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

---

This thread is solely for Warriors recruitment and retention discussion. Any posts not related to the above will be deleted.

Repeat offenders will have their access to this page limited.

Please be mindful of what you are posting in this thread before clicking the reply button. Zero Tolerance to offtopic chat.

 

[WA Warrior]

Exactly. Makes guys earn their spots through preseason and trials something not acceptable around here.

I’m not laughing at you John, I just know the rackus over this subject previously

 

[John Nick]

I’m not laughing at you John, I just know the rackus over this subject previously

All good thanks mate. Some people believe trials are not needed to select the first round team.
Go back to last year and just promise guys their spots. Haha
Unbelievable how little some of our "supposed experts actually know ".
No wonder I give it the big swerve.

 

[Leon Black]

Le Rooster one step ahead there and are going to hold their 30th spot for him all of the 2025 season with the idea he returns after the rugby season in time for the playoffs.

Which they won’t make with that roster in 2025.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

He’ll either be winger, or fullback. It’s not rocket science. Don’t overthink it. I’m leaning towards winger though, as the alternatives are pretty dire, unless they move Leiataua there, but this is another player out of position. Montoya was released, knowing rts would be on the wing imo. Rts is a dally m winger, and we have depth at centre now with 3 nrl ready centres in Ali, Berry and Pompey. Cnk is an international fb and got mom against the Aussie drubbing.

Roger wing, cnk fb, Ali and Berry centres. Case closed.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Could we still afford Ronaldo and Saab as well? I miss the days when we threw it out wide to our speedsters.

I would be stoked to have Mulitalo!

4 A Leiataua
5 R Mulitalo
6 D Brown
12 K Capewell

What an edge!

 

[Worried2Death]

I would be stoked to have Mulitalo!

4 A Leiataua
5 R Mulitalo
6 D Brown
12 K Capewell

What an edge!

Who's our 7 in this dream, don't tell me, is it Nathan Christ

 

[Leon Black]

Gidday fam. It's been a long time between posts, but I've just been reading the Dylan Brown and general halves chats on here and thought I'd lend my view on it.

First off, Brown is looking for his big Kayln Ponga payday. He's the incumbent Kiwis 6, and in the next contract will be the prime of his career. With Brad Arthur sacked (who I heard he was quite close to), I think that's his motivation. And with clubs like the Dolphins sitting on a stack of cash and the Roosters basically ready to plug him into a spine of Robson, Walker and Teddy – that's an auction you don't want to raise your paddle in, if you ask me.

So while I think the price is wrong for us, I don't necessarily believe that he's the wrong type of player. It's my belief that the club wants to turn Metcalf into a long-term 7 for us. He came through the grades as one, and it's only because he's fast and played second fiddle to dominant halves so far that people say he can't do it. Mitch Moses made the transition in a similar stage in his career and complimented Brown perfectly. Having said that, we don't know how successful this transition will be for Luke, so going in on Brown is a long shot.

For us to have long term success, we need to give our development system time to bring through a core group of talented players (particularly spine players) that want to stay together in NZ to win a comp – and that could mean taking less money. People forget we had no development sides during covid, and our junior grades have only just entered the Aus comps. In reality we could be waiting a few seasons to see the shoots. This means we probably aren't going to win any comps for a few years. To do that you need a really confident, settled and experienced spine that knows how to get the close ones nailed. And unless you're the roosters, you need to grow that.

Personally I think Metcalf is in for a breakout season, and have no question that he can transition into a very good halfback if he stays fit. Te Maire would be a great foil for him at 6 with much-needed experience and a good short kicking game.

But that's me. Keep an eye out for my sign at the Sharks trial. I'll be on the bank!

Nailed it, remember seeing Luke and TMM in opening trial against Tigers, I know a dud side, but they were in sync and seemed to compliment one another.

My only concern is they both have horror injury records. If they stay fit we will do alright in 25’. I just hope I don’t see a bench of Lussick, Ford, Ale and Walker.

The kids need to start from the pine early on, Sifakula in particular, or whatever his new name is, apologies for the tardiness.. Harold Matts win could be significant in 3-4 years time.

Our player of the year already poached by the Dogs but we can’t keep them all.

 

[Makasene]

He’ll either be winger, or fullback. It’s not rocket science. Don’t overthink it. I’m leaning towards winger though, as the alternatives are pretty dire, unless they move Leiataua there, but this is another player out of position. Montoya was released, knowing rts would be on the wing imo. Rts is a dally m winger, and we have depth at centre now with 3 nrl ready centres in Ali, Berry and Pompey. Cnk is an international fb and got mom against the Aussie drubbing.

Roger wing, cnk fb, Ali and Berry centres. Case closed.

Agree, will be flabbergasted if RTS is not staring with the 5 on his back in Vegas.

