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	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
13	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
14	Edward Kosi	✔
15	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
16	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
17	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
18	Te Maire Martin	✔
19	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
20	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
21	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
22	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
23	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔
24	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
25	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
26	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
27	Dylan Walker	✔
28	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Faitialofa	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
-	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: 21/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Dylan Walker

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[Wrighty]

It's November 8th - give it another month and we may hear some Warriors 2026 signings.

 

[Fizurg]

It's November 8th - give it another month and we may hear some Warriors 2026 signings.

8th?

 

[Wrighty]

8th?

Thanks Fizurg I turn 52 this year and am starting to need my glasses more and more.

 

[Fizurg]

Thanks Fizurg I turn 52 this year and am starting to need my glasses more and more.

The only reason I even noticed was because my daughter turned one month today. Any other day I’d have no idea haha.

 

[Wrighty]

The only reason I even noticed was because my daughter turned one month today. Any other day I’d have no idea haha.

Cute story, Congrats on your new arrival !!!!

 

[Defence]

I really can’t see cnk playing 13.
We have some great young forwards coming through.

 

[Zaggo]

signing news must improve after Pacific Champs, especially for the WNRL side… barely got enough cattle for a 7’s game!

Come on Cappy and Cam, spring carnival is about to end, put the form guides away and do the bizzness!

I keep waiting for us to sign a real marquee player but I'm concerned it just ain't going to happen. As it stands we'll be trotting out a handful of experienced players supplemented with a bunch of local players who are coming from a comp lightyears below the NRLW.

 

[Wrighty]

I keep waiting for us to sign a real marquee player but I'm concerned it just ain't going to happen. As it stands we'll be trotting out a handful of experienced players supplemented with a bunch of local players who are coming from a comp lightyears below the NRLW.

Why the negativity. We only have 18 signed for 2026 plus Demetric's club option. Plenty of room for a splash signing.

We all knows we are done and dusted for 2025 after Boyd's signing. Unless we offload Bunty and free up a spot,

 

[kos]

I keep waiting for us to sign a real marquee player but I'm concerned it just ain't going to happen. As it stands we'll be trotting out a handful of experienced players supplemented with a bunch of local players who are coming from a comp lightyears below the NRLW.

They have been playing nsw cup
That comp is light years ahead of nrlw
I would rather any day watch nsw cup than nrlw

 

[Buzz Killington]

Apologies if this has already been talked about. There was some talk a few pages back that Briton Nikora was in negotiations or rumored to be..... Saw he has re-signed with the Sharks until 2027.

 

[PhilsySH35]

My unpopular opinion about Taine is that he's a 'nearly man'.

He looks good in a lesser competition in the Cup team, but in his limited NRL experiences he's looked dangerous and has made a load of half breaks, but he doesn't seem to have the outright pace off the mark to cruise through a gap. I don't think Taine would have scored the try he did against a tiring Tonga pack.
Will this improve the more NRL he is exposed to? Potentially? A lot of those quick, nippy blokes like Keano, Campbell, RW, Talagi, Paps are all explosive and from day one, were able to showcase this. I don't think we've seen that from Taine unfortunately

2rite, unfortunately TT is a "just about there" type of player, looks like he's going to make a break but then gets tackled at the last second, he looks the goods, but yeah nah - gotta feel sorry for him

 

[Aman 2.0]

2rite, unfortunately TT is a "just about there" type of player, looks like he's going to make a break but then gets tackled at the last second, he looks the goods, but yeah nah - gotta feel sorry for him

TT POOR MANS FAOLONGA AND Kini

 

[Zaggo]

Why the negativity. We only have 18 signed for 2026 plus Demetric's club option. Plenty of room for a splash signing.

We all knows we are done and dusted for 2025 after Boyd's signing. Unless we offload Bunty and free up a spot,

Wrong team - we were talking about the NRLW side. If Demetric plays for them he will certainly do some damage!

 

[Canonball]

2rite, unfortunately TT is a "just about there" type of player, looks like he's going to make a break but then gets tackled at the last second, he looks the goods, but yeah nah - gotta feel sorry for him

yeah, this is oneof the reasons why i'm a bit of an advocate for him swapping into the halves - he has good game sense and distributes well, short kicking is good - but with finding that gap from the back he lacks half a metre of pace, again i think the obvious comparison is Hughes, mediocre full back great half... then again it might be a training thing for TT, if he could pack some more muscle on maybe he'd be more explosive

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

yeah, this is oneof the reasons why i'm a bit of an advocate for him swapping into the halves - he has good game sense and distributes well, short kicking is good - but with finding that gap from the back he lacks half a metre of pace, again i think the obvious comparison is Hughes, mediocre full back great half... then again it might be a training thing for TT, if he could pack some more muscle on maybe he'd be more explosive

Could also be a mental thing. I rewatched the first game we had against Melbourne (Minus the last few minutes lol). He looked good, especially his distribution. Had some good breaks but just needs to back himself more.

 

[Inruin]

Could also be a mental thing. I rewatched the first game we had against Melbourne (Minus the last few minutes lol). He looked good, especially his distribution. Had some good breaks but just needs to back himself more.

Thought he was good in the magic round game against the Panthers too. Might be that he needs a bit more backing and a run of games to get some form on the board in first grade

 

[kos]

Thought he was good in the magic round game against the Panthers too. Might be that he needs a bit more backing and a run of games to get some form on the board in first grade

And thats the difference with Des.
Des gave Kini multiple games to prove himself.
AW just tosses a game here and there to his Nsw cup players with a couple of exceptions.
Aw is Mr Conservative.

 

[Noitall]

And thats the difference with Des.
Des gave Kini multiple games to prove himself.
AW just tosses a game here and there to his Nsw cup players with a couple of exceptions.
Aw is Mr Conservative.

I reckon that’s partly because the titans and Hasler are trying to figure out where they can play 3 fullbacks in their backs with Kini, Campbell and Brimson

 

[Iridescent]

Still think Charnz can fit like a glove replacing Tohu & Walker at 13 in 2026, experienced, aggressive, passionate, durable, fast for a forward, workhorse and can distribute and score himself, cost 400-500K instead of spending 700-950K to buy a lock

Like, what is our option when Walker and Tohu are done? Clark apparently is a prop now, are we really moving Barney there?

Charnze at lock, I just can't see it.

 

[marv.]

Wrong team - we were talking about the NRLW side. If Demetric plays for them he will certainly do some damage!

whoa whoa whoaaaaah hang on just a minute! this post belongs in the twilight of democracy thread.