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	Adam Pompey	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
28	Dylan Walker	✔
29	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: 29/30
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, Tohu Harris, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Dylan Walker

---

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.

 

[Noitall]

pretty confident we are getting the spoon this year not trying to be super negative but our spine is just not it we have failed to fix our glaring issues will be happy to be wrong !

Hope not but you should throw some money at that if you’re confident. Sportsbet paying $13 and tab $15

 

[Noitall]

Won't be many. Odds of making NRL still astronomical for most.

Had a squizz through some Matts winning teams.

2015 Sharks Matts Champs
Metcalf, Xerri, Salmon regular first graders.

2016 Eels
Dylan Brown only regular first grader

2017 Knights
Bradman Best only regular first grader.

2018 Manly
Koula, Weekes

2019 Knights
Pezet

Time for Metcalf to become a regular first grader. I think he’s there but needs his body to hold up

 

[Matiunz]

pretty confident we are getting the spoon this year not trying to be super negative but our spine is just not it we have failed to fix our glaring issues will be happy to be wrong !

We’ve avoided it in previous years with much worse squads

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Won't be many. Odds of making NRL still astronomical for most.

Had a squizz through some Matts winning teams.

2015 Sharks Matts Champs
Metcalf, Xerri, Salmon regular first graders.

2016 Eels
Dylan Brown only regular first grader

2017 Knights
Bradman Best only regular first grader.

2018 Manly
Koula, Weekes

2019 Knights
Pezet

Point and case about getting high on these young kids!

 

[Teets]

Point and case about getting high on these young kids!

You got to be high on your kids though. Unless your the 2016 sharks most comps are won around young cores of one club players who usually played pathway footy for the club at some point.

2 long term players per crop across 4 pathway teams over a 3/4 year period is how you get a core of first grade players on home town deals down the line.

 

[Fizurg]

You got to be high on your kids though. Unless your the 2016 sharks most comps are won around young cores of one club players who usually played pathway footy for the club at some point.

2 long term players per crop across 4 pathway teams over a 3/4 year period is how you get a core of first grade players on home town deals down the line.

Yeah, Sharks won theirs the old fashioned way. PEDs and salary cap breaches.

 

[Zaggo]

Didn't most of the Panthers guys come up together? Or was that more at 19s and 21s?

I'm shocked at how few of the winning sides make it to first grade. I thought it would be at least a handful from each squad.

 

[Fizurg]

Didn't most of the Panthers guys come up together? Or was that more at 19s and 21s?

I'm shocked at how few of the winning sides make it to first grade. I thought it would be at least a handful from each squad.

Panthers had been in the doldrums for ages and they needed to figure a way out. They saw their main asset was that they had the largest youth membership and leant into that. The rewards took a while to become reality but five grand finals later it was worth it.

 

[Teets]

Didn't most of the Panthers guys come up together? Or was that more at 19s and 21s?

I had a look at a random weekend of Panthers games in March 2018 and where their eventual 2021 GF champions were at the club at the time.

First grade 29/3
Edwards
JFH
Yeo
Kikau
Leota
(All 23 or under, all less than 50 games experience at this time bar Yeo)

NSW Cup 31/3
Luai
Martin

Flegg 31/3
To'o
(Laurie and Kenny also in this team)

Sg Ball 31/3
S Chrichton
Burton
(Steines also in this team)

Matts 31/3
None (but Turuva and Tago were in this team)

At other clubs, eventually recruited.
Capewell
Korisau
Sorenson
Momirovski

Not playing that weekend.
Cleary
May (Split time between Cup and FG)
Leniu

Luai, Cleary, Martin were all in the same Ball team in the corresponding weekend in 2015.

 

[CWC]

Time for Metcalf to become a regular first grader. I think he’s there but needs his body to hold up

Pretty cool to see him retaining his pace while setting up tries left and right at one stage lol

His bombs are nice, don't think he punted or grubbered much, goal kicking is good enough

Would be good to have him at 6 and Taine at 1 to round out our kicking game, funny our 7 and 9 can't really kick lol

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

You got to be high on your kids though. Unless your the 2016 sharks most comps are won around young cores of one club players who usually played pathway footy for the club at some point.

2 long term players per crop across 4 pathway teams over a 3/4 year period is how you get a core of first grade players on home town deals down the line.

