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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[Brightman]

Fisher Harris is a well respected player having won 3 premierships back to back to back, with young kids and wanting them to grow up in New Zealand, which is why he came back home on a contract where money wasn't the most important factor.

Brown is an overpaid, underperforming half who is young and stupid, and likes to grope drunk women. So coming home to New Zealand wouldn't be his priority, unless we are stupid enough to pay him $1m+ a season

Two different scenarios.

Very polarizing summary. But still no solution to the warriors halves problem.

Maybe we can develop who we currently have to challenge the top 8 consistently, although that is not a give and will likely take time.
Dylan Brown is young, a Kiwi and talented enough to be in demand from other Australian clubs. That says a whole lot about what is available now and apparently outweighs the negative points stated.

Whether we land him or not doesn't bother me, but the reality is the warriors would be mad not to look into it. Heaven help us if Metcalf signs elsewhere even though he's got very little runs on the board, Boyd fizzles, CHT may never reach his potential or TMM is medically retired..

 

[Blain]

Bit rich to suggest he will 'never be' a 7. He could easily make the transition in my opinion. There have been many running halfs / fullbacks turn into great 7s. Look at Hughes, Hynes, Luai etc. Even going back to the great Lockyer. If he came here and was coached by Jones, I'm sure in a couple of years he would be an elite 7. He has all the skills. Pay for him Wahs!

I have watched enough of Dylan Brown throughout the years to also have an opinion on his play style. His kicking game is not up to standard to be a 7, nor is his game management. He failed when moved to halfback last season to cover Moses. Asi was brought in for the role in the end.

To say he is an out and out 6 is not a dis on the guy, that's the current truth and reality. To say he can turn into something he's not currently is optimism.

 

[Hughes2026]

Is it such a bad thing if he never turns into a 7?

There's still pretty significant value in having an elite 6. Would anyone turn down signing Munster because he's never going to be a 7?

I actually think Brown/Boyd could balance out ok (Brown runs the attack, Boyd the game management), in the same way that the Bulldogs sort of vaguely get away with plonking Sexton/Hutchison next to Burton.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

Bruh, I’m still waiting for this list of “organising 7s” who are REALISTICALLY going to sign with the Warriors……

In the mean time, I’ll leave you all a list.
DCE (37)
Foran (36)
Hunt (35)
C Walker (37)
Townsend (36)
Wighton (34)
Reynolds (36)
How many of these guys will be playing in round 1, 2027?
Btw Metcalf and Boyd come off contract at the end of 2026……. Hmmmmm

Add two more teams by 2028……..

Yeah I’ll take.
6. Brown 7. TMM/Cleary/Metcalf

 

[Hughes2026]

Bruh, I’m still waiting for this list of “organising 7s” who are REALISTICALLY going to sign with the Warriors……

In the mean time, I’ll leave you all a list.
DCE (37)
Foran (36)
Hunt (35)
C Walker (37)
Townsend (36)
Wighton (34)
Reynolds (36)
How many of these guys will be playing in round 1, 2027?
Btw Metcalf and Boyd come off contract at the end of 2026……. Hmmmmm

Add two more teams by 2028……..

Yeah I’ll take.
6. Brown 7. TMM/Cleary/Metcalf

Not only that, but also:

Fogarty (31)
Brooks (30)
Munster (30)
Hughes (30)
Moses (30)
Nikorima (30)

There are *a lot* of halves in the competition on the wrong side of 30. At that age, it only takes one injury for things to go downhill fast.

With this sort of age profile, I'd almost guarantee there is going to be a mad scramble for halves in the coming years.

You'd be utterly mad not to do everything possible to lock in one of the most promising young halves in the competition (inarguably top 5) while they're on the market.

 

[Iridescent]

To be fair I never thought fisher Harris would come either & would ya look at that

JFH the married man with two kids who wants to come home for family reasons.

You obviously don't understand the lifestyle Dylan Brown has or you would realize that you would be more likely to play NRL than he would be to come home at this stage

 

[BigUCE]

JFH the married man with two kids who wants to come home for family reasons.

You obviously don't understand the lifestyle Dylan Brown has or you would realize that you would be more likely to play NRL than he would be to come home at this stage

+ the majority of his immediate family already lives in Sydney. They were a big reason why he turned us down in the first place.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

JFH the married man with two kids who wants to come home for family reasons.

