Recruitment Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention Discussion​

-	Player	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
1	Bunty Afoa	✔
2	Tom Ale	✔
3	Mitchell Barnett	✔	✔	✔
4	The Greatest of All-Time	✔	✔
5	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔
6	Erin Clark	✔	✔	✔
7	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
8	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
9	Jackson Ford	✔
10	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔
11	Tohu Harris	✔
12	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	M
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	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔
25	Demitric Sifakula	✔	C
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Dylan Walker	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔
D1	Kalani Going	D
D2	Tanner Stowers-Smith	D
T1	Jett Cleary	T	D	D

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, D = Development contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 2/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Development 2025: 3/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 13/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Jackson Ford, Tohu Harris, Ed Kosi, Ali Leiataua, Te Maire Martin, Marcelo Montoya, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Taine Tuaupiki, Dylan Walker, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Kalani Going (D), Tanner Stowers-Smith (D), Chanel Harris-Tavita (M), Demitric Sifakula (C)

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[PNG Kiwi]

I think we need to wait and see if other players are leaving, Walker, Bunty, maybe Montoya, Kosi. Is Roger to Rugby a possibility? If Tahu doesn't recover from surgery and medically retires.
That potentially with the confirmed players leaving is a big hole to fix, and are there the players out there?
As fans you would like to see under-performing players s traded or moved on, but every team wants to improve their roster so that is not usually possible.

 

[Playdaball]

If TT doesn’t get first grade time at the Warriors, he’d be a great get for many NRL sides and he’d be another Katoa … goes to a good side and turns out to be a superstar

 

[timburgesstheonlyoneiknow]

So if I read it correctly. If Clark is signed that leaves one place in the 30.

I'm guessing they maybe one or two departure from the squad. The rumours about Bunty and Walker must have some substance.
Key for next year is the return of Tohu and the stepping up of Niukora in his performances.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I’ve been thinking regarding the fb/centre/wing dilemma, and who would we be most disappointed to lose?

For me:
1. Charnze. He’s warriors through and through & is all out effort. Great for club culture.
2. Ali. Kids a beast & im sure other clubs are on the lookout for a young, game breaking centre.
3. DWZ. One of the games best finishers & great for club culture. Cult hero stuff.
4. Roger. He brings a lot of intangibles, he’s played for the all Blacks, kiwis, won premierships etc. he wasn’t fantastic this year but his off field work with our juniors is huge
5. Berry. Still think this guy has a lot of development to go. He’s a strong defender, rangy centre that can hit a good line. I think people are forgetting how good he was.
6. Marcelo. Again, good for culture. A bit rocks and diamonds but he can’t be on a big wicket. You need players like this who won’t break the bank but do a decent job.
7. Adam Pompey. Fairly experienced, always does a job in first grade but never amazing. Good depth & cheap contract.
8. Ed kosi. Can be released at any point.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

I’ve been thinking regarding the fb/centre/wing dilemma, and who would we be most disappointed to lose?

For me:
1. Charnze. He’s warriors through and through & is all out effort. Great for club culture.
2. Ali. Kids a beast & im sure other clubs are on the lookout for a young, game breaking centre.
3. DWZ. One of the games best finishers & great for club culture. Cult hero stuff.
4. Roger. He brings a lot of intangibles, he’s played for the all Blacks, kiwis, won premierships etc. he wasn’t fantastic this year but his off field work with our juniors is huge
5. Berry. Still think this guy has a lot of development to go. He’s a strong defender, rangy centre that can hit a good line. I think people are forgetting how good he was.
6. Marcelo. Again, good for culture. A bit rocks and diamonds but he can’t be on a big wicket. You need players like this who won’t break the bank but do a decent job.
7. Adam Pompey. Fairly experienced, always does a job in first grade but never amazing. Good depth & cheap contract.
8. Ed kosi. Can be released at any point.

Kosi needs to be cut immediately!

I would do this for M G Taufa.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Fullback: C N Klokstad, T Tuaupiki, R T Sheck.

Wings: D W Zelezniak, R T Sheck, M Montoya, M G Taufa.

Centre: left: A Leiataua, A Pompey.
Right: R Berry, M G Taufa. RTS Depth centre.

R T S is a winger now, I hope webby settles it before the season starts.

 

[SBW1]

Roger to Rugby what is that all about?

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Roger to Rugby what is that all about?

What have you heard?

 

[Evil_Mush]

What have you heard?

Isn't this just referring to Japan Rugby that he was initially going to do before being woo'ed back here?

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Isn't this just referring to Japan Rugby that he was initially going to do before being woo'ed back here?

Do not know hence why I asked.

 

[Lets Eat (YeahNah)]

Glass half full perspective here
Wingers with decent / express pace for me, gives an attacking and finishing option on both sides of the field.

Take Jason Saab Manly can run but not great on D, Khan Pereira Titans great on attack average on D, Dom Young Chooks nice on attack, Ok on D.

Wingers should be attack weapons, get a centre and inside D line that trust each other and communicate on defence.

TT at FB with that support run in the same style as Trai Fuller now for Phins and how Locke (early version) was for us.

Defence systems are all very much the same, we need to score points and we need weapons for our halves combo to work with.

Pace and attack are natural, D we can work on

 

[CWC]

Glass half full perspective here
Wingers with decent / express pace for me, gives an attacking and finishing option on both sides of the field.

Take Jason Saab Manly can run but not great on D, Khan Pereira Titans great on attack average on D, Dom Young Chooks nice on attack, Ok on D.

Wingers should be attack weapons, get a centre and inside D line that trust each other and communicate on defence.

TT at FB with that support run in the same style as Trai Fuller now for Phins and how Locke (early version) was for us.

Defence systems are all very much the same, we need to score points and we need weapons for our halves combo to work with.

Pace and attack are natural, D we can work on

Yup I think Dallin copped too much from fans sometimes, he's there to finish tries, you just have to tolerate his D which can be up and down during the season. Our other wingers don't ground that 2nd try and probably get bundled into touch in the clutch try in the weekend.

Fuller plays halfback and The Hammer moved to centre, and they beat the Broncos by 30 points, what does that tell you Webby? Charnz looked better than Roger at centre and Taine distributes better than Roger, and Roger turns around to defend grubbers better than Monty, it's a no brainer

 

[Defence]

If TT doesn’t get first grade time at the Warriors, he’d be a great get for many NRL sides and he’d be another Katoa … goes to a good side and turns out to be a superstar

Which clubs do u think would offer TT a starting spot?
I can’t think of any tbh.

 

[Wrighty]

Which clubs do u think would offer TT a starting spot?
I can’t think of any tbh.

Bears
PNG

 

[kos]

Which clubs do u think would offer TT a starting spot?
I can’t think of any tbh.
[/QUO

Bears
PNG

They are a couple of years away yet

 

[Wrighty]

I have figured out in my gut who the warriors target recruitment wise. When I saw us lose to the Titans 66 to fuck all the forward that stuck out the most was Erin Clark. He punched above his size and weight and came at us hard all game making significant PCMs.
I feel like he got himself a contract with us that day. In the absence of Tino he has been their best two way middle in their side.
Two way is an NHL hockey expression meaning you play and turn up at both ends of the rink.
warriors recruit guys with untapped potential who punch above their weight.
At least with forwards
With backs we are less systematic and more likely to go with players who have big raps
1) Volkman had big raps
2) TMM was making waves at Broncos - big raps
3) Reece Walsh is my poster child for this theory - big raps before we got him

Montoya and that journeyman centre his name escapes from last year are the only hard working acquisitions in the backs i can recall.

I say if we get a back or a half it will be someone with big raps.

 

[kos]

Interesting Wrighty
Are you saying recruitment is influenced some times by the owner?
For example RTS

Erin has been great for the titans - I went to every Titans home game except one- doesn’t matter where he plays he s consistent and Rewa hard

 

[Worried2Death]

Montoya and that journeyman centre his name escapes from last year are the only hard working acquisitions in the backs i can recall.

Brayden Williame?

 

[Wrighty]

Interesting Wrighty
Are you saying recruitment is influenced some times by the owner?
For example RTS

Erin has been great for the titans - I went to every Titans home game except one- doesn’t matter where he plays he s consistent and Rewa hard

Erin is the same weight at Jazz 98Kgs and only 1 inch taller. But looks an order of magnitude bigger than Jazz to the eye. I think some of Jazz's 98kgs was ineffective.

No I am not saying recruitment is influenced by the owner. I think we go for shiny toys in the backs is what I am saying.