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)

---

This thread is solely for Warriors recruitment and retention discussion. Any posts not related to the above will be deleted.

Repeat offenders could have their access to this page limited.

Please be mindful of what you are posting in this thread before clicking the reply button.

 

[Playdaball]

The club should not continue with Roache in the halves. I believe he is better suited to hooker.
I’ve made my thoughts known about Fred Lussick previously and I’d have no issues if the club releases him. It does seem a little strange though that sign him for 3 years and then change this overnight.

 

[Noitall]

The club should not continue with Roache in the halves. I believe he is better suited to hooker.
I’ve made my thoughts known about Fred Lussick previously and I’d have no issues if the club releases him. It does seem a little strange though that sign him for 3 years and then change this overnight.

Any word on that outside back?

 

[Barty]

For what it’s worth Playdaball was pretty accurate through the season with information when a player was injured, ahead of it been made public.

 

[Noitall]

For what it’s worth Playdaball was pretty accurate through the season with information when a player was injured, ahead of it been made public.

Not doubting Playdaball, I’m just an impatient little kid

 

[MrFrankWhite]

On the Cleary slap incident.

I don’t put too much weight in it. Yes, it’s not good and shouldn’t happen but the context is important. It was at a training session. Was he being pushed beyond his limits? Given harsh feedback when he was physically exhausted?

Black mark against his name and a learning curve for the player but league is all about taking young hormone fuelled bulls and channeling them into weapons on the field. Lots of players do off field stuff but get a pathway back.

A good coach will move on, reset and take it as a challenge to still get the most out of him. It seems this is the route Cleary has taken. Club first.

If there are serious character flaws, he will eventually be moved on.

Its like the constant bad PR infantry soldiers get. Take a bunch of testosterone filled young men, train thmn to be killing devils, but expect them to act like angels.

If you stare into the abyss..

 

[timburgesstheonlyoneiknow]

If the Facebook post is true. It could really impacted the morale in the dressing room.
It would make sense if a couple of players moved on as new blood is required.

 

[Noitall]

The AFB did that destabilised the club this season

Interesting Warriors instagram page has tributes to SJ and Jazz, but nothing for AFB yet

 

[timburgesstheonlyoneiknow]

Interesting Warriors instagram page has tributes to SJ and Jazz, but nothing for AFB yet

Interesting. Is Walker definitely going then as well.

 

[Teets]

Tbh, I'd like to see a major clean out. Everyone can go over the age of 25 ? Lol. Keep Berry, Leiataua, Tuaupiki (Or is he in the 25 bracket now) Taufa Graham and bye to everyone else. I know I know. We need the experience amongst the youngsters.

Not necessarily, Panthers oldest back in the 21 GF was 25 years old.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I'm wondering what the point is with this NSW hooker? Lussick is serviceable as a back up hooker who we've recently resigned.

Given that Clarke is likely going to play back up hooker for us, it seems strange to move someone on who is likely 3rd on the list at hooker, for someone who has less experience and as far as I can see, no significant upside. There can't be much pay difference between them either, so just seems a bit strange that Lussick might be gone all of a sudden?

Also, have we confirmed Erin Clarke yet? Pretty sure it's been 10 days since we heard the rumours so is this a done deal? Maybe waiting til after their last game perhaps

 

[Wellington Warrior]

Interesting Warriors instagram page has tributes to SJ and Jazz, but nothing for AFB yet

Yeah I found it strange that their “Straight Up” video interviewed both SJ and Jazz but nothing from AFB.. apart from some almost accidental footage of him


View: https://youtu.be/ge_Aa3cTfQM?si=4Vs1iM85207GE2zD

 

[Ever Hopeful]

The Healey's are Sharks through and through, so that would be an interesting signing. He's a decent size for a hooker with a good running game. If we are going to play a bench hooker, one that streaks up the middle through tired forwards would be a nice strength to have.

 

[Dantheman]

Not doubting Playdaball, I’m just an impatient little kid

When the world needed him most, he vanished.

 

[Noitall]

I'm wondering what the point is with this NSW hooker? Lussick is serviceable as a back up hooker who we've recently resigned.

Given that Clarke is likely going to play back up hooker for us, it seems strange to move someone on who is likely 3rd on the list at hooker, for someone who has less experience and as far as I can see, no significant upside. There can't be much pay difference between them either, so just seems a bit strange that Lussick might be gone all of a sudden?

Also, have we confirmed Erin Clarke yet? Pretty sure it's been 10 days since we heard the rumours so is this a done deal? Maybe waiting til after their last game perhaps

Being that his old man played his career at five eighth, could we see him as a good option to cross over into the halves?

 

[Wrighty]

I'm wondering what the point is with this NSW hooker? Lussick is serviceable as a back up hooker who we've recently resigned.

Given that Clarke is likely going to play back up hooker for us, it seems strange to move someone on who is likely 3rd on the list at hooker, for someone who has less experience and as far as I can see, no significant upside. There can't be much pay difference between them either, so just seems a bit strange that Lussick might be gone all of a sudden?

Also, have we confirmed Erin Clarke yet? Pretty sure it's been 10 days since we heard the rumours so is this a done deal? Maybe waiting til after their last game perhaps

another poster said Erin Clark is coming here to play middle not hooker and that he mostly played middle in 2024

 

[jonesy101]

I've been reading all this stuff and just hope I'm not being geepeed.

 

[RiceOwl]

For what it’s worth Playdaball was pretty accurate through the season with information when a player was injured, ahead of it been made public.

Yep 100%. I doubted Playdaball this time last year on SJ only for it to be true so he does have the good oil. Will patiently wait to see what comes out…

 

[Falcon]

WEVE FOUND HIM!
Call off the dogs, for all those who had shared their concern for the whereabouts of man mountain and next Big’ thing - Solomon Vasuvalagi last season ( mostly me and Cces to be fair) …to my surprise, he’s magically appeared today playing for a well beaten Akarana side vs Auckland in the first round of the National Championship.
Paterika Vaivai for Auckland had a commanding game in the 36-6 demolition.
I’ve got to say a special mention to Herman Retzlaff. Those who have been following the Auckland comp / regional sides for a while will know this player.
Dead set this man is a machine, seems like he has been around since black and white TV and takes at least 2 hit ups of every set playing in the front row.
What a fantastic example of a guy who loves playing league for his club and province.

 

[Playdaball]

Any word on that outside back?

Montoya

 

[Billyspleen75]

Montoya

Fantastic club man, but I've said for a while that Montoya is a yardstick player. We need 4 outside backs better than Montoya to ever be a finals threat.