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	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Adam Pompey	✔
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	Sio Kali	S
S5	Patrick Moimoi	S
S6	Tanner Stowers-Smith	S
T1	Daeon Amituanai	T
T2	Jaydee Auloa	T
T3	Kahu Capper	T	T
T4	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
T5	Augustino Filipo	T
T6	Etuane Fukofuka	T
T7	Moala Graham-Taufa	T
T8	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	?
T9	Brandon Norris	T
T10	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?
T10	Jason Salalilo	T
T11	Makaia Taufa	T
T12	Rodney Vea	T

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract (Formerly, Development), T = Train & Trial contract, ? = Wtf is up with Motu Pasikala

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 28/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 22/30
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, Adam Pompey, Dylan Walker

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[Noitall]

That rumour has been around for a while:

Jackson Hastings linked with new NRL club in fresh blow to Super League suitors

The latest twist in the future of Jackson Hastings

tbrrugbyleague.com

Would Hastings have been at manly under Hasler when he had a falling out with DCE?

 

[kos]

Foran wont play every game. His body is battered can see him playing fifty per cent.
Campbell and Brimson carry injuries and are out of games frequently so this might have legs.

 

[Noitall]

Would Hastings have been at manly under Hasler when he had a falling out with DCE?

Trent Barrett was the coach at that stage in 2018. Was speculation during the year that Hughes was keen on a return home and that was assumed Gold Coast. Will be interesting to keep an eye on

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Maybe release Keano Kini and play Brimson at fullback. Hastings and Foran in the halfs. Campbell off the bench.

They would release any of those other players you mention ahead of Kini.

 

[Noitall]

They would release any of those other players you mention ahead of Kini.

Their forum was a bit nervous that we’d go for Kini. Think it was mostly because they’d seen he was close to SJ in Kiwis camp

 

[kos]

Campbell Brimson and Kini are all rated highly
Foran has a long time relationship with Des- personally I would have retired Foz at the end of the 24 season and brought him in as an assistant coach or similar role
But I guess Fox is Des s security blanket for a young team

 

[kos]

Campbell Brimson and Kini are all rated highly
Foran has a long time relationship with Des- personally I would have retired Foz at the end of the 24 season and brought him in as an assistant coach or similar role
But I guess Foz is Des s security blanket for a young team

 

[Five&Last]

All the talk of Crosby reminds me of all the things that were said about Ale. He looks to have a good head on his shoulders judging by how he handles himself. Wishing him all the best in his development but yeah seems a fair bit away which is understandable.

Way more out of nowhere than that, Crosby genuinely hasn't done anything of note to warrant this chat apart from two break away tries for Jersey Flegg that look good on a highlights reel.

He didn't even start for a lot of Flegg games. When Rodney Vea and Harry Durbin were available, Cosby played off the bench.

This whole thing is bizarre.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Knights forum saying on the radio over in oz they heard Jackson Hastings to titans. Could be a whole lot of movement about to happen?

That will do me, Jackson Hastings is in the move, and all of a sudden, Melbourne wants to let their best halfback leave.

 

[Inruin]

That will do me, Jackson Hastings is in the move, and all of a sudden, Melbourne wants to let their best halfback leave.

Dally M winning halfback move....

 

[Noitall]

That will do me, Jackson Hastings is in the move, and all of a sudden, Melbourne wants to let their best halfback leave.

Boston Boy was who mentioned the Hughes rumour yesterday, I said I’d seen Hastings to titans on knights forum and that could create some movement? I never directly said that could land us Hughes, you’ve made that assertion. Hope you’re not still done, it’ll be ok

 

[Boston Boy]

Boston Boy was who mentioned the Hughes rumour yesterday, I said I’d seen Hastings to titans on knights forum and that could create some movement? I never directly said that could land us Hughes, you’ve made that assertion. Hope you’re not still done, it’ll be ok

. I saw the Hughes rumour on Instagram. I just put it up here for a yarn. It had predictions on it as well, the interest point was the mention of Pezet and the need for someone to go.

 

[kos]

Way more out of nowhere than that, Crosby genuinely hasn't done anything of note to warrant this chat apart from two break away tries for Jersey Flegg that look good on a highlights reel.

