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	Rocco Berry	✔	✔
5	Tanah Boyd	✔	✔
6	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔
7	Erin Clark	✔	✔	✔
8	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
9	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
10	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
11	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
12	Morgan Harper	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
24	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
28	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Fatialofa	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Luke Hanson	S
S4	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	S	✔	✔
S5	Sio Kali	S
S6	Patrick Moimoi	S
-	Kahu Capper	T	T
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Jye Linnane	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 28/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 25/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Jye Linnane (Newcastle Knights), Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Tanner Stowers-Smith
Off Contract from 01/11/25 : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Naynay]

Unfortunately it's not the way employment law works.

Any contract will carry clauses for early termination.

A pipe dream to think we can contractually forces Aussies to stay lol

Sorry poor wording on my part, I mean more like the stupid ones where if they don’t make finals they can go on the market.

The club has shown they are compassionate to Australian player that need to go home, so expect that to still apply.

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Yeah Nah the Sharks fucked up big time

Hynes, 26, was already contracted until the end of 2024 but penned a new six-year deal on Thursday that will keep him at the club until 2029.

Sharks make history with ‘surreal’ $7m Hynes deal; Broncos land Bennett blow: Transfer Centre

Sharks make history with ‘surreal’ $7m Hynes deal; Broncos land Bennett blow: Transfer Centre

www.foxsports.com.au

Haha funny they resigned him just before getting dropped from origin destroyed his confidence.

I think Metcalf most likely extends, he looks like he's very happy both on and off the field as long as we offer him enough $$, his price tag will only go up if he gets Dally M at end of year too so wonder if that will factor into it.

 

[Makasene]

Haha funny they resigned him just before getting dropped from origin destroyed his confidence.

I think Metcalf most likely extends, he looks like he's very happy both on and off the field as long as we offer him enough $$, his price tag will only go up if he gets Dally M at end of year too so wonder if that will factor into it.

I expect him to extend too.

It is the contract after that though that could become difficult.

Long way away from that though.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Haha funny they resigned him just before getting dropped from origin destroyed his confidence.

I think Metcalf most likely extends, he looks like he's very happy both on and off the field as long as we offer him enough $$, his price tag will only go up if he gets Dally M at end of year too so wonder if that will factor into it.

It was a weird move. He still had 2 years to run on his contract, no one could approach him, his price was sky high and probably couldn't be higher after a record Dally M.

 

[RobRoyMcCoy]

They got a spare million they had for Brown and were offering close to for Galvin

So do we. I think with all of the leavers (SJ, Tohu, Walker) we are in a great position to retain who we want to, from a dollars perspective. We are better placed to retain than recruit better replacements so I think we should continue down our current road. This means retaining Egan, Metcalf, CHT, Healy by paying them full market rate. Let us not piss around, low ball them so they walk and then we have to find someone better for the same or more money. I get the Oz connection, but if we pay them top whack, they are happy with the club culture and we are succeeding in the comp, they are less likely to leave.

It also means we have money to retain and upgrade the best of our young talent coming through our potent pipeline. We have transformed in this department radically since COVID and with the catchment of all of NZ, as long as we continue to succeed and show a pathway to NRL first grade success, like Leka, Jacob, Demi, Ali, Healy and TSS have demonstrated, we should hopefully attract the cream of the crop in NZ, in competition with the Oz scouts and teams.

With Fish, Egan, Barney, Marata, Capwah and Clark forming a formidable pack and with absolute X Factor young guns coming through it sadly means little chance of Bunty (who is one of my favourite players for his devotion to the club), Ale, Lussick and Going having a long term future at the Warriors.

The backs (outside of the halves) is a little different. I think retaining TMM would be a good bet as he is qualitay, reasonable value and great cover for LM and CHT, plus he has utility elsewhere in the backline. Our aging wingers are probably where we need to recruit externally or find some local young stars.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/13581534881?profile=RESIZE_1200x

Eels forum watching the Metcalf situation

Awesome! I hope they celebrate with us when he extends.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Don't see Metcalf going anywhere for the 6 jersey. The guy is desperate to be a 7. We may be in strife if Cleary continues to rise however

Cross that bridge when it happens.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Are the eels also watching the Martin, Kosi and bunty situation?

 

[Lance155]

They got a spare million they had for Brown and were offering close to for Galvin

1. We could match it
2. Don't see money being a motivating factor.

He will be a 6 there. He is loving being so involved at 7, won't give that up. Much more likely to go to another club at halfback