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	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	✔	✔
13	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
14	Edward Kosi	✔
15	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
16	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
17	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
18	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	C
28	Dylan Walker	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Tanah Boyd	S	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Tanner Stowers-Smith	S
T1	Jett Cleary	T	S	S

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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 3/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Development 2025: 4/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 20/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 2/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Tohu Harris, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Dylan Walker, Kalani Going (S), Tanner Stowers-Smith (S), Demitric Vaimauga (C)

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[Noitall]

Plenty have commented on the atmosphere at the ground. Would love to see more of this at Go Media.
Would love to see a double header a few weeks in a row with a carnival type atmosphere. Would be awesome to see a tournament with maybe Kiwis, England, Samoa, Tonga. Imagine a double header with those teams.

Ideal time would be when origin is on but they wouldn’t want to do that with the amount of Pacific players in origin teams and I think the viewership would be far higher than origin too

 

[SJ2k]

My point is the toll of playing all those finals matches, afb was awesome in the first half but thought jfhs second stint was better

That is a good point, AFB's had a much longer stint off. Obviously want the kiwis to win, but glad JFH is getting a week off. Dude's been putting in work.

 

[Inruin]

Ideal time would be when origin is on but they wouldn’t want to do that with the amount of Pacific players in origin teams and I think the viewership would be far higher than origin too

I'm honestly over Australia test matches. We shouldn't be waiting for them to lift the international game either. The NZRL should get off their asses and get organized.

3 weeks of double headers. One in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington each. Rotate the opposition between the four teams so one week you have kiwis v england and Tonga v Samoa. Next week would be england v Tonga, kiwis v Samoa etc... get some decent sponsorship and tv deal.

All three played in October would be ideal. To difficult logistically, mainly for england to be played during origin

 

[Inruin]

My point is the toll of playing all those finals matches, afb was awesome in the first half but thought jfhs second stint was better

Yeah I thought JFH was a beast at the end with those hit ups he had

 

[Noitall]

I'm honestly over Australia test matches. We shouldn't be waiting for them to lift the international game either. The NZRL should get off their asses and get organized.

3 weeks of double headers. One in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington each. Rotate the opposition between the four teams so one week you have kiwis v england and Tonga v Samoa. Next week would be england v Tonga, kiwis v Samoa etc... get some decent sponsorship and tv deal.

All three played in October would be ideal. To difficult logistically, mainly for england to be played during origin

Does nrl pay for things regarding internationals or is it independent?

 

[Inruin]

Does nrl pay for things regarding internationals or is it independent?

Probably should have this all moved to another thread. In regards to NRL paying, I don't know. I wouldn't have thought they would be paying for Samoa v England currently would they?

 

[Dannevegas]

My point is the toll of playing all those finals matches, afb was awesome in the first half but thought jfhs second stint was better

Not hating but he only ran hard at little Soni Luke, otherwise was throwing hospitals.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Not hating but he only ran hard at little Soni Luke, otherwise was throwing hospitals.

Shit he threw some shitty bullet passes to someone right next to him! Lol. Several times too.

 

[Worried2Death]

Shit he threw some shitty bullet passes to someone right next to him! Lol. Several times too.

Tried to do a lot more ball playing than he has to at the Panthers.

 

[BabylonPink]

Nikoruma was shit.
Lost us the game imo.

 

[Aman 2.0]

Nikoruma was shit.
Lost us the game imo.

Yea some dogshit decision making but he’s been playing great in the half’s and fucking Stacey puts him at dummy half??

Those were our two biggest weakness a poor 6 and an average 9 and average impact 9..

 

[Bluecat]

We are so going to miss Fonua-Blake. He was super fired up Saturday night for the special event but even in day to day matches he brings something special. And he showed that against Fisher-Harris at the weekend. He's just in a different league.
It's going to be interesting to see how JFH goes away from the Penrith system

 

[Canonball]

We are so going to miss Fonua-Blake. He was super fired up Saturday night for the special event but even in day to day matches he brings something special. And he showed that against Fisher-Harris at the weekend. He's just in a different league.
It's going to be interesting to see how JFH goes away from the Penrith system

I think we'll actually go better with JFH - my reasoning is that we aren't actually lacking for physical firepower - what Fish brings is not only that fearsome leadership style and great defense and the ability to be a mentor he is also almost the exact opposite of our previous laid-back, friendly bright leaders - I'm thinking of Tohu and SJ, and am including Webby too (though he's quite intense in his own way) ... this will be a great contrast to the Warriors as the nice guys, almost to the point of being self-sacrificing - while AFB is physically and skills wise intimidating he was almost always that casual guy after the try for us, and not the I will hurt you guy beforehand he is for Tonga (because of shared whakapapa and brotherhood i'm guessing) - he wasn't a leader in that respect, whereas JFH will be

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Yea some dogshit decision making but he’s been playing great in the half’s and fucking Stacey puts him at dummy half??

Every game in the big league reveals Stacey isnt much of a coach. I hope that changes fast

 

[MurrayTD]

Every game in the big league reveals Stacey isnt much of a coach. I hope that changes fast

Have to agree.

Fuck, Stephen Kearney must have the best job interview spiel known to human kind, how he keeps getting high profile coaching gigs is beyond me, I was deadset shocked to see Kearney (pretty sure it was him, I had had a few beers) and Jones in the coaching box as the Kiwi brains trust.
Did we really turn down Wayne Bennett!!

 

[Zaggo]

while AFB is physically and skills wise intimidating he was almost always that casual guy after the try for us, and not the I will hurt you guy beforehand he is for Tonga (because of shared whakapapa and brotherhood i'm guessing) - he wasn't a leader in that respect, whereas JFH will be

100%. When AFB wants to be the best, he is the best. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to want it unless it's on his terms, which is a dangerous attitude to have around our young guns.

JFH will be at his best every practice and every game. He has a winners mentality.

 

[John Nick]

Have to agree.

Fuck, Stephen Kearney must have the best job interview spiel known to human kind, how he keeps getting high profile coaching gigs is beyond me, I was deadset shocked to see Kearney (pretty sure it was him, I had a few beers) and Jones in the coaching box as the Kiwi brains trust.
Did we really turn down Wayne Bennett!!

Stacey is too nice to make a good coach.
A decent coach needs to have a bit of cunt in his makeup

 

[peewee]

Stacey is too nice to make a good coach.
A decent coach needs to have a bit of cunt in his makeup

So get a female coach

 

[John Nick]

So get a female coach

I said "a bit "

 

[MM51]

Any news on coaches? Honestly I think we missed Justin Morgan! Anything changing on that front