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	Jett Cleary	✔	S	S
9	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
10	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
11	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
12	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
13	Morgan Harper	✔
14	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
15	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
16	Edward Kosi	✔
17	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
18	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
19	Jye Linnane	✔	✔	✔	✔
20	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
21	Te Maire Martin	✔	✔
22	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
23	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
24	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
25	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
26	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔	✔	✔
27	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
28	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
29	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
30	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Fatialofa	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
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Haizyn Mellars	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

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

Top 30 2026: 29/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos), Haizyn Mellars (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
2026 Losses: Edward Kosi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper
Can negotiate with other clubs from Nov 1, 2025 (Entering final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Leon Black]

Splitting hairs considering i'm comparing the distance to Auckland, but you're right. Do you think this impacts their recruitment? They're a shithouse club and it's embarassing.

They have a massive catchment area and juniors unlike Sydney clubs. Like saying the Chiefs are based in Auckland

 

[Leon Black]

Joseph Sua'ali'i another hyped Chook not doing much. Aussie rugby host on Stan said could be greatest debut in Super Rugby history.

Won’t be available mid year like Manu. Cash aside have no idea why league or ex union backs return.

They get fuck all ball unless they are playing Romania at the RWC. If we could sign any All Black, Caleb Clarke all day.

Wallace Sititi would be a weapon too. Same school as Demetric Vaimauga.

​

 

[CWC]

James O’Connor was gun for the Crusaders tonight lol, looking like Reese Walsh these days; their debutant sub halfback came on and scored a hat trick looking like Egan too They’ve actually applied the 30 sec rules to speed up the game and we had 2 crackers, Suali’i looked great; I reckon speeding up the Super games will help the union boys transit to league easier fitness wise, if we still want to snap up union guys

The way Suali’li is going makes you wonder how mismanaged RTS was in both codes since 2022, if Reiko ends up being on the outer he could be interesting, ton of pace still and great defender, a showboat like AFB too

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

The way Suali’li is going makes you wonder how mismanaged RTS was in both codes since 2022,

Suali’li is young and still explosive. RTS was to old to change and more a workhorse at that point.

He only transitioned because he was burnt out from covid and only came back because he failed at union. He became a square peg in a round hole because his fullback position wasn’t available.

More unfortunate career planning from RTS due to covid than mismanagement from the teams he went to..

 

[SJ2k]

They have a massive catchment area and juniors unlike Sydney clubs. Like saying the Chiefs are based in Auckland

Fair enough, I probably shouldn't be so ignorant of Aus geography but I doubt many Aussies know where the Waikato is either. To my original point, that makes it even MORE embarassing how shit they've been.

 

[Noitall]

Winging it: Warriors identify urgent recruitment priority

The Auckland club scoured the market late last year but nothing came to fruition.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Interesting article. Still keen on adding an outside back and were in talks with a marquee signing at one stage but it fell over, wonder if it was Mulitalo? Berry still expected to recover early in the season, but these things can take longer Webster says

 

[CWC]

Winging it: Warriors identify urgent recruitment priority

The Auckland club scoured the market late last year but nothing came to fruition.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Interesting article. Still keen on adding an outside back and were in talks with a marquee signing at one stage but it fell over, wonder if it was Mulitalo? Berry still expected to recover early in the season, but these things can take longer Webster says

Surely that’s Mulitalo, oh well, Webby does read our comments

I’d play Taine on the wing and have Moala and Kali as back ups, Pasikala showed he’s too raw, while the other two are ready for game time

 

[Jonesy69]

Surely that’s Mulitalo, oh well, Webby does read our comments

I’d play Taine on the wing and have Moala and Kali as back ups, Pasikala showed he’s too raw, while the other two are ready for game time

Or Ngani Laumape

 

[CWC]

Or Ngani Laumape

Thank god it fell through

 

[Playdaball]

The hunt for an outside back needs to hit top gear , especially as Kurt Capewell was playing centre for much of the 2nd half in Hamilton .
If a centre was to go down would Kurt be next option??
We are desperately short on genuine first grade options.
If RTS , CNK, TT, Ali were to get injured we would be up the creek without a paddle.

 

[Uster101]

I have never known a Sporting organisation that allows a player to leave early when they have no one to replace that Player. They let Our winger return to Australia recently, and now we have no winger to replace him. They should have learnt from when they let SJ leave and went into the season with no halfback. Why are the people running the Warriors so useless!

 

[Milking!]

I have never known a Sporting organisation that allows a player to leave early when they have no one to replