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
-	Kahu Capper	T	T
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	?
-	Motu Pasikala	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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[SouthernWorrier]

Dylan Brown has confirmed today that he is open to receive offers to leave the eels for the 2026 season.

..let the message board frenzy begin....

 

[BigUCE]

..let the message board frenzy begin....

Imagine the outrage when he stays with the eels but on a bigger revamped contract

 

[juju]

That's some cheesy agent speak in that statement...

Franchise!

 

[Wrighty]

The agent sounds like a real estate agent.

 

[Wrighty]

Ok well which teams are putting an offer in?

St George
Warriors
Souths
Who?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Ok well which teams are putting an offer in?

St George
Warriors
Souths
Who?

Don't forget the Roosters!

 

[~Navigator~]

Ok well which teams are putting an offer in?

St George
Warriors
Souths
Who?

Well the bulldogs have just about a whole new team and they have no cap

 

[MrFrankWhite]

2026? When most of our players are off contract and we will need to build a team around a new spine? What a coincidence

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Ok well which teams are putting an offer in?

St George
Warriors
Souths
Who?

Bulldogs are linked to everyone so I'm sure they'll be having a look haha.

Who knows, if he signs with us and the Eels have a shit start to the year, maybe they decide to cut ties with Brown earlier than planned and we get him for the 2nd half of the comp in 2025.

We're due a little luck after the way SJ and Tohu finished up, and losing Addin early...

 

[Wrighty]

Why does he even want to leave the eels when he currently gets $900K. No one, not even Flannagan is paying more than $1M for him. What does Dylan gain by chasing an extra one hundred thousand. Chasing a premiership I understand but an extra 100,000 doesn't add up.

 

[Inruin]

The agent sounds like a real estate agent.

I was just about to say the same thing. Ffs register your interest and we will set up a meeting?

 

[Inruin]

Why does he even want to leave the eels when he currently gets $900K. No one, not even Flannagan is paying more than $1M for him. What does Dylan gain by chasing an extra one hundred thousand. Chasing a premiership I understand but an extra 100,000 doesn't add up.

Chase a premiership? Be part of a successful club? Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up at the Roosters. Would Souths under Bennett be an option with Walker getting on in years?

 

[tajhay]

Why does he even want to leave the eels when he currently gets $900K. No one, not even Flannagan is paying more than $1M for him. What does Dylan gain by chasing an extra one hundred thousand. Chasing a premiership I understand but an extra 100,000 doesn't add up.

His management is just fishing to see what desperate clubs may pay before they commit to the player option.

"The playmaker has until Round 10 of this season to trigger his player option for 2026, but it seems as if he’d prefer to test the waters before doing so."

 

[Wrighty]

His management is just fishing to see what desperate clubs may pay before they commit to the player option.

"The playmaker has until Round 10 of this season to trigger his player option for 2026, but it seems as if he’d prefer to test the waters before doing so."

I see the old leverage an offer from the warriors to drive your current club to match.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Ok well which teams are putting an offer in?

St George
Warriors
Souths
Who?

Swap Souths for Easts and I think you have got the top three players for him

Though, Walker and Wighton aren't exactly spring chickens either so may be right

Could see the Knights and Dolphins sounding him out as well but probably not getting very far

 

[Wrighty]

Eels forum say either the Roosters get him or after much drama he stays an eel.

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

I see the old leverage an offer from the warriors to drive your current club to match.

Still benefits us to drive up salaries elsewhere

 

[Billyspleen75]

Might need to cut someone for a 2026 half signing. CHT maybe an option at lock by then.

2025 Metcalf Boyd CHT TMM
2026 Metcalf Boyd CHT Cleary
2027 Cleary

 

[Wrighty]

I was just about to say the same thing. Ffs register your interest and we will set up a meeting?

Yeah the register your interest almost is getting into a piss take given there will only be 4 or 5 respondents.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I’m going to counter some of the chat here, I think he is a franchise player. Quality halves are few and far between. The best ones of the current era; DCE, Reynolds, hunt etc are close to retirement. The next crop, Fogarty, Hughes, moses, Walker, wighton are a few years away from retirement.

Luai, Burton, s walker, Cleary are young but all are locked down for long term deals.

Brown is 25 in 2026. Meaning, he’s got 7+ years ahead of him. Whilst he’s a ball running 6, there’s no reason why he couldn’t be converted to a high quality 7 under good coaching & mentors (SJ).

He’s also a kiwi boy, good looking, level headed, an international and has racked up 125 games so is looking like a 300 gamer. He’s also probably the best defensive half in the comp.

IMO he is a franchise player, he is a 1 million dollar player & I want him at the warriors 100%.

For context; Cleary 1.2, luai 1.2, Munster 1.1, dce 1, Walker 1, Hynes 1, brown 900k.