SJ hasn’t taken the offer on the table for him?

With SJ, Tohu, TMM and Meltcalf off the books that's a cool $2 mill and change for our new premiership halves. Can you really see Te Maire and Shaun winning us a comp? I have my doubts now.

 

[Makasene]

Posted in SJs thread too but possibly relevant here.

Announcement coming on Thursday


View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9J1WguJ61k/?igsh=ZHg2c2dubXZ0ZTg=

 

[Beastmode]

Posted in SJs thread too but possibly relevant here.

Announcement coming on Thursday


View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9J1WguJ61k/?igsh=ZHg2c2dubXZ0ZTg=

Doesn’t look like an extension is coming…. he’s moved on to other things

 

[Makasene]

Doesn’t look like an extension is coming…. he’s moved on to other things

100% - he's retiring at seasons end.

Kudos to the club, looks like they have let him handle it.

No doubt he will hope to get on the field before seasons end, hopefully a finals match.

 

[Lets Eat (YeahNah)]

Posted in SJs thread too but possibly relevant here.

Announcement coming on Thursday


View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9J1WguJ61k/?igsh=ZHg2c2dubXZ0ZTg=

SJ setting up his afterlife, office for SJ Enterprises or SJ Podcast and media duties incoming

Let the man EAT
Respect

 

[francis]

100% - he's retiring at seasons end.

Kudos to the club, looks like they have let him handle it.

No doubt he will hope to get on the field before seasons end, hopefully a finals match.

he'll be able to get a job on Fox or Sky as a comments man because he's a natural & a part time skils coach with us js