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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[Tookey 2.0]

Releasing Jazz for Clarke, that makes perfect sense. Releasing Setu Tu AND Montoya, then recruiting zero replacements is just absurd. Club has been doing some great work and the owner is fronting up the cash. It's clear we have an issue with recruitment and squad management however, need a big change there to round it out. JFH doesn't count since we got insanely lucky. Otherwise our last good recruiting year was under Brown, who for the most part smashed it.

I dunno man, largely I think the club have been fantastic with recruitment over the last little while.

Healy and Clark are both good gets, with Fish being a huge signing.
You say Fish shouldn't count because we were insanely lucky, but I mean we were even more insanely UNlucky that the best prop in the games Mrs decided she didn't want to live in NZ. So it's a bit unfair not to count that haha.

Also, prior to this year we signed RTS and Capewell, who at the time were fantastic signings and while it didn't move the needle for us last year, would be seen as above average signings imo.

Time will tell anyways, but despite our lack of outside backs atm I'm still confident for this year. Maybe Kosi will surprise us all, who knows haha

 

[Noitall]

NAS at 13?! He has less laterall mobility than Barnett does

He’s a middle forward, which is where a lock sits. Lateral movement is the biggest requirement on edges, though he’s played there for storm in the past too. Don’t think there’s any more impactful player in the comp than NAS, perhaps AFB or Haas? Would certainly get a roll on with a middle of JFH, Barnett and NAS

 

[Noitall]

Do we want Joey Manu? Can we afford Joey Manu? Does Joey Manu want to play for us? Does Joey Manu improve our team and if so in which jersey?

With it looking less and less likely that we pick up that outside back that’s been talked about before the start of the season, wouldn’t it be crazy if it was Manu part way through the season as talked about in that article. Roosters would be devastated, leaving a space open for him. Can’t see it not being them though, and whether he actually goes back to nrl? He’s not a speedy customer that so many are after, but definitely can set up his outside players and break tackles. Another good backup fullback if necessary

 

[run_it_str8_again]

With it looking less and less likely that we pick up that outside back that’s been talked about before the start of the season, wouldn’t it be crazy if it was Manu part way through the season as talked about in that article. Roosters would be devastated, leaving a space open for him. Can’t see it not being them though, and whether he actually goes back to nrl? He’s not a speedy customer that so many are after, but definitely can set up his outside players and break tackles. Another good backup fullback if necessary

I reckon gun centres make average wingers top try scorers. Or more importantly, centres who can draw and pass, or hit a tackle and offload sweetly make average wingers top try scorers.

Potentially negating the need to sack Kosi. He might score 27 tries outside Joey Manu if he embraced not being a ball hog.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

With it looking less and less likely that we pick up that outside back that’s been talked about before the start of the season, wouldn’t it be crazy if it was Manu part way through the season as talked about in that article. Roosters would be devastated, leaving a space open for him. Can’t see it not being them though, and whether he actually goes back to nrl? He’s not a speedy customer that so many are after, but definitely can set up his outside players and break tackles. Another good backup fullback if necessary

I reckon gun centres make average wingers top try scorers. Or more importantly, centres who can draw and pass, or hit a tackle and offload sweetly make average wingers top try scorers.

Potentially negating the need to sack Kosi. He might score 27 tries outside Joey Manu if he embraced not being a ball hog.

 

[SJ2k]

I dunno man, largely I think the club have been fantastic with recruitment over the last little while.

Healy and Clark are both good gets, with Fish being a huge signing.
You say Fish shouldn't count because we were insanely lucky, but I mean we were even more insanely UNlucky that the best prop in the games Mrs decided she didn't want to live in NZ. So it's a bit unfair not to count that haha.

Also, prior to this year we signed RTS and Capewell, who at the time were fantastic signings and while it didn't move the needle for us last year, would be seen as above average signings imo.

Time will tell anyways, but despite our lack of outside backs atm I'm still confident for this year. Maybe Kosi will surprise us all, who knows haha

Don't blame the club at all for AFB, but also don't give much credit for JFH, as we didn't poach him from the Panthers, they let him go because he is mana incarnate and earned it.

RTS and Capewell are B- signings at best. RTS was flawed from the start given we had 2 fullbacks, this has played out as expected and now he's on the wing. Capewell is not fulfilling expectations for the pay he'll be on. He's shown flashes but you can only judge what has happened so far. B- is probably generous. Both players on the other side of the hill and only getting older.

Clarke and Healey, good signings, but very early days. Not great and not enough considering what we lost in the off season. The lack of recruiting a stud back (or any backs) and releasing a bunch of players, gives this off season a clear fail. The club is trying to justify it with 'promoting from the inside' but we're still 2 years off that level of depth, at a minium.

