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	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	✔	✔
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	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	C
28	Dylan Walker	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Tanah Boyd	S	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Tanner Stowers-Smith	S
T1	Jett Cleary	T	S	S

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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 3/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Development 2025: 4/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 20/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 2/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Tohu Harris, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Dylan Walker, Kalani Going (S), Tanner Stowers-Smith (S), Demitric Vaimauga (C)

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[Juno]

Then why'd he come back? The players get a pretty big say in whether or not they're ready, after all they're the ones with the injury..

You'd think so... but in reality, not always.

 

[Wrighty]

The article on Erin Clark (not Clarke meme) is very interesting. 3 year deal. His Birthday is in September
So 2025 27 years old
2026 28 years old
2029 29 years old

We are getting him at a great age,

Coming for compassionate reasons. We really do benefit from that more than we lose from it being the only NZ club in a league.
google says there were 161 new zealanders in the NRL in 2023 and 17X30 = 510 players altogether = 161/510 = 32%

I was wondering why the Titans were silly enough to give him to us. Compassionate release.

 

[Jaffa J]

A fully fit Tohu is a top 3 lock in the game and still deserves his place in the squad I'm excited to see him alongside JFH and Barney next season

Like the Erin Clarke (Clark) signing adds to the staunch forward pack interested in how Webby does the forward rotations next season especially if Niukore switches to Prop just hope we have a spine/backline signing in the pipelines

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

You'd think so... but in reality, not always.

So you're saying they forced him to played injured?

 

[kos]

The article on Erin Clark (not Clarke meme) is very interesting. 3 year deal. His Birthday is in September
So 2025 27 years old
2026 28 years old
2029 29 years old

We are getting him at a great age,

Coming for compassionate reasons. We really do benefit from that more than we lose from it being the only NZ club in a league.
google says there were 161 new zealanders in the NRL in 2023 and 17X30 = 510 players altogether = 161/510 = 32%

I was wondering why the Titans were silly enough to give him to us. Compassionate release.

His Mum was involved with the Titans netball side. She decided to move back to Nz to a role with. a Nz netball side - Erin following.
Isaac Liu finished up with Titans too off to Superleague

 

[Wrighty]

This will sound like a Ruthless post but the NRL is a business

The problem areas and underpeformers for the Warriors were
1) Shaun Johnson - not his fault though as I have posted they studied video on him and neutralised him and he didn't react,
SOLUTION IN PLACE FOR 2025 - Shaun saw the writing on the wall and fell on his own sword
2) RTS terrible winning record at centre
SOLUTION REPORTEDLY IN PLACE FOR 2025 - Being moved to Wing
3) Egan getting knocked out every third match
SOLUTION WE FIINSHED THE YEAR WITH - Lussick to start Egan to come off bench
4) Jackson Ford's Pure Shit House Discipline. Most penalties conceded in the team by some distance 4th in the team for most Errors made.
PARTIAL SOLUTION - Removed from Second Row 80 minute role to limit his minutes on the field. Finished year as a bench prop. Let's hope we don't go back to him as a starter.

UNRESOLVED NON PERFORMERS AND PROBLEM AREAS FROM 2024
4) Tohu Harris - where will this land? Will they put him on the bench and just give him 40 minutes per game or will they put this down to him playing injured in 2024. Towards the end they reduced his minutes I suspect his days playing 80 are over. He reacted well to playing less minutes and was able to empty the tank over 45 minutes much better.
5) CNK at Fullback - he fucked the dog at Fullback all year after being a top 5 elite full back in 2023. No Solution in place and doesn't seem to have been noted by the coaching hierarchy. Some fans want him at centre.
6) PATHETIC GOAL KICKING ALL YEAR - Will they put Taine into the team or muddle through with the bog average Pompey and Metcalf
7) PATHETIC DROP GOAL KICKING - No Solution in place. Suggest we go for a tries in golden point instead (joke)
8) Halves depth - need to recruit another half as we only have three.

 

[kos]

This will sound like a Ruthless post but the NRL is a business

The problem areas and underpeformers for the Warriors were
1) Shaun Johnson - not his fault though as I have posted they studied video on him and neutralised him and he didn't react,
SOLUTION IN PLACE FOR 2025 - Shaun saw the writing on the wall and fell on his own sword
2) RTS terrible winning record at centre
SOLUTION REPORTEDLY IN PLACE FOR 2025 - Being moved to Wing
3) Egan getting knocked out every third match
SOLUTION WE FIINSHED THE YEAR WITH - Lussick to start Egan to come off bench
4) Jackson Ford's Pure Shit House Discipline. Most penalties conceded in the team by some distance 4th in the team for most Errors made.
PARTIAL SOLUTION - Removed from Second Row 80 minute role to limit his minutes on the field. Finished year as a bench prop. Let's hope we don't go back to him as a starter.

UNRESOLVED NON PERFORMERS AND PROBLEM AREAS FROM 2024
4) Tohu Harris - where will this land? Will they put him on the bench and just give him 40 minutes per game or will they put this down to him playing injured in 2024. Towards the end they reduced his minutes I suspect his days playing 80 are over. He reacted well to playing less minutes and was able to empty the tank over 45 minutes much better.
5) CNK at Fullback - he fucked the dog at Fullback all year after being a top 5 elite full back in 2023. No Solution in place and doesn't seem to have been noted by the coaching hierarchy. Some fans want him at centre.
6) PATHETIC GOAL KICKING ALL YEAR - Will they put Taine into the team or muddle through with the bog average Pompey and Metcalf
7) PATHETIC DROP GOAL KICKING - No Solution in place. Suggest we go for a tries in golden point instead (joke)
8) Halves depth - need to recruit another half as we only have three.

