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	The Greatest of All-Time	✔	✔
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	✔	M
13	Edward Kosi	✔
14	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
15	Ali Leiataua	✔
16	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
17	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔
18	Te Maire Martin	✔
19	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
20	Marcelo Montoya	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔
25	Demitric Sifakula	✔	C
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Dylan Walker	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔
D1	Kalani Going	D
D2	Tanner Stowers-Smith	D
T1	Jett Cleary	T	D	D

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, D = Development contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 2/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Development 2025: 3/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 13/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Jackson Ford, Tohu Harris, Ed Kosi, Ali Leiataua, Te Maire Martin, Marcelo Montoya, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Taine Tuaupiki, Dylan Walker, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Kalani Going (D), Tanner Stowers-Smith (D), Chanel Harris-Tavita (M), Demitric Sifakula (C)

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[MrFrankWhite]

Agreed. He played exceptionally better at 80 minutes. Brothers a straight up line bender, can't be expecting him to be a part of the fancy plays.

It's all square peg, round hole type stuff.

Because people are desperate to keep certain players based on feels. Meanwhile Storm are fucking off their ex-captain at aged 30.... (the team that also got rid off Tohu at 28, the bloke people are desperate to keep at 33)

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Depends who’s available. I think our young second rowers are far enough to be adequate cover on an edge, so to me Ford primarily prop that can cover second row at if needed. He’s likely to see first grade if injuries occur next year, or at best bench spot? I think if he was offered something better, the club wouldn’t stand in his way

Unpopular opinion, he's a better starting prop than Barnett.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Because people are desperate to keep certain players based on feels. Meanwhile Storm are fucking off their ex-captain at aged 30.... (the team that also got rid off Tohu at 28, the bloke people are desperate to keep at 33)

I just don't see the point of putting players in roles that they don't excel in. You're always going to be disappointed because they won't do what you need that role to do.

Pretty simple really.

Fully agree. I love players like Tohu, but this a professional sport. There no room for players that can't perform.

Besides, we have JFH coming in. You wanna talk Mana, he's sitting on the mana throne at the minute. I've never seen a club more gutted to lose a player than the riff have been with him.

 

[peewee]

Ford could be an 80min prop. Theres 4-5 players we should be letting go before him.

See him as a similar prop roll to Curran

 

[Noitall]

Unpopular opinion, he's a better starting prop than Barnett.

Fords a good player, but that’s a stretch to say he offers more than a guy who’s just been picked to represent nsw and picked up the clubs top player award this season

 

[Noitall]

Because people are desperate to keep certain players based on feels. Meanwhile Storm are fucking off their ex-captain at aged 30.... (the team that also got rid off Tohu at 28, the bloke people are desperate to keep at 33)

Didn’t they have Cameron Smith and Slater play well into their 30’s?

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Didn’t they have Cameron Smith and Slater play well into their 30’s?

They were superstars and played as well as, if not better than, they did in their twenties.

 

[Teets]

I wouldn't be rushing to get rid of Ford given his motor and that he's one of the few guys Webby trusts not pushing 30 in the pack.

 

[JaggedJ]

Sceptical about his signing or the position he’ll play?

Both

 

[CWC]

Ford is a cheap improving FG prop/2nd row approaching 50 games, who can play 80min and will get plenty of game time due to injuries, I wouldn't let him go anywhere

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Ahhhhhhhhhh, back where we belong! Season over as finals run in, and we are debating Ford vs Barnett vs beach roles

What a time to be alive!

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Fords a good player, but that’s a stretch to say he offers more than a guy who’s just been picked to represent nsw and picked up the clubs top player award this season

the key there is STARTING. Hes not a better prop, nor a better player. Barney is one of the few guys we have that can provide individual impact

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Didn’t they have Cameron Smith and Slater play well into their 30’s?

Yes because they were immortals in a spine position. They (rightfully) concluded that a backrower could be replaced

 

[Damo]

the key there is STARTING. Hes not a better prop, nor a better player. Barney is one of the few guys we have that can provide individual impact

Ford - 3 games starting at prop, averages of: 61 mins, 34.3 tackles and 146.3m. Pretty good.
Barnett - 15 games starting at prop, averages of: 63.3 mins, 33.7 tackles and 158.1m. Maybe slightly ahead (statistically). Doesn't take into account Barnetts moves to other positions during the game.