Bringing in the full junior pathway A+, bringing back the wahines A, Robbo shutting the FU, B+, general club respectableness and branding A. Been a long time since we had a club setup like that. Squad management is a D+, probably generous considering Kosi is starting week 1 after releasing two backs that should start ahead of him.

Do we want Joey Manu? Can we afford Joey Manu? Does Joey Manu want to play for us? Does Joey Manu improve our team and if so in which jersey?

Yes, yes, probably no, extreme yes and whichever jersey he wants but probably full back.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Do we want Joey Manu? Can we afford Joey Manu? Does Joey Manu want to play for us? Does Joey Manu improve our team and if so in which jersey?

we should want him, definitely can with Tohu's money, he probably does not want to, yes he helps a lot at center, not so much at fullback - kind of a rich mans CNK - probably have to promise him fullback to come though, where our issue is centre, and we haven't had a rep quality one since ... Jerome Ropati? Or Peta Hiku in one of his good years.

 

[Ramps]

we should want him, definitely can with Tohu's money, he probably does not want to, yes he helps a lot at center, not so much at fullback - kind of a rich mans CNK - probably have to promise him fullback to come though, where our issue is centre, and we haven't had a rep quality one since ... Jerome Ropati? Or Peta Hiku in one of his good years.

Easy, CNK to centre and Joey Manu to Fullback! Boom!

Never going to happen though lol

 

[Dippa]

If rumours of Reed Mahoney potentially being shopped to other NRL clubs are accurate then I would make sure we are watertight with securing Sam Healey. Some salary cap pressure if this is true because why would the Bulldogs want to release such an experienced player as well as their captain? Also, there aren't very many quality hookers in the comp.

Gus is a bit too friendly with the Warriors if you ask me. Seeing him with Mark Robinson at the Sharks trial, you'd be silly not to think that he may have one eye on someone like Sam Healey if the above was accurate!

With the number of releases that are happening at the Warriors, we are there for the picking!

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

If rumours of Reed Mahoney potentially being shopped to other NRL clubs are accurate then I would make sure we are watertight with securing Sam Healey. Some salary cap pressure if this is true because why would the Bulldogs want to release such an experienced player as well as their captain? Also, there aren't very many quality hookers in the comp.

Gus is a bit too friendly with the Warriors if you ask me. Seeing him with Mark Robinson at the Sharks trial, you'd be silly not to think that he may have one eye on someone like Sam Healey if the above was accurate!

With the number of releases that are happening at the Warriors, we are there for the picking!

Can't blame them for wanting to get rid of Mahoney. The guy is not that great a hooker. He makes up for that by getting under peoples skin but that will eventually backfire on him.

 

[Playdaball]

Can Mahoney play wing? Just asking ...

 

[JaggedJ]

Can Mahoney play wing? Just asking ...

Probably faster than Kosi

 

[Neo]

It’s interesting looking at the sides for round 1. There are normally a number of selection decisions to be made but it seems with the 17th team coming in that those are becoming less and less.
There are certainly no easy targets in the outside backs

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

No to J Manu for me.

Every player that’s wanted out of league for union has come back worse. Not just worse conditioning but I think it’s a damaged mindset after failing in Union.

The fact they want out in the first place shows their mental head space towards the work required in league.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

So who is alive and available to improve our outside backs. Not including Peta Hiku or Ken Maumalo or Joseph Manu

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

So who is alive and available to improve our outside backs. Not including Peta Hiku or Ken Maumalo or Joseph Manu

I like Ken but mainly because of his surname. I would think there would be some NRL ready players that are in NSW cup that might be worth a go.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

I like Ken but mainly because of his surname. I would think there would be some NRL ready players that are in NSW cup that might be worth a go.

I reckon we'll get an outside back announced soon

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

No to J Manu for me.

Every player that’s wanted out of league for union has come back worse. Not just worse conditioning but I think it’s a damaged mindset after failing in Union.

The fact they want out in the first place shows their mental head space towards the work required in league.

That does appear to be a thing, also with NFL trialists, Hayne was never the same and Val Holmes took a while to get going again.

Anyway no doubt the roosters will add him later in the year once a reserve grader gets injured, no questions asked.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Anyway no doubt the roosters will add him later in the year once a reserve grader gets injured, no questions asked.

I wonder if the ladder has any say on his decision.
What if after Rd 10 we were sitting 2nd, while the Roosters were near the bottom of the table?

I assume we'd probably be offering more coin than the Roosters would too.
Or are we no chance?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Could the warriors go through the front door at Melbourne and offer a decent deal to Sualauvi Faalogo?

He could potentially walk straight into the fullback spot next year for CNK?