They extended Taine and released Montoya - tells you just about everything you need to know about mid-term fullback and left-wing plans.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Who's our 7 in this dream, don't tell me, is it Nathan Christ

It would have to be a cheap guy like Boyd, I would not mind it at all!

 

[Leon Black]

Was just watching a podcast on youtube with Cam George he advised that no one at the Warriors has spoken to Dylan Brown or his agent about the future. So all this talk about DB is pure rumor & unless we here otherwise looks like we aren't interested, which makes sense as hes not a huge upgrade on TMM or Metcalf at least not for the money being
asked

If you believe Cam George you believe Trumps hair is real…

 

[Inruin]

He’ll either be winger, or fullback. It’s not rocket science. Don’t overthink it. I’m leaning towards winger though, as the alternatives are pretty dire, unless they move Leiataua there, but this is another player out of position. Montoya was released, knowing rts would be on the wing imo. Rts is a dally m winger, and we have depth at centre now with 3 nrl ready centres in Ali, Berry and Pompey. Cnk is an international fb and got mom against the Aussie drubbing.

Roger wing, cnk fb, Ali and Berry centres. Case closed.

They've just confirmed, as 99.9% of us knew, he is in the team and they know where they are going to play him. Like you say, it really isn't rocket science. It won't surprise me to see him in the preseason games getting a run in a few positions, probably fullback and wing and maybe centre as well. He's locked in for round one. I'm hoping it's left wing.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

They've just confirmed, as 99.9% of us knew, he is in the team and they know where they are going to play him. Like you say, it really isn't rocket science. It won't surprise me to see him in the preseason games getting a run in a few positions, probably fullback and wing and maybe centre as well. He's locked in for round one. I'm hoping it's left wing.

Nah apparently he knows his position, they know his position, & will want as many reps as possible. I don’t think he’d move there if cnk goes down either, he’s likely 3rd in line, again.

 

[Worried2Death]

Nah apparently he knows his position, they know his position, & will want as many reps as possible. I don’t think he’d move there if cnk goes down either, he’s likely 3rd in line, again.

Lock him in then. And I don't mean at lock.


or do I...

 

[roguei]

Nailed it, remember seeing Luke and TMM in opening trial against Tigers, I know a dud side, but they were in sync and seemed to compliment one another.

My only concern is they both have horror injury records. If they stay fit we will do alright in 25’. I just hope I don’t see a bench of Lussick, Ford, Ale and Walker.

The kids need to start from the pine early on, Sifakula in particular, or whatever his new name is, apologies for the tardiness.. Harold Matts win could be significant in 3-4 years time.

Our player of the year already poached by the Dogs but we can’t keep them all.

As much of a concern as it normally would be, I think the depth we have now in our halves is perfect. And I'd love to think that if one goes down, we have a direct replacement.

I honestly think what hurt us massively last year was not specifically injuries, but shuffling around players to fill in for those injuries instead of being able to promote one player up a grade (because we had so many injuries, but also lacked full depth). Here, we have two pretty injury-prone halves who can be directly replaced as soon as an injury hits, which as a plus, will hopefully mean we don't see a repeat of our game against the Roosters last year—where one of our halves was practically dying on the field, playing injured.

 

[Lance155]

Not sure how anyone thinks it's anything but fullback from his insta post where he (or whoever created it for him) superimposed the number 1 on his back at the end. He literally told us....

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Don’t know if this bots a genius or in meltdown mode sometimes…

Certainly posts full throttle like DWZ sprinting towards the tryline

 

[tajhay]

Hey guys just a FYI. Please dont @ warriorbot in this thread please. Other threads (esp social forums) are fine just not in moderated threads like this please.

And yes... hes been updated a bit. Now *testing* using DeepSeek R1 rather than OpenAi o1 as the AI model hence the noticeable difference.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Haas, Tino, AFB and other middles running at him.
Nah, don’t see it.

You don't think he's ever had to tackle them being the last line of defense before? Lol...I see it. Just not sure he has a big enough engine to last a whole game.

 

[WA Warrior]

You don't think he's ever had to tackle them being the last line of defense before? Lol...I see it. Just not sure he has a big enough engine to last a whole game.

This isn’t the odd break that he's the last line of defence, his main job is to defend in the middle.
Turning 32 this year and move from an outside back into the tough stuff up front I don’t think he has it in him.
But that’s just my opinion who knows unless it actually ever happens.

 

[Inruin]

This isn’t the odd break that he's the last line of defence, his main job is to defend in the middle.
Turning 32 this year and move from an outside back into the tough stuff up front I don’t think he has it in him.
But that’s just my opinion who knows unless it actually ever happens.

30+ tackles against middles game after game is a massive step up from anything he would have done previously. Besides, we have many much better options for 13 and we need RTS in the outside backs