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	Tohu Harris	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
19	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔
20	Te Maire Martin	✔
21	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
22	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
23	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
24	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
25	Adam Pompey	✔
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	C
29	Dylan Walker	✔
30	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kalani Going	S
S2	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	T
T9	Brandon Norris	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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 30/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 2/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 30/30
Unconfirmed Supplementary 2025: 3/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 21/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

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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[cock_o]

Jesse Soric signed by the Titans.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Jesse Soric signed by the Titans.

Is that the Aussie young gun we just signed last year? He is a half or.FB? Really good player! Sucks if it is.

 

[SouthernWorrier]

Is that the Aussie young gun we just signed last year? He is a half or.FB? Really good player! Sucks if it is.

for 3 years...yep. lemme guess...compassionate grounds?

think is an interesting read (pre announcement)

New Zealand Warriors Sign Tanah Boyd & Pacific Championship Wrinkles — The Niche Cache

New Zealand Warriors have returned to training at Mt Smart and along with a few Pacific Championship wrinkles, they popped up with the surprise signing of Tanah Boyd from Titans.

theniche-cache.com

 

[Fizurg]

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.

So he says. I know a cover story when I see one.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

for 3 years...yep. lemme guess...compassionate grounds?

think is an interesting read (pre announcement)

New Zealand Warriors Sign Tanah Boyd & Pacific Championship Wrinkles — The Niche Cache

New Zealand Warriors have returned to training at Mt Smart and along with a few Pacific Championship wrinkles, they popped up with the surprise signing of Tanah Boyd from Titans.

theniche-cache.com

Phew!! It's actually Jack Thompson the kid i really like. Lucky I read this article or i was going to sulk all day

 

[The Warrior Waka]

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.

Correct! ....How Foran is still playing is beyond me. He has had so many injuries. But I love the bloke, as hearty as they come. He's as old as Wrighty both should be sponsored by the History Channel.

 

[Dannevegas]

Anyone know what contract Deon amituanai’s on I rate him highly could be a Smokey for a wing spot

 

[Inruin]

Correct! ....How Foran is still playing is beyond me. He has had so many injuries. But I love the bloke, as hearty as they come. He's as old as Wrighty both should be sponsored by the History Channel.

He still gets through the games each season. Hasn't missed many over the last few years and was playing international games as well

 

[Five&Last]

Yes. He is on a development contract

*train and trial

 

[Five&Last]

Phew!! It's actually Jack Thompson the kid i really like. Lucky I read this article or i was going to sulk all day

Yeah Jesse Soric I'm not too bothered about losing. Jack Thompson is one we cant afford to lose. Special talent.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

He still gets through the games each season. Hasn't missed many over the last few years and was playing international games as well

It’s his final season coming up, will be interesting to see who the Titans replace him with at halfback. Also interesting that despite knowing this they didn’t see fit to hold onto Tanah Boyd.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Does anyone else have a feeling our forward pack is too small?
Having Jazz and Mitch in the front row rotation wasn't such an issue when we had AFB who's 120kg + and making post contact meters for fun.

Having Mitch, Fisher-Harris and Clark all early 100kg has be a bit worried. Hell, even Sifakula is listed at 104kg (although that might be wrong as I thought he looked massive).

Gunna throw a random one out there...what about Blake Lawrie? Turning 28 in Jan 2025 so coming into his best years. Minimal penalties and errors, and has heaps of running meters in him. Had a quiet year this year as he was switched to an interchange prop and less minutes, and it sounds like he'll be struggling to make the 17 for the Drags nek year. At 116kg he's a different body shape and offers us something else we don't have...

 

[SouthernWorrier]

Does anyone else have a feeling our forward pack is too small?
Having Jazz and Mitch in the front row rotation wasn't such an issue when we had AFB who's 120kg + and making post contact meters for fun.

Having Mitch, Fisher-Harris and Clark all early 100kg has be a bit worried. Hell, even Sifakula is listed at 104kg (although that might be wrong as I thought he looked massive).

Gunna throw a random one out there...what about Blake Lawrie? Turning 28 in Jan 2025 so coming into his best years. Minimal penalties and errors, and has heaps of running meters in him. Had a quiet year this year as he was switched to an interchange prop and less minutes, and it sounds like he'll be struggling to make the 17 for the Drags nek year. At 116kg he's a different body shape and offers us something else we don't have...

yes, we're lacking the size to match contenders. IMO Barney is still a tough 2nd rower rather than a prop. I'd hoped we've persevere with Niukore for this reason, but he seemed to be caught between prop & 2nd row last year, slowing him down without adding real value as a middle.
If niukore gets more fitness & game time as a prop and Tohu's on the field more we have the size. but 2 big ifs.

Not sure Lawrie's the answer tho: start of 2023 6'1" and 104kg... so more of the same.. with another season of pies. And can't break into a weak St Gorge 1st 17.

