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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[BigUCE]

Mulitalo will be gone this year if this ends up happening, sharks have a few backs ready to step up. Broncos have way too many good quick backs already. Surely we can get something out of this, even Arthers, I may be wrong but when Athers was loaned to us he was keen to stay but Broncos turned it down.

Broncos have also signed Grant Anderson from the Storm on a multi-year deal from 2026.

 

[Dempsey]

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.

Another way of looking at this is that most halves aren’t that good until they’re over 30

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

I really want Mulitalo, yes it's a lot for a winger but he's a top line winger and just has a nose for the try line.

He's just has a great attitude that we could do with, he doesn't step down, he just has a hard edge about him. He could form a lethal combo with Ali Leiataua. I want him over brown!

 

[Defence]

Another way of looking at this is that most halves aren’t that good until they’re over 30

In which case browns best years are all ahead of him….

 

[Worried2Death]

I really want Mulitalo, yes it's a lot for a winger but he's a top line winger and just has a nose for the try line.

He's just has a great attitude that we could do with, he doesn't step down, he just has a hard edge about him. He could form a lethal combo with Ali Leiataua. I want him over brown!

We don't really have anyone in the backline with enough speed to finish a long range break, and it's costing us points. (except Dallin's intercepts)

 

[The Warrior Waka]

We don't really have anyone in the backline with enough speed to finish a long range break, and it's costing us points. (except Dallin's intercepts)

I dunno, Ali has a few long range meat pies to his name. Alongside his brute force tries.


View: https://youtu.be/m32GA28HkTk?si=raXhY3GjxPk_FeXQ

 

[Worried2Death]

I dunno, Ali has a few long range meat pies to his name. Alongside his brute force tries.


View: https://youtu.be/m32GA28HkTk?si=raXhY3GjxPk_FeXQ

Not much defence going on there

 

[Worried2Death]

I dunno, Ali has a few long range meat pies to his name. Alongside his brute force tries.


View: https://youtu.be/m32GA28HkTk?si=raXhY3GjxPk_FeXQ

Ali and Ronaldo though, the dream left edge.

 

[BigUCE]

Ali and Ronaldo though, the dream left edge.

And RTS back to FB. Means CNK and Taine gone.

 

[Inruin]

And RTS back to FB. Means CNK and Taine gone

Or RTS released to Japanese rugby?

 

[Milking!]

Bit late to the Dylan’s Brown party, but my take is this: if you can imagine him as being the the best on field in a big finals game against elite competition (which I can), then he’s absolutely worth the pay cheque and hassle of getting him.
If you don’t, or think we’ve already got the cattle in the halves, then he’s not.
He’s also a kiwi, which makes him coming over considerably more viable than many - if not all - the other options.
My view is that he’s a tip-top elite five-eighth, and that allows you to be successful with a less creative ‘game-managing’-type halfback (which we can roll out).

 

[Iridescent]

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?

The only oil you need is baby oil, cause that's about as close as you're going to get to your fantasy of Dylan Brown signing with the Warriors.

 

[tajhay]

Bit late to the Dylan’s Brown party, but my take is this: if you can imagine him as being the the best on field in a big finals game against elite competition (which I can), then he’s absolutely worth the pay cheque and hassle of getting him.

Your imagination needs some sprinkles of reality as its veering into fantasy/delusion.

In his 10 finals appearances, how many games do you think he was the best on the field? im not talking about if they were against elite teams as that would be a resounding zero, but curious to know how many of them you think he was amongst the best player on the field. Too difficult? lets try best on field in his NRL performances.

Franchise/marquee players win you games. Those deservedly get that moniker of franchise players and deserve their ~1m pay check. The others just get those tags banded around by their managers to market them in the hope that someone will think of potential rather than reality.

If we do sign him, itll be a Kodi Nikorima V 2.0

 

[Wrighty]

Your imagination needs some sprinkles of reality as its veering into fantasy/delusion.

In his 10 finals appearances, how many games do you think he was the best on the field? im not talking about if they were against elite teams as that would be a resounding zero, but curious to know how many of them you think he was amongst the best player on the field. Too difficult? lets try best on field in his NRL performances.

Franchise/marquee players win you games. Those deservedly get that moniker of franchise players and deserve their ~1m pay check. The others just get those tags banded around by their managers to market them in the hope that someone will think of potential rather than reality.

If we do sign him, itll be a Kodi Nikorima V 2.0

Broncos fans were jumping for joy when Kodi left. A Broncos fan even created an account here to us lies about what a great player Kodi was just to make sure we took him and didn't do a return to sender. Incidently his post got over 40 likes which is still the record on this forum for most likes.

The eels fans don't want to lose Brown. ( But also refuse to pay more than what they are currently paying)

 

[Wrighty]

And where does Galvin tie into this 3D game of chess involving Brown. Eels forum think they have a sniff at Galvin.
Who knows what is happening behind closed doors.
2027 Eels could look like Moses 7 and Galvin 6.

 

[Milking!]

Your imagination needs some sprinkles of reality as its veering into fantasy/delusion.

In his 10 finals appearances, how many games do you think he was the best on the field? im not talking about if they were against elite teams as that would be a resounding zero, but curious to know how many of them you think he was amongst the best player on the field. Too difficult? lets try best on field in his NRL performances.

Franchise/marquee players win you games. Those deservedly get that moniker of franchise players and deserve their ~1m pay check. The others just get those tags banded around by their managers to market them in the hope that someone will think of potential rather than reality.

If we do sign him, itll be a Kodi Nikorima V 2.0

LOL No need for the K word - but he went all right here:
https://www.nrl.com/draw/nrl-premiership/2022/finals-week-2/eels-v-raiders/
300m and 6 tackle breaks etc is pretty good day at the office.
Yeah, it’s a bit of a punt and not ideal cap management - but who else with that potential would viably come to NZ?

 

[Fufu]

Can Rocco play wing? Ive never actually seen him in open space so not sure about his pace

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Ive got a bit of hope for the metcalf tmm combo tbh.
I think theres a bit more to metcalfs game than people realize.
Cnk is a worry for me though- I’m wondering if 2023 was his last gasp (similar to Sj and tohu) he just looked spent last year- he’s put his body through a lot.

I reckon a long pre season will do him wonders. CNK that is. He could thrive again if our systems click. If not he'll be scrambling on defence and running himself ragged again

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Can Rocco play wing? Ive never actually seen him in open space so not sure about his pace

I had wondered if he had value and speed as a winger. Our outside backs either need to be highly organised or faster or both. Is speed unteachable? As in there is no improvement in anyone's top end or acceleration?

 

[Aman 2.0]

Is Mohawk spending all the recruitment money on baby oil or what’s going on with all our $$$