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	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔
6	Erin Clark	✔	✔	✔
7	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
8	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
9	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
10	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔
11	Tohu Harris	✔
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	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	C
28	Dylan Walker	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Tanah Boyd	S	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Tanner Stowers-Smith	S
T1	Jett Cleary	T	S	S

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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 3/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Development 2025: 4/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 20/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 2/6

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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[kos]

Erin is the same weight at Jazz 98Kgs and only 1 inch taller. But looks an order of magnitude bigger than Jazz to the eye. I think some of Jazz's 98kgs was ineffective.

No I am not saying recruitment is influenced by the owner. I think we go for shiny toys in the backs is what I am saying.

Yeah Erin looks bigger than Jazz
Maybe he is heavier than that stated weight

Was RTS a shiny toy?

 

[Wrighty]

Yeah Erin looks bigger than Jazz
Maybe he is heavier than that stated weight

Was RTS a shiny toy?

Was RTS a shiny toy? Hell yes
Shiny toy does not mean the player won't walk the swagger. I think Reece Walsh played really well for us but we didn't have the players to convert his chances he was making.

 

[Wrighty]

Yeah Erin looks bigger than Jazz
Maybe he is heavier than that stated weight

Was RTS a shiny toy?

Ash Taylor was a shiny toy as well. He was beaten up and dropped from his old team but we leaped at the fact he was on minimum wage with a high upside if we could resurrect his career. We thought we had a diamond in the rough.

 

[kos]

Ash Taylor was a shiny toy as well. He was beaten up and dropped from his old team but we leaped at the fact he was on minimum wage with a high upside if we could resurrect his career. We thought we had a diamond in the rough.

Strange events all round occurred during those weird covid years based at Central Coast Gold Coast ( briefly) and Redcliffe
We were a hollow team no back up grades just a shell
Nathan Brown and all those others that didn’t want to be in Nz after covid ‘stopped’ talk about no commitment.
We are still recovering from that era but making good progress
Cam George had a rough time through that silly Walsh having that cocaine rap and there was other controversies
Cam George looking back did well to hold it together

Now we have these gun nsw cup players coming through jersey flegg etc the future looks bright

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Which clubs do u think would offer TT a starting spot?
I can’t think of any tbh.

Until a player is given a decent opportunity in first grade to prove themselves then you could make that argument for just about anyone. A lot of the current fullbacks had to move clubs to even get an opportunity to play the first grade fullback - Walsh, Papenhuyzen, Gutherson, Weekes, Tracey, Drinkwater, Hammer, even Ponga. Appreciate TT is a bit older than most of them when they got their opportunity however a number of them at the time wouldn’t have got a start in another team.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

Hopefully Newcastle make a play for Tanah Boyd and then there’s a domino effect. Like us signing Thompson or Saifiti. Judging by reports they clearly need to offload some people.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I'd be looking at Enari Tuala from the Knights as an outside back/wing on the cheap. I think someone mentioned him a few weeks back?

Would almost command a spot immediately in our team (depending if Roger is going to play wing). Has speed and less errors/penalties than Montoya, and I imagine he wouldn't cost the earth.

Montoya's hit ups are much better however, but imo he'd be a great get.

 

[Noitall]

I'd be looking at Enari Tuala from the Knights as an outside back/wing on the cheap. I think someone mentioned him a few weeks back?

Would almost command a spot immediately in our team (depending if Roger is going to play wing). Has speed and less errors/penalties than Montoya, and I imagine he wouldn't cost the earth.

Montoya's hit ups are much better however, but imo he'd be a great get.

Bit of a rumour on the knights forum that he’s going to the bulldogs

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

James Maloney to assistant coach?

Only sacked for drink driving!

 

[Noitall]

Sounds a bit like Tyrone Thompson heads to Newcastle in November on development contract, that could put a spanner in the works for his brother Leo? He surely would know before deciding to test the market in November like he has announced. Between the knights salary woes and the broncos issues, hopefully we can gain a good prop

 

[Defence]

Until a player is given a decent opportunity in first grade to prove themselves then you could make that argument for just about anyone. A lot of the current fullbacks had to move clubs to even get an opportunity to play the first grade fullback - Walsh, Papenhuyzen, Gutherson, Weekes, Tracey, Drinkwater, Hammer, even Ponga. Appreciate TT is a bit older than most of them when they got their opportunity however a number of them at the time wouldn’t have got a start in another team.

