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	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
24	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
25	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
26	Dylan Walker	✔
27	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
-	Kahu Capper	T	T
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	T
-	Motu Pasikala	T

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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 27/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 27/30
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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[BigUCE]

With Brown having an option to leave now, he seems like the ideal one to approach. Would be gutted to lose TMM and he looks like he’s having a good preseason judging by pictures. He could even retire after 2025 rather than shift to Australia to prolong his career? If he had a big 2025, could extend him year by year with him a handy fullback fill in at broncos to go with halfback and five eighth

I know Metcalf is adamant that he’s solely a half now but he still has a lot to prove to lock that 6 jersey down as his own. Could he be moved back to fullback if we do end up signing Brown, freeing up the 7 jersey for TMM or Boyd?

 

[Noitall]

He's currently on $900k for the 2025 season according to Zero Tackle (which can sometimes be wrong) There forum sometimes bitches that they have too much cap tied up in him.

How high do you reckon we should go to bring him over? Ideally you’d want him to come over for the lure of the jersey but being realistic he has to look after himself. $1 million a a season? Wouldn’t want any of those player options either

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Brown for 4 years would be nice.

 

[Noitall]

Brad Arthur drops major hint on future amidst NRL links

The former NRL head coach is set to decide between separation from family or putting career aspirations on ice.

www.zerotackle.com

Could be a handy lure to bring Dylan Brown to appoint Brad Arthurs assistant coach. Apparently really fond of him and was going out with his daughter

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Brad Arthur drops major hint on future amidst NRL links

The former NRL head coach is set to decide between separation from family or putting career aspirations on ice.

www.zerotackle.com

Could be a handy lure to bring Dylan Brown to appoint Brad Arthurs assistant coach. Apparently really fond of him and was going out with his daughter

Would love him to be an assistant.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Big fan of B.A. Eels did him dirty.

 

[BigUCE]

Brad Arthur drops major hint on future amidst NRL links

The former NRL head coach is set to decide between separation from family or putting career aspirations on ice.

www.zerotackle.com

Could be a handy lure to bring Dylan Brown to appoint Brad Arthurs assistant coach. Apparently really fond of him and was going out with his daughter

Richard Agar is also only signed until the end of this season I believe. I'm sure Leeds fans will be thrilled being reunited with him In a straight swap!

 

[WA Warrior]

Brad Arthur drops major hint on future amidst NRL links

The former NRL head coach is set to decide between separation from family or putting career aspirations on ice.

www.zerotackle.com

Could be a handy lure to bring Dylan Brown to appoint Brad Arthurs assistant coach. Apparently really fond of him and was going out with his daughter

There were rumours linking him with the Perth team as his Mrs is from here apparently.
No idea if it’s legitimate or not.

 

[Noitall]

Richard Agar is also only signed until the end of this season I believe. I'm sure Leeds fans will be thrilled being reunited with him In a straight swap!

Hadn’t thought of that but you’re right. Had thought of letting Stacey concentrate on Kiwis though. Talks about his boys in the article, one at Manly and one just gone to knights. Could be a chance for knights job if they don’t manage to make a step further than past couple of seasons? Think some coaches might be hesitant to sign high profile coaches like this as assistants for fear of them being replaced by them?

 

[Noitall]

There were rumours linking him with the Perth team as his Mrs is from here apparently.
No idea if it’s legitimate or not.

Yeah I’d seen that too. I’d seen too that’s why they thought Dylan Brown had all the player options with Brad Arthurs in the mix for that Perth job and to join him. Think the journalists just conceive their own stories sometimes too

 

[WA Warrior]

Yeah I’d seen that too. I’d seen too that’s why they thought Dylan Brown had all the player options with Brad Arthurs in the mix for that Perth job and to join him. Think the journalists just conceive their own stories sometimes too

1 plus 1 equals 30 sometimes with them hey.

 

[Cces]

Yep niukore was in the top five edge backrowers 2021 to 2023. Put on 10kg to pay prop and didn't get much of a chance with injuries/positions being changed

Top 5? The bloke started 5 games on the edge in '21 & 2 in '22 before a breakout season in 2023 where he scored a grand total of 3 tries in 21 starts. Top 12 maybe but top 5 is excessively optimistic.
Currently the most overpaid guy on the roster

 

[Playdaball]

My Grandad reckons we are going to sign Ardie Savea ….
Oh that’s right he’s been dead for years !