I agree with these factors
The thing is
This should all be on Coach Webster
Does Coach Webster need to recruit
As advisers
Wrighty
Frank White

How come the ( censored) coach can’t see the bleeding obvious
Where is the required change management

He is (censored)

 

[MrFrankWhite]

He didn't come back from injury though. In fact, he was still injured and it had gotten worse. They shouldn't have played him at all let alone 'brought him back from injury' He should've had an op at the end of '23 and this year could've been a different story.
Anyway, 2025. Looking forward to a fit and firing Tohu...yes, even at 33, (jwh & jesse b. and a few others older than him say hello! ).
Reduced minutes probably, out wide sometimes, putting those young fellas in space, defending his a*** off & mixing it with Egan & co. in the middle on occasion.
If he can't, he's the type to call it.

Did JWH and Jesse B have good seasons? I must have missed that.

 

[kos]

Did JWH and Jesse B have good seasons? I must have missed that.

lol
Jesse was so enthused in his last game he bashed Kaylyn Ponga got sent off and was a massive contributor to the Dolphins missing the 8
JWH should get a special award for spending more time suspended than playing

 

[Juno]

Did JWH and Jesse B have good seasons? I must have missed that.

Not saying they did, or all those others between 30 - 35. But still their clubs played them. Why?
Perhaps you have special insight? My point is, experience brings its own dimension till the younguns are ready.
Harris is 33 at the beginning of next year, not 35. Unencumbered with the duties of captaincy and a focus on just playing, he still offers heaps for the ones coming through imo. But he's being written off by some.
Prepared to eat craw if I'm wrong

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Not saying they did, or all those others between 30 - 35. But still their clubs played them. Why?
Perhaps you have special insight? My point is, experience brings its own dimension till the younguns are ready.
Harris is 33 at the beginning of next year, not 35. Unencumbered with the duties of captaincy and a focus on just playing, he still offers heaps for the ones coming through imo. But he's being written off by some.
Prepared to eat craw if I'm wrong

We have Barnett, Capewell and JFH, all who will be playing past 2025. Also im not writing him off, I'm saying the risk isnt worth the reward. AKA the juice isnt worth the squeeze.

I could very easily be wrong and he could turn back the clock.

 

[Juno]

We have Barnett, Capewell and JFH, all who will be playing past 2025. Also im not writing him off, I'm saying the risk isnt worth the reward. AKA the juice isnt worth the squeeze.

I could very easily be wrong and he could turn back the clock.

On a wing and a prayer
Its a calculated risk, and you"re right, it may not pay off...but then again it just might.
Class is class, the top 2ins matter, as does experience for younguns to learn off.
If it doesn't work I absolutely think decisions will be made, unlike this past year

 

[Noitall]

Jeez broncos linked to a lot of props lately. First Welsh, now RCG. Taupau extended for another year too. Makes me wonder if they’re losing someone?

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

Josh Addo-Carr likely to be looking for a "fresh start" soon...

 

[Worried2Death]

Josh Addo-Carr likely to be looking for a "fresh start" soon...

Welcome home Josh Addo-Wah

 

[Stalefish540]

Have been big on Ale since he came up into reggies. For one reason or another the club just hasn't found a spot for him in grade. Tohu and Walker blocking 13 which I feel is more his actual position not prop, then not getting decent minutes at prop off the bench.

Feel like he's more of a player that builds into a game, so that isn't going to happen any time soon as a starter with our propping stocks.

Adding Clark just backfills Jazz, so that's another road block for him. Seems Sifakula is now ahead of him in the pecking order also.

Hoping he can find a new club and get some decent FG under his belt. Definitely feel there's a real first grader in there.

 

[JaggedJ]

Ale is a career fringe player aslong as he's here.

Clark (not Clarke) has done the leave and come back, maybe time for Ale to do the same.

 

[PhilsySH35]

If I'm honest, the whole Curran thing just set me off and now I'm being spammed with the same re-shared boohoo stories on my socials.

It's okay, I'll go put my dunce hat on and sit in the corner.

well back in the day, you kept your mouth shut, never spoke about anything bothering you, you sucked it up, and then shoved it way down deep until it wouldn't see the light of day, and I mean when you scored a try you just jogged it back to the half way mark, no smiling laughing and jumping all over each like they used to do in soccer or football or whatever the hell they call it now, "sigh" those were the days (lol), where anything emotional never dared be shown by word, gesture or deed (lol) , now days the only emotion I show is to my missus or my mokos (grandchildren) or when I watch my kdrama, my kids are so gutted - "gee dad how come you're so soft with them", aaahhh go tell your mother - bloody snowflakes (lol).

 

[Leon Black]

I don’t get the love for Ford… he is more accident prone than Frank Spencer. Knocks on 2-3 times a game and averages close to one obstruction No Try per game.

Wish there were stats for post contact metres conceded per tackle made. He and Lussick would rate top 10 in the NRL. Can’t question his motor, he just fkn bang average!

 

[CWC]

I don’t get the love for Ford… he is more accident prone than Frank Spencer. Knocks on 2-3 times a game and averages close to one obstruction No Try per game.

Wish there were stats for post contact metres conceded per tackle made. He and Lussick would rate top 10 in the NRL. Can’t question his motor, he just fkn bang average!

Big improvement mid season literally no drop balls and penalties for a few games in a row, then at most 1 per game, obstruction probably biggest issue 1 per 1-2 games, unless he got worse before the injury and before I tuned out from the Dolphins game. Averaging 8-10m per run and 150+/game I think