Barney averaged 0.4 errors compared to Fords 1.0 a game, 2.3 MT compared to 2.7.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Ford - 3 games starting at prop, averages of: 61 mins, 34.3 tackles and 146.3m. Pretty good.
Barnett - 15 games starting at prop, averages of: 63.3 mins, 33.7 tackles and 158.1m. Maybe slightly ahead (statistically). Doesn't take into account Barnetts moves to other positions during the game.

Barney averaged 0.4 errors compared to Fords 1.0 a game, 2.3 MT compared to 2.7.

Again, I never said Ford was a better prop. He's a better STARTING prop. He can play 80 in case of an injury, has different body type and despite what people think, impact off the bench is important. Of which he provides ZERO.

Barnet is the only senior player we have that can provide that impact and hes the only senior player that needs to have his minutes managed.

 

[Username: Required]

Bloody hell, we're really cleaning house at the minute....

Who else is leaving? Sorry to be behind

 

[Damo]

Again, I never said Ford was a better prop. He's a better STARTING prop. He can play 80 in case of an injury, has different body type and despite what people think, impact off the bench is important. Of which he provides ZERO.

Barnet is the only senior player we have that can provide that impact and hes the only senior player that needs to have his minutes managed.

I never made a conclusion just presented some stats

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

Bloody hell, some members talk as if Tohu Harris has just completely fallen off a cliff. Is he the player he once was? Frankly, no.

Still averaged (according to league live app). 132m and a 95% tackle efficiency. Plus the ball skills will always be there. Hopefully the surgery and a long off season helps him out.

Btw, Melbourne did not “get rid” of Tohu, at all. He was a priority resigning for them. I follow Melbourne and have relatives that live there that are hardcore fans of them ( I’ve been there many times). They were absolutely gutted when he left there, bordering on devastated.
We just offered him more money (he was on close to a milli in the end) and the pull of home. And apparently he got along really well with Stephen Kearney.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Bloody hell, some members talk as if Tohu Harris has just completely fallen off a cliff. Is he the player he once was? Frankly, no.

Still averaged (according to league live app). 132m and a 95% tackle efficiency. Plus the ball skills will always be there. Hopefully the surgery and a long off season helps him out.

Btw, Melbourne did not “get rid” of Tohu, at all. He was a priority resigning for them. I follow Melbourne and have relatives that live there that are hardcore fans of them ( I’ve been there many times). They were absolutely gutted when he left there, bordering on devastated.
We just offered him more money (he was on close to a milli in the end) and the pull of home. And apparently he got along really well with Stephen Kearney.

I guess we are both hoping he returns to that form he showed at the start of this year rather than the end.

 

[Wrighty]

Where did you hear that Wrighty?
Watching him live at Titans certainly he s a better 13/prop than hooker
At hooker he is a little better than Jazz but not that hot
Hope Paul Roach gets a few games at hooker - he can spark attack
Egan will probably freshen up and come back revitalised after the off season

Props;
JFH, Barnett, Marata, Ale, Sifakula, Afoa, Maiúu
Locks;
Harris, Walker, Clark
Second Rowers;
Capewell, Ford, Halamisia, Laban

Real quick exercise, but basically our props/middles are stacked number wise. Barnett might play lock next year looking at it, and Ford perhaps front row.. If Harris is fit, I expect him to be starting at lock or prop, him and Barnett will do a similar job. I think everyone here has forgotten about Tohu's ball playing, I wouldn't write him off. There is a lot of combo options available, but if everyone is on the park at the start of the season our pack is pretty easy to pick except for Capewell's opposite second rower.

JFH
Egan
Barnett
Capewell
Laban/Halamasia (I think we really need some youth in the pack, really hope one of these guys steps up)
Harris

Clark
Walker
Ford
Niukore

Sifakula/Ale/Afoa/Zion

Is Afoa getting much game time? Probably not. Is he on much money? Don't think so. I don't think there is any point in letting him go unless we really need his roster spot for another position, and have a signing lined up.

If Afoa is not going to play much first grade then he will be playing NSW cup and maybe they view a NSW cup spot is valuable as they have guys coming out of Flegg too old to go around again in Flegg.