He didn't even start for a lot of Flegg games. When Rodney Vea and Harry Durbin were available, Cosby played off the bench.

This whole thing is bizarre.

Wrighty lives in Upper Hutt
Crosby played RU in Upper Hutt
Wrighty is enthused by a fellow Hutt boy cracking the big time.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Wrighty lives in Upper Hutt
Crosby played RU in Upper Hutt
Wrighty is enthused by a fellow Hutt boy cracking the big time.

Or, maybe Wrighty is Crosby being new to league, and all

 

[kos]

Nope
Wrighty admitted to being a Wellington City public servant who works with numbers all day and is lucky enough to commute (I,m a railway enthusiast) by train and listen to podcasts on Radio Windy.

 

[Wrighty]

Way more out of nowhere than that, Crosby genuinely hasn't done anything of note to warrant this chat apart from two break away tries for Jersey Flegg that look good on a highlights reel.

He didn't even start for a lot of Flegg games. When Rodney Vea and Harry Durbin were available, Cosby played off the bench.

This whole thing is bizarre.

Crosby haters gunna hate

 

[Falcon]

Tobias has speed - can run 100metres in 11.6 seconds.
Has power - probably would have near the best bench press kgs at the warriors
He has agility and can side step opponents to score length of the field tries
He was an unknown coming to the Warriors trial day along with 1200 other hopefuls on open day. He was one of 20-25 who made it into the system. He turned heads in his open day trial by scoring three tries.
Havn't ever seen him ball play
In his NSW Cup game, even though he only played one match, he did two great hit ups and then it was unstructured after that and all the second rowers wanted to do one out hit ups and neither he of the other prop got the pill, with Toby then only really running decoy lines on each play for like I said other hunguses who were screaming for the ball.
Early last year they said he could only break tackles if guys went high on him. Since that criticism he has learned a lower arm bumper to brush off grass cutters. He is now a multt dimensional metre gainer.
There is no one who trains harder than him. And for that alone he should be given a shot at regular NSW cup play this year.

Sounds like a Reuben Cotter type of player, high intensity, mobile.
Training as a middle could mean he plays lock too.

 

[Wrighty]

Sounds like a Reuben Cotter type of player, high intensity, mobile.
Training as a middle could mean he plays lock too.

I haven’t seen a single piece of footage with him passing the ball which would be the only knock to him playing lock.

The other thing to take into account with Crosby is that he understands how to manage contact in terms of timing his thrust into the defensive line with optimum acceleration which makes him play much bigger than his 104kgs

He plays like a big man even if only average dimensions for a prop.
I don’t know if I am explaining my point properly so I will try again. He times his body into the line with maximum effect to create the best probability of a line break and tackle bust. I hope you know what I mean and next time you see him you will see the point I am trying to make.

 

[CWC]

Why are they converting a centre who can run 100m in 11.6 sec into a prop

Now he's probably not gonna make it here

To replace Roger on the left wing to return to our prop-wing tradition??

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Tobias has speed - can run 100metres in 11.6 seconds.
Has power - probably would have near the best bench press kgs at the warriors
He has agility and can side step opponents to score length of the field tries
He was an unknown coming to the Warriors trial day along with 1200 other hopefuls on open day. He was one of 20-25 who made it into the system. He turned heads in his open day trial by scoring three tries.
Havn't ever seen him ball play
In his NSW Cup game, even though he only played one match, he did two great hit ups and then it was unstructured after that and all the second rowers wanted to do one out hit ups and neither he of the other prop got the pill, with Toby then only really running decoy lines on each play for like I said other hunguses who were screaming for the ball.
Early last year they said he could only break tackles if guys went high on him. Since that criticism he has learned a lower arm bumper to brush off grass cutters. He is now a multt dimensional metre gainer.
There is no one who trains harder than him. And for that alone he should be given a shot at regular NSW cup play this year.

I would be interested in his 40metres time. If you played him on a edge and he learns to run good lines then explosive speed would open up the defensive lines. I think you will find most posters will care more about his defensive ability especially if he plays in the middle. If he is poor in defence then the line breaks won't matter.
The young man seems to have the work ethic side of things sorted just hope he can master the actual game. With the speed of the game fast mobile middles will be invaluable.