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	✔	✔	✔
	Morgan Harper	✔
12	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
13	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
14	Edward Kosi	✔
15	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
16	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
17	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
18	Te Maire Martin	✔
19	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
20	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
21	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
22	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
23	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔
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	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	S	✔	✔
S5	Sio Kali	S
S6	Patrick Moimoi	S
-	Kahu Capper	T	T
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Motu Pasikala	T	✔	✔

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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 21/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tanner Stowers-Smith, 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.

 

[tajhay]

Since people are willing to continue posting non WARRIORS RECRUITMENT/RETENTION related posts and ignore the warning at the top of this thread, reply bans are going to be handed out in this thread. Zero warnings. Getting tired of repeating same crap.

 

[Offsider]

Daily Telegraph have reported that it's Maiuú the Bulldogs have signed for 2 years, effective immediately.

 

[Playdaball]

Oh why would the club let him go?
Must have someone half decent on the way!

 

[Offsider]

Francis Molo has fallen out with the Dragons, could we be maneuvering to make a play on him?

 

[SouthernWorrier]

wondered why we didn't see much of him last year. Something about his game the club doesn't rate? If it's legit.

 

[tajhay]

Oh why would the club let him go?
Must have someone half decent on the way!

You wouldnt think he would be on much more than minimum, and we still had not filled out the top 30 so releasing a player for additional top 30 space doesnt make sense either.

Pity would have loved to have seen what Zyon Maiu’u could have become with us.

 

[Playdaball]

You wouldnt think he would be on much more than minimum, and we still had not filled out the top 30 so releasing a player for additional top 30 space doesnt make sense either.

Pity would have loved to have seen what Zyon Maiu’u could have become with us.

Watch the Bulldogs games in the next year or so and he could develop into a Katoa ?

Meantime we’re now down to 27 players …. Announcement of a new player around Waitangi Day?

 

[SouthernWorrier]

Inability to control his aggression? Didn't watch much in NSW Cup, but thought he looked a more than solid prospect in an area we're a little light in an converting second rowers.... there must be a reason.

Bulldogs poach Warriors wrecking ball for 2025 season​

Canterbury have produced a stealth signing ahead of the 2025 season by adding one of the most promising props in New Zealand to their NRL roster.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Man I hope they got that one wrong.

Will be interesting to see how this impacts on the club, I thought Laban, Zyon Maiu’u, Halasima, Vaumunga and a few others said they wanted to stay around and come up together as a unit, similar to how Penny had such a big influx of talent all at once.

 

[tajhay]

Canterbury Bulldogs sign Warriors prop Zyon Maiu’u on two-year deal effective immediately​

Canterbury have produced a stealth signing ahead of the 2025 season by adding one of the most promising props in New Zealand to their NRL roster.

News Sport Network

Zyon Maiu’u has signed with Canterbury for the next two seasons.

The Bulldogs have produced a stealth signing ahead of the 2025 season by adding one of the most promising props in New Zealand to their NRL roster.
In a major boost to their forward stocks, Canterbury have signed 21-year-old Warriors prop Zyon Maiu’u, effective immediately.

Zyon Maiu’u knocked back interest from the Newcastle Knights and will join the Bulldogs for training on Tuesday.

Identified by the Warriors as a 17-year-old and contracted to the club until the end of 2026, Zyon Maiu’u has been highly touted among the game’s best judges.
The overriding factor in the Warriors reluctant decision to release the powerful ball-carrier with two years remaining on his contract was due to their plethora of young forwards they have at their disposal including Jacob Laban, Demetric Vaumaga and Leka Halasima.

The 106kg edge or middle forward has played one NRL game, coming off the bench in round eight last season against the Titans.
Earning four NRL games from the bench in 2024, this powerhouse talent carries the football with venom while also boasting classy timing in defence.
Used off the bench, he made a big impression in his 13 minutes on the field with 77-metres from seven runs, five tackles, no missed tackles and no errors.
The Bulldogs have made no secret of their desire to add more punch to their forward pack with Zyon Maiu’u recruited to support a team of underrated workers including Max King, Josh Curran, Harry Hayes, Kurtis Morrin, Samuel Hughes and Kurt Mann.

Zyon Maiu’u is expected to feature in the Dogs first pre-season trial match against the Wests Tigers on February 16.

The overriding factor in the Warriors reluctant decision to release the powerful ball-carrier with two years remaining on his contract was due to their plethora of young forwards they have at their disposal including Jacob Laban (Edit), Demitric Vaimauga (Edit) Vaumaga and Leka Halasima (Edit).

What kind of retarded reasoning is that.

 

[Inruin]

I know we aren't going to be able to keep them all but surely we aren't in the position yet were we can release a player like him?

 

[Riz]

Really not happy about this one, surely we have someone coming our way.

 

[tajhay]

Warriors Press Release.

Maiu'u granted early release

One New Zealand Warriors prop Zyon Maiu’u granted an early release from contract.

www.warriors.kiwi

One New Zealand Warriors prop Zyon Maiu’u has been granted an early release from his contract to continue his NRL career in Australia.

The 21-year-old 2024 NRL rookie was signed until the end of the 2026 season.

“We were keen for Zyon Maiu’u to stay but he’s looking for more opportunities,” said One New Zealand Warriors general manager recruitment, pathways and development Andrew McFadden.


“He came through our system to make his NRL debut last year and we wish him the very best for what lies ahead.”

Zyon Maiu’u was initially signed in 2021, rising through the ranks to become a regular in the club’s New South Wales Cup reserve grade side for which he made 43 appearances in 2023 and 2024.

He made his NRL debut and only appearance to date in the One New Zealand Warriors’ Anzac Day clash against Gold Coast at Go Media Stadium last year.

 

[Billyspleen75]

Surely that Sea Eagles prop is incoming

 

[WahsaurusRex]

I hear the Sea Eagles have a prop/lock born in ChCh and Raised in Akl, has been a rep for Toa Samoa as well- could be him??

Seriously though, unless it is Paseka, which it just isn't, I don't think there is any of the Sea Eagles props that we'd have been better off with short and long term than just keeping Z?

 

[WA Warrior]

Like it’s been said if we have an established first grader coming ok.
If not this is the nice guy shit we shouldn’t be doing, make him stay and fight for his position. He was contracted until the end of next year, he could turn out to be unbelievable.
He didn’t even have the homesick excuse and we still released him.
Bunty and Ale would’ve been gone imo before Zyon Maiu’u.

 

[Lance155]

100% we have a signing incoming the next few days. I think he might be the type of big unit that is just top much of a liability on D. Think of the Pangai Junior type

 

[Wrighty]

I am in favour of letting him Zyon Maiu’u go.

The inference of the articles and press release is that the bulldogs have offered him plenty of Frist Grade time. While he was lower on our pecking order and may only have gotten 5-7 games in this year with the Warriors.
All of the NRL management teams and especially the Warriors try to do what is best for the player especially developing players, even to the point of putting what is best for the club as a secondary consideration.
Yes he is an excellent asset for the Warriors but we would be holding him back from living out his dreams. He has been loyal to us soldiering away in NSW cup for a number of years and has earned some good will considerations from us. This is the right decision.

 

[tajhay]

100% we have a signing incoming the next few days. I think he might be the type of big unit that is just top much of a liability on D. Think of the Pangai Junior type

Potentially a liability on D. But hes young and raw and has a lot of development still left in him. He instantly made an impression in his debut with his aggressive runs. Could do much worse than having him on the bench for some impact.

 

[juju]

This one sucks.
They handled him fairly poorly with first grade opportunities last year I thought