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	T
-	Motu Pasikala	T

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

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: 23/30
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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[Noitall]

Surely someone can have a sneaky word to Jahrome Hughes for us.
Let him kindly know that the Wahs have 1.2mil that they're keen to spend on a half and will offer it to Brown if Hughes isn't keen.

Dylan Brown on 200k more than what he's worth is better than having no elite half at all imo. Especially when we already have a great forward pack, which he is likely to go well behind.

Not keen on those yearly clauses tho

When you consider Kalyn Ponga earns more than Nathan Cleary, makes you wonder if a strike weapon is rewarded more than an organiser? Though Cleary can be both. This would probably sit just above a million per season before adjustments to the cap, so if that removes those clauses for more security for the club I’d be happy with that. When I look at his what his output is currently, and where he can get to with the right people around him, I’d be happy to pay him that. SJ in 2022 to 2023 was a completely different player with a fresh voice at the helm. If Brown wants that coin though, there comes expectations because he’s got the pack to get him around the field

 

[MrFrankWhite]

He's not elite, we could end up losing a young gun signing a guy on this much, it's a huge risk imo.

what young gun halves are we likely to lose?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

what young gun halves are we likely to lose?

No i mean just young guns in general, like a Ali Leiataua, or Halasima blow up.

 

[Noitall]

No i mean just young guns in general, like a Ali Leiataua, or Halasima blow up.

Can’t see why he’d block their path to lose them? Don’t think we’d potentially lose anyone, with CHT perhaps changing roles?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Can’t see why he’d block their path to lose them? Don’t think we’d potentially lose anyone, with CHT perhaps changing roles?

Again, not a path block just cap space if we need to offer some serious cash to somebody that blows up.

Anyways, if he was to choose us which is highly unlikely, I would ne that opposed, cappy knows what he is doing. Halves are like hens teeth.

Oh shit! I've just talked myself into this!

 

[Wrighty]

As I posted earlier - Cleary currently on $1.2M but was negotiating an upgrade to $1.5M given the higher cap. When the expansion teams come in and start throwing money around, as Tookey posted, $1.2M for a top half will seem reasonable.

 

[SouthernWorrier]

He's not elite, we could end up losing a young gun signing a guy on this much, it's a huge risk imo.

To be on over 1mill you need to be yes elite and a match winner, not sure he's there yet, not to say he could get there?

100%. That pay packet is for players that take a game in the balance and win it for you. I've never seen that with DB or any glimpses of him ever being there tbh, so as much as we'd all like to strengthen our halves, I think this deal would hamstring our salary cap.
I can't see it being an issue anyway, I'd guess it's all a negotiating tactic when Eels are pushing to take his 'special clauses' out.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

1.2 for Brown is probably our best shot of winning the comp in the next 4 years.

Kinda sad to say.

 

[Noitall]

1.2 for Brown is probably our best shot of winning the comp in the next 4 years.

Kinda sad to say.

Chin up mate. If the club is backing him to succeed, back the club. On the upside, we wouldn’t lose him at origin time. I say come on down Dylan Brown

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Chin up mate. If the club is backing him to succeed, back the club. On the upside, we wouldn’t lose him at origin time. I say come on down Dylan Brown

Oh I think he’s the right option, but I think it’s sad that we have zero junior playmaking options about to step up.

 

[Noitall]

Oh I think he’s the right option, but I think it’s sad that we have zero junior playmaking options about to step up.

We’ve got a real unknown in Cleary? I think they’ve got high hopes for Metcalf, but needs to prove he can stay healthy. I don’t think they see TMM taking them to a title? Tanah Boyd is also an unknown and real potential, and an advantage to him is he can kick which none of the others are renowned for. Luke Hanson has potential and he and Cleary are familiar. Jack Thompson is another highly regarded, though that Haami Loza thing I saw mustn’t have been true, hasn’t been amongst of of the pathway squad announcements

 

[MrFrankWhite]

We’ve got a real unknown in Cleary? I think they’ve got high hopes for Metcalf, but needs to prove he can stay healthy. I don’t think they see TMM taking them to a title? Tanah Boyd is also an unknown and real potential, and an advantage to him is he can kick which none of the others are renowned for. Luke Hanson has potential and he and Cleary are familiar. Jack Thompson is another highly regarded, though that Haami Loza thing I saw mustn’t have been true, hasn’t been amongst of of the pathway squad announcements

Having 1 stable half while we find his partner is probably a good idea.

 

[Wrighty]

i wonder who the unknown sydney team is ? Le Rooster?

 

[Noitall]

Having 1 stable half while we find his partner is probably a good idea.

I think if we were to really go in hard for him, we should try to get him for 2025. That way we can see if TMM strikes up a combination with him that he can be extended if need be

 

[SJ2k]

We have an incredibly budget roster, we should absolutely be able to afford him. Our options for recruiting a high end player are extremely limited, we kinda need to take what we can get and build around it. Until the pathways are providing marquee players domestically.

 

[Noitall]

i wonder who the unknown sydney team is ? Le Rooster?

Would imagine so. Cody Walker getting on too? Could be souths? Roosters don’t seem like the big powerhouse club in recent times missing a lot of targets

 

[Noitall]

We have an incredibly budget roster, we should absolutely be able to afford him. Our options for recruiting a high end player are extremely limited, we kinda need to take what we can get and build around it. Until the pathways are providing marquee players domestically.

And being that we’re losing such Kiwi league icons in SJ and Tohu, I think to bring in a guy who’s going to be wearing the Kiwi jersey for years to come would be massive

 

[Wrighty]

Would imagine so. Cody Walker getting on too? Could be souths? Roosters don’t seem like the big powerhouse club in recent times missing a lot of targets

The timing of Eel wanting a decision before round one doesn't suit Rooster who would ideally like 5 or 6 games to watch Sandon play 80 minutes. Mind you they have seen plenty of him of the bench already so who knows.
As was pointed out on the Eels forum Dylan Brown doesn't suit the normal profile of an Easts target.

 

[Noitall]

The timing of Eel wanting a decision before round one doesn't suit Rooster who would ideally like 5 or 6 games to watch Sandon play 80 minutes. Mind you they have seen plenty of him of the bench already so who knows.
As was pointed out on the Eels forum Dylan Brown doesn't suit the normal profile of an Easts target.

Seen some say there’s no way he leaves Sydney, so who knows? He did have a situation where he might like to get away from the place too? Seems like Ryles has come in and wanted to create certainty in his squad moving forward, which is understandable. If they aren’t going to come to a resolution and he signs without the clauses, I could see them letting him go now? It would be the ideal situation to try and get some sort of trade for a player they might be keen on

 

[Wrighty]

Seen some say there’s no way he leaves Sydney, so who knows? He did have a situation where he might like to get away from the place too? Seems like Ryles has come in and wanted to create certainty in his squad moving forward, which is understandable. If they aren’t going to come to a resolution and he signs without the clauses, I could see them letting him go now? It would be the ideal situation to try and get some sort of trade for a player they might be keen on

for 2025? In the first instance we would offer them one of our halves not named Metcalf. If I were them I would push for a prospect too...TMM for Brown? Boyd for Brown? Plus a sweetner. A deal that might make them happier is CNK for Brown.

However all that said having listened to Webster's last interview he is dead set on running with our current 4 halves this year so if we get Brown I would be surprised if he came a year early. But who knows and as mentioned the fact they want this resolved before round one could indicate something.