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

Top 5? The bloke started 5 games on the edge in '21 & 2 in '22 before a breakout season in 2023 where he scored a grand total of 3 tries in 21 starts. Top 12 maybe but top 5 is excessively optimistic.
Currently the most overpaid guy on the roster

You be hard pressed to say he’s even in the top 5 of just right edge back rowers let alone all back rowers.
Nikora, Martin, Katoa, Su’a, Nanai all clearly better.

I couldn’t believe when NRL360 said he was in the top 5 highest paid backrowers on 850k. Pretty sure that was in 2023 too. When he was actually playing ok. (Outside career best form Johnson)

Halasima/Laban to share that right edge for me this year. To avoid burnout for the young lads.

 

[Makasene]

No point griping on Niukores contract.

November 2021 when we signed him he was always going to get upper coin, throw in a pandemic and our desperate situation - we were always going big big big on a kiwis player.

I loved the signing at the time.

Just don't renew on the same buckaroos!

 

[Tookey 2.0]

No point griping on Niukores contract.

November 2021 when we signed him he was always going to get upper coin, throw in a pandemic and our desperate situation - we were always going big big big on a kiwis player.

I loved the signing at the time.

Just don't renew on the same buckaroos!

What do you reckon we offer him? If at all

 

[Blain]

Dylan Brown

The NRL profile of Dylan Brown including career statistics, season stats, games, tries, goals, tackles and fantasy scores.

www.parraeels.com.au

Threads popped up again over at eels forum regarding Dylan Brown, only really referencing that yahoo article. Ryan Matterson has taken up his option for 2026 and you’d think Ryles would want certainty around his squad going forward with so many on differing options for players. Looking at Browns stats for 2024, super impressive with 24 starts, 5 tries, 18 try assists, 17 line break assists, 13 offloads, 131 average run meters, 89% tackle and an average of 125 kicking meters between halfback and five eighth. With those stats at 24, if he was available you’d surely have to offer him good money to come over. Interesting though that TMM stats just as impressive but over a smaller sample of games. Browns only going to get better though

Did you watch much of Brown in 2024? He was generally pretty poor. Moses was out for an extended period of time, and ex Warrior minimum wager Asi was more prominent than the star number 6 in most games. The issue with Brown is he often doesn't step up when it counts, has a poor kicking game (when he does kick, which isn't that often), can go missing, all the while baiting the Eels most years with out clauses on a massive contract that only desperate clubs will entertain taking. That's why Eels fans aren't fond of the guy.

He has upside, a good running 6 with X factor. But he isn't a halfback, he's the icing on the cake. Him paired next to say TMM or Tanah Boyd would not be worth the money. Next to Mitchell Moses, Adam Reynolds or Cleary? That works. I sort of see Metcalf in the same style as Brown, if he can stay on the park.

 

[Makasene]

What do you reckon we offer him? If at all

Probably highly dependent on how the juniors kick on and how he goes this year.

Pretty comfortable to offer 650k a year off the back of a decent season.

If he misses plenty through injury / suspension could see us letting him go to market

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

It would really help our balance if he could be effective as an impact front rower

 

[Noitall]

Did you watch much of Brown in 2024? He was generally pretty poor. Moses was out for an extended period of time, and ex Warrior minimum wager Asi was more prominent than the star number 6 in most games. The issue with Brown is he often doesn't step up when it counts, has a poor kicking game (when he does kick, which isn't that often), can go missing, all the while baiting the Eels most years with out clauses on a massive contract that only desperate clubs will entertain taking. That's why Eels fans aren't fond of the guy.

He has upside, a good running 6 with X factor. But he isn't a halfback, he's the icing on the cake. Him paired next to say TMM or Tanah Boyd would not be worth the money. Next to Mitchell Moses, Adam Reynolds or Cleary? That works. I sort of see Metcalf in the same style as Brown, if he can stay on the park.

Eels looked like a good season was on the way in the first 3 rounds picking up 2 wins from the 3, but once Moses got injured they really struggled. Brown couldn’t capitalise on being the main playmaker, but neither did Moses in the small sample of the middle of the season when he came back from injury winning 1 out of 5 with him back as halfback. Brown’s stats certainly paint a picture of a good season, but the amount of tackles he had to make opposed to other halves gives the impression his bodyguards on the edge and middle didn’t protect him from the bigger defensive workload. Also Gutherson let go gives the impression that the eels issues went deeper than Dylan Brown not taking ownership