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	Te Maire Martin	✔
19	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
20	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
21	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
22	Adam Pompey	✔
23	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
24	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
25	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
26	Dylan Walker	✔
27	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: 27/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 27/30
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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[Makasene]

I feel like AW is the sort of guy that would be fairly honest with a player. I'd say they've had their pre season player meetings, AW had told him minutes and opportunities are limited, we want you to stick around and wok through it, but if you want I can have a word with CC at the dogs who is potentially looking for a middle. Then the deal was done. IC, AW and CC would all be pretty tight and get deals done behind closed doors ie JFH, Jett, all the panthers now at the dogs, Montoya and now Zyon Maiu’u.

Would say your take up to "We want you to stick around and work through it" is spot on.

At which point, his management will have come back to the club asking for a release.

I would say AW and Ciraldo do not speak at all on these things.

 

[Falcon]

Zion was contracted to the Warriors until the end of next year and that’s the length of the contract he’s signed with the Dogs.
Clock is now ticking to see if he can make a go of it..

 

[Noitall]

Zion was contracted to the Warriors until the end of next year and that’s the length of the contract he’s signed with the Dogs.
Clock is now ticking to see if he can make a go of it..

When you compare that to the likes of Demitric Vaimauga extended until 2028 and EIT rewarded with joining top 30 squad next year, it does make you wonder if he’s floating through on reputation at the moment and not putting in what others are that are making impressions? Only speculative on my part and I’ve seen some other takes on the situation but hope it works out for him because bulldogs have some impressive young guys coming through just like we do

 

[WarriorsForever]

Cam George today confirmed that the NRL has accepted Tohu Harris’ medical retirement, freeing up significant cap space for recruitment in 2025 & 2026.

 

[Iridescent]

You would have to think though that what preceded this was him being told opportunities will be limited.

Realistically It would take significant poor form or injury for him to make his way into the team. And even then the club can still go ultra-safe and pick someone like Bunty

Not really, why would they tell him that, they would of said work hard, show them what they want to see and get game time in first grade, he can obviously see his place in the pecking order at the moment and wants to move on.

There is absolutely zero point in forcing someone to stay and trying to develop them when they are just going to leave as soon as their contract is up.

 

[Nakiproud]

Cam George today confirmed that the NRL has accepted Tohu Harris’ medical retirement, freeing up significant cap space for recruitment in 2025 & 2026.

Reason why everything has been quiet then i guess as we waited for that...expecting someones phone to get red hot today!!!

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Not really, why would they tell him that, they would of said work hard, show them what they want to see and get game time in first grade, he can obviously see his place in the pecking order at the moment and wants to move on.

There is absolutely zero point in forcing someone to stay and trying to develop them when they are just going to leave as soon as their contract is up.

Are you new to Rugby League?
Many teams do this. Josaiah Pulu and Lachie Galvin are two examples in the last 12 months of clubs digging their heels in and refusing to give an early release for their juniors to go play somewhere else.

 

[Lance155]

Reason why everything has been quiet then i guess as we waited for that...expecting someones phone to get red hot today!!!

More to the point they would have known that was a guarantee but technically couldn't sign anyone until it was official. I expect news this week and whoever that is playing trial 2!

 

[The Warrior Waka]

I watched a Manly pre season training vid last week. And Tof looks in tremendous shape. Quite muscular and still big. I'd prefer him over Aloai & Molo of they were the other options.

 

[Defence]

I'm luke warm on Tof- always liked him when he was here and was disappointed he left but hes never really cemented himself- 30 years old and only 80 nrl games and looks to be outside of manlys top 17 this year but he could be a good fit here being a local junior and big body which we're missing (would he be the heaviest player in our squad?) he could add some good impact off the bench and id have him in my 17.
Never rated aloai and even though he's ahead of tof in manlys pecking order I don't think he could crack our starting 13 and he's not really an impact player suited to the bench.
Molo would be my preference- think I'd start him in the front row with jfh and move barney to lock if we got him.
This is almost like xmas eve just waiting to see who's under the tree.