 

[Noitall]

Does anyone else have a feeling our forward pack is too small?
Having Jazz and Mitch in the front row rotation wasn't such an issue when we had AFB who's 120kg + and making post contact meters for fun.

Having Mitch, Fisher-Harris and Clark all early 100kg has be a bit worried. Hell, even Sifakula is listed at 104kg (although that might be wrong as I thought he looked massive).

Gunna throw a random one out there...what about Blake Lawrie? Turning 28 in Jan 2025 so coming into his best years. Minimal penalties and errors, and has heaps of running meters in him. Had a quiet year this year as he was switched to an interchange prop and less minutes, and it sounds like he'll be struggling to make the 17 for the Drags nek year. At 116kg he's a different body shape and offers us something else we don't have...

I’ve mentioned height on here before as a shape we could use more of? Not saying we can entirely replicate the panthers pack, but when you look at them there’s not an overly big pack but very mobile. I think that’s an area we need to improve is fitness. I know we had a leader in AFB, but I like that niche cache article mentioning JFH arrival. I think we’re going to see some players go to another level under his work ethic and professionalism. I know we’ve been waiting for Bunty to show that progression, and if he sticks around I think he could really benefit from JFH for his final season. Still some size to Bunty listed at 113kg. I think similarly for Ale. Easily the most affected player coming through due to covid, but I think he could go to another level. Playing for a contract too. Then there’s Tohu who has some size in height and weight, if he wants to play on I expect him to have a big one, or as big as his body lets him. I agree regarding Vaimauga, he must be bigger than listings? Then there’s Laban who’s probably our biggest body on the cusp

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Does anyone else have a feeling our forward pack is too small?
Having Jazz and Mitch in the front row rotation wasn't such an issue when we had AFB who's 120kg + and making post contact meters for fun.

Having Mitch, Fisher-Harris and Clark all early 100kg has be a bit worried. Hell, even Sifakula is listed at 104kg (although that might be wrong as I thought he looked massive).

Gunna throw a random one out there...what about Blake Lawrie? Turning 28 in Jan 2025 so coming into his best years. Minimal penalties and errors, and has heaps of running meters in him. Had a quiet year this year as he was switched to an interchange prop and less minutes, and it sounds like he'll be struggling to make the 17 for the Drags nek year. At 116kg he's a different body shape and offers us something else we don't have...

Not really as if you look at the Panthers they won 4 GF in a row with JFH and Mose Leota as their starting props. Their biggest bench player in this years GF was Lindsay Smith who is listed at 106kg. They seem to have the fittest forwards in the comp though. The game seems to be heading to a fitter more mobile forwards.

Blake Lawrie struggles to make the Dragon 17 because he struggles to make an impact. Not sure why we would take a prop with the only thing he offers he is to block one of our younger players from getting FG time.

 

[WA Warrior]

Not really as if you look at the Panthers they won 4 GF in a row with JFH and Mose Leota as their starting props. Their biggest bench player in this years GF was Lindsay Smith who is listed at 106kg. They seem to have the fittest forwards in the comp though. The game seems to be heading to a fitter more mobile forwards.

Blake Lawrie struggles to make the Dragon 17 because he struggles to make an impact. Not sure why we would take a prop with the only thing he offers he is to block one of our younger players from getting FG time.

Yeah I don’t think the Panthers example is the best.
They basically have another elite Middle making yards from the kick returns in To’o.
All the meters gained from Edwards.
Their halves kicking them into positions we could only dream of.
We haven’t got their backline to support our forward pack like they do imo.

I hope we going to be ok but I think we might struggle up front. AFB just ate metres for breakfast and we rolled on from there.

 

[Cces]

It’s his final season coming up, will be interesting to see who the Titans replace him with at halfback.

I've forgotten his name but they signed a Wallaby Flyhalf who squeezed in a few Q Cup games last season

 

[Noitall]

I've forgotten his name but they signed a Wallaby Fkyhalf who squeezed in a few Q Cup games last season

Carter Gordan I think his name is

 

[UpTheWahs]

I've forgotten his name but they signed a Wallaby Fkyhalf who squeezed in a few Q Cup games last season

Carter Gordon

 

[Noitall]

Yeah I don’t think the Panthers example is the best.
They basically have another elite Middle making yards from the kick returns in To’o.
All the meters gained from Edwards.
Their halves kicking them into positions we could only dream of.
We haven’t got their backline to support our forward pack like they do imo.

I hope we going to be ok but I think we might struggle up front. AFB just ate metres for breakfast and we rolled on from there.

Bulldogs did well with a small pack, Kikau is close to their only size in their pack. Probably needed more to go further, but I think our pack offers more. Think fitness is what got them to where they ended up. Again, I think fitness is where we need to go to another level