If there is one kid that stands out to me from that matts team it's Ratcliffe, would love to see how Thompson develops, but i love Ratcliffes style.

 

[hornbybrown]

pretty confident we are getting the spoon this year not trying to be super negative but our spine is just not it we have failed to fix our glaring issues will be happy to be wrong !

Nah, Dragons getting that

 

[hornbybrown]

Panthers had been in the doldrums for ages and they needed to figure a way out. They saw their main asset was that they had the largest youth membership and leant into that. The rewards took a while to become reality but five grand finals later it was worth it.

This is why I’m confident the warriors have a really bright future, amazing talent to pick from and finally putting the needed resources into the pathways
Just have to stay the course

 

[Noitall]

Pretty cool to see him retaining his pace while setting up tries left and right at one stage lol

His bombs are nice, don't think he punted or grubbered much, goal kicking is good enough

Would be good to have him at 6 and Taine at 1 to round out our kicking game, funny our 7 and 9 can't really kick lol

Egan used to have a bit of a kicking game coming from the halves before he switched to hooker but haven’t seen it in years. Looking at the most recent pictures put up on the Warriors instagram site, I reckon Metcalf is in the best shape I’ve ever seen him in. He’s added some extra muscle to his frame

 

[John Nick]

Egan used to have a bit of a kicking game coming from the halves before he switched to hooker but haven’t seen it in years. Looking at the most recent pictures put up on the Warriors instagram site, I reckon Metcalf is in the best shape I’ve ever seen him in. He’s added some extra muscle to his frame

Metcalf will be a huge key to our success this year as I have said many times

Hopefully he has had his share of injuries.
Playing 6 is a target for opponents forwards to aim for. All part of the modern game.

 

[Noitall]

Metcalf will be a huge key to our success this year as I have said many times

Hopefully he has had his share of injuries.
Playing 6 is a target for opponents forwards to aim for. All part of the modern game.

Do you think they could give him some time at 7?

 

[roguei]

Metcalf will be a huge key to our success this year as I have said many times

Hopefully he has had his share of injuries.
Playing 6 is a target for opponents forwards to aim for. All part of the modern game.

Byod could be a pretty good 6 to metcalf's 7. I still think byod's best games were at 6 for the titan's this year, where they just lost to the eagles and beat us on anzac day at home. He's got the body to take on those forwards, as he's pretty big for a half IMO. Only issue i see with that pairing is the inexprence. Although most seem to be ruling out TMM on starting, having at least one veteren half is massive when the game's are close. Need people in there who can lead under preassure.

 

[Noitall]

Byod could be a pretty good 6 to metcalf's 7. I still think byod's best games were at 6 for the titan's this year, where they just lost to the eagles and beat us on anzac day at home. He's got the body to take on those forwards, as he's pretty big for a half IMO. Only issue i see with that pairing is the inexprence. Although most seem to be ruling out TMM on starting, having at least one veteren half is massive when the game's are close. Need people in there who can lead under preassure.

Wondering if Metcalf 7 and your userpic CHT could compliment each other? He went well with TMM at 7 in their time paired. Had a shootout with Adam Keighran for his spot, then Nikorima and has had some time in first grade now. One thing I noticed in CHT this year was his ability to follow the play and benefited from a try or two from it

 

[CWC]

Wondering if Metcalf 7 and your userpic CHT could compliment each other? He went well with TMM at 7 in their time paired. Had a shootout with Adam Keighran for his spot, then Nikorima and has had some time in first grade now. One thing I noticed in CHT this year was his ability to follow the play and benefited from a try or two from it

CHT is good for a hit job for a couple of games then you have to pull him off before the inconsistency, sore thighs for kicking and wild passes creep back in, I’d have TMM/Metcalf and Boyd to cover both, and CHT as crisis half which is pretty good depth

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

CHT is good for a hit job for a couple of games then you have to pull him off before the inconsistency, sore thighs for kicking and wild passes creep back in, I’d have TMM/Metcalf and Boyd to cover both, and CHT as crisis half which is pretty good depth

For me it's Boyd and Metcalf. Boyd has a far better kicking game than Martin.

Martin had a good run last season and we could all see that we needed SJs boot even though out of form.

Your right Martin and Tavita for a few games if needed. The club does need a varied kicking strategy.