 

[Iridescent]

Are you new to Rugby League?
Many teams do this. Josaiah Pulu and Lachie Galvin are two examples in the last 12 months of clubs digging their heels in and refusing to give an early release for their juniors to go play somewhere else.

Apples and bowling balls my friend, comparing him to Lachie Galvin is ridiculous and as for the Titans if you actually followed Rugby League you would know the reason why Pulu wants to leave so holding them up as a bastion of how to manage a rugby league club is rather silly

 

[Wah's Up]

I thought half the reason we signed Fish was to bring up our young boys, Zion would’ve been one of the most beneficial as he’s an out n out prop.
Was hoping we kept Zion, demetric and leka together

Don't you remember Lisone and Vete? Very promising juniors but failed at NRL level

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Don't you remember Lisone and Vete? Very promising juniors but failed at NRL level

How has he failed when he has played 1 game? He also is now contracted to a NRL club. He may well do but seems premature to say he has failed. Also Lisone played 133 NRL games. I remember reading the average amount of games for a NRL player is around 50. Seems Lisone did better than most. Didn't think much of him myself but he was good enough to get over 100 games.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Apples and bowling balls my friend, comparing him to Lachie Galvin is ridiculous and as for the Titans if you actually followed Rugby League you would know the reason why Pulu wants to leave so holding them up as a bastion of how to manage a rugby league club is rather silly

Ohhh so there's slightly more than zero percent chance as you said?

You can't say it's ridiculous and 'if I actually followed rugby league I would know' when all I was doing was proving your comment was bs.

My point was that there actually are instances of this. Maybe if you follow rugby league you would have known this.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

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.

Might kick on like others who leave us like Papalii

 

[Iridescent]

Ohhh so there's slightly more than zero percent chance as you said?

You can't say it's ridiculous and 'if I actually followed rugby league I would know' when all I was doing was proving your comment was bs.

My point was that there actually are instances of this. Maybe if you follow rugby league you would have known this.

Let me try and explain this and see if you can follow.

Galvin is an integral part of the Tigers team, he is one of the first picked every week, there is value in the Tigers not releasing him as he is going to directly influence how many games the Tigers win this year and they also have a year to find a replacement.

At the moment there is daylight between Zyon Maiu’u and first grade and there is very little value he offers the club by keeping him.

The fact you are so fixated on a guy who has played one game of first grade tells me you need to get out more.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Let me try and explain this and see if you can follow.

Galvin is an integral part of the Tigers team, he is one of the first picked every week, there is value in the Tigers not releasing him as he is going to directly influence how many games the Tigers win this year and they also have a year to find a replacement.

At the moment there is daylight between Zyon Maiu’u and first grade and there is very little value he offers the club by keeping him.

The fact you are so fixated on a guy who has played one game of first grade tells me you need to get out more.

Lol mate, are you Donald Trump? You both seem to not be aware of a process called fact checking.

Galvin requested multiple releases before he played a game in first grade for the Tigers. Let me know if you get stuck and I can help find the source for you

Also, please quote me anything that I've said about Zyon Maiu’u that indicates I'm fixated on him, I think I posted one thing, maybe two?

I'm more fixated on arseholes like you who act high and mighty and say bull shit statements, who then backtrack and try to twist the argument. Get a life man, this is an internet forum, no body thinks your cool.

I look forward to yet another pivot from you, and how you explain how the Tigers didn't dig their heels in with an 18 year old who hadn't tasted first grade. Something you claim doesn't happen lol.

 

[afakasi247]

Don't you remember Lisone and Vete? Very promising juniors but failed at NRL level

They gave us so much hope round 1 2015

 

[MaybeTop8]

They gave us so much hope round 1 2015

I always hoped Vete would come good, but sadly not.

 

[waipiro]

I get the impression Zyon Maiu’u moving on is a good indicator that our youth development is building some real momentum. The club will have many more tough decisions as they weigh up which players offer more and need to be prioritised. And if players have more immediate promises of first grade game time they may choose to leave.

Not easy decisions ...and a bit out of the blue....but him leaving doesn't feel like a huge loss given the young guys we still have.
Good luck to him.