Yeah but moving clubs isn’t going to give him a better opportunity- he’d still be back up.
His best chance of playing first grade is here.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Yeah but moving clubs isn’t going to give him a better opportunity- he’d still be back up.
His best chance of playing first grade is here.

Yes, and for the majority of the fullbacks I mentioned, their opportunity to be a first grade fullback was limited to a very small number of clubs as well. If I recall correctly, Pappy only got an opportunity because of injuries at the Storm, might have even been Drinkwater who was going to get a shot. Then Pappy cemented his place & Drinkwater had to go elsewhere.

 

[John Nick]

Yes, and for the majority of the fullbacks I mentioned, their opportunity to be a first grade fullback was limited to a very small number of clubs as well. If I recall correctly, Pappy only got an opportunity because of injuries at the Storm, might have even been Drinkwater who was going to get a shot. Then Pappy cemented his place & Drinkwater had to go elsewhere.

Add to the list of Storm ex Fullbacks Nick Meaney & Nicko Hynes.Probably others I have missed out.
They seem to churn out great fullbacks

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Add to the list of Storm ex Fullbacks Nick Meaney & Nicko Hynes.Probably others I have missed out.
They seem to churn out great fullbacks

Meaney was at the Dogs playing wing from memory. But until these guys got their break to show how good they were, there wasn’t anyone knocking the door down trying to poach them. Anyway all I’m saying is that I couldn’t give a shit if Tuaupiki wouldn’t currently get a start at another club… and if the argument then shifts to whether RTS would get a start at fullback elsewhere then my response to that would be fantastic, let him go.

 

[CWC]

Sounds a bit like Tyrone Thompson heads to Newcastle in November on development contract, that could put a spanner in the works for his brother Leo? He surely would know before deciding to test the market in November like he has announced. Between the knights salary woes and the broncos issues, hopefully we can gain a good prop

Saifiti with the Barney connection, or Willison using the home sick card? Bit of a disarray over in Brisbane at the moment

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Saifiti with the Barney connection, or Willison using the home sick card? Bit of a disarray over in Brisbane at the moment

Willison easy

 

[WahsaurusRex]

The last thing we need is another overpaid 29+ year old re: DSaf. The Dargons are signing anyone with a pulse and even they didn't want to pay him his asking price

I don't think Leo's brother joining him in Newy is too bad to our chances, its a negotiating chip the Knights can use but I don't imagine he would be on a multi-year deal, most dev deals are one year ones unless they are a young gun.

Willison probably should the main target- funnily enough the two forwards probably closest to Fish in playstyle would be Barnett and Leo imo lol- you don't turn down Leo if you can get him but Willison would be a point of difference.

Its best for the clubs chances to be so tight-lipped, but I would like to see any rumour or indication from outside the forum that we are going to try get any of these guys

 

[JaggedJ]

Every team has a talented fullback and most have another 1-2 who are talented but with flaws/rough edges to their game and that doesn't even include wingers who think they're fullbacks.

The main point of difference is the type of fullback that fits the style of team. A guy like RTS would be great in a team with creative/flamboyant halves but for us he doesn't have the ballplaying to help our average halves out.

Different fullbacks fit different teams and it feels like these days it's more about the fit than the talent.

Storm are an interesting case and most likely an outlier but a lot of their halves began as fullbacks either in first grade or lower grades. Or if they were junior halves they had the athleticism for fullback.

Munster, Widdop, Hughes, Hynes, Drinkwater etc have all come through as fullbacks who transferred to halves (and sometimes back again) or halves who could fill the role of fullback.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Willison easy

Willison will tap Haas on the shoulder and remind him how much better our pies are. That will seal the deal. Willison & Haas! Up the wHaas!

 

[JaggedJ]

Willison will tap Haas on the shoulder and remind him how much better our pies are. That will seal the deal. Willison & Haas! Up the wHaas!

What, you talking about Willhaas?