You obviously don't understand the lifestyle Dylan Brown has or you would realize that you would be more likely to play NRL than he would be to come home at this stage

Far out bro, if it was that obvious JFH was coming home you could have given some of us noobs a heads up

It's good to know we have an expert in the life style of different players in the comp, I look forward to your insights into what players we'll be signing in the near future.

You got any oil atm?

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Well Browns clothing line is opening in NZ soon.
Found this on Brown

No Cookies | CODE Sports

No Cookies | CODE Sports

www.codesports.com.au

and then this

wethenorthnz

wethenorthnz

wethenorth.co.nz

So as us Warrior fans normally do 1 + 1 equals 26

 

[CWC]

So we might swap 1 Brownie to another Brownie?

Come home Dylan, plenty of drunken women in NZ too

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Feels like a total no-brainer to go after Brown for me

Best case scenario, we don't have to worry about the most important position on the field for the next 5+ years

Worst case, we run him at 7 for a couple years but we just can't develop him into the halfback we need.

At least then we have bought ourselves a couple of years to develop the halves in our pathways, and we still end up with an S-tier five-eighth who's still just 27, albeit on a bit of an overpay.

Though, an overpay that would probably be deserved considering, regardless of what position he plays, he would become the face of the team (and with that, probably scapegoat target #1)

 

[Inruin]

Feels like a total no-brainer to go after Brown for me

Best case scenario, we don't have to worry about the most important position on the field for the next 5+ years

Worst case, we run him at 7 for a couple years but we just can't develop him into the halfback we need.

At least then we have bought ourselves a couple of years to develop the halves in our pathways, and we still end up with an S-tier five-eighth who's still just 27, albeit on a bit of an overpay.

Though, an overpay that would probably be deserved considering, regardless of what position he plays, he would become the face of the team (and with that, probably scapegoat target #1)

Yes as long as we don't indulge this multiple player option clauses

 

[WA Warrior]

Yes as long as we don't indulge this multiple player option clauses

Surely even the bottom clubs will rethink these clauses.
Too much instability and a great way to infuriate your fan base when they find out.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

so JFH's retirement contract is good and Brown maximizing value is bad. Got it

I have kept my reservations about JFH pretty quiet

 

[Ref]

so JFH's retirement contract is good and Brown maximizing value is bad. Got it

I have kept my reservations about JFH pretty quiet

So Frank. Are you suggesting it could go one of two ways.

Do you think it could be the Adam Blair retirement package style.

I am hoping that JFH as a young Northern Swords age group rep player and trialist for higher rep teams always wanted to be a Warrior but the offer never came so he gapped it to Penrith.

Now he has the chance to finish his career getting what he always wanted and will dig in.

 

[Ref]

so JFH's retirement contract is good and Brown maximizing value is bad. Got it

I have kept my reservations about JFH pretty quiet

Brown is doing nothing wrong which I think you agree with.
Loyalty is something you must give to your current employer only when you are there.
There is no obligation to stay beyond the current contract.
We pay our staff pretty well (by NZ standards) with several perks and a generous annual bonus.
But those that have left we wish them well.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

So Frank. Are you suggesting it could go one of two ways.

Do you think it could be the Adam Blair retirement package style.

I am hoping that JFH as a young Northern Swords age group rep player and trialist for higher rep teams always wanted to be a Warrior but the offer never came so he gapped it to Penrith.

Now he has the chance to finish his career getting what he always wanted and will dig in.

Yeah don't get me wrong, hes a monster and a 4 time prem winner, but Im not filled with confidence he's here with the same hunger. I'll most likely get proven wrong, but theres something nagging at me. Plus hes too young for an actual retirement contract

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Brown is doing nothing wrong which I think you agree with.
Loyalty is something you must give to your current employer only when you are there.
There is no obligation to stay beyond the current contract.
We pay our staff pretty well (by NZ standards) with several perks and a generous annual bonus.
But those that have left we wish them well.

Esp considering his market value. As others pointed out, lots of old halves about to retire. Very few on the come up. He rightly deserves a 6 year gig.

 

[Noitall]

Ranking every NRL team's need for Dylan Brown

Which clubs need to enter the race for the five-eighth?

www.zerotackle.com

Speculative article that lists the Warriors at 4 for possible landing spots for Dylan Brown. Interesting the author says this could be an instance of the player wanting the club as much as the club wanting the player

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Yes as long as we don't indulge this multiple player option clauses

He will have plenty of player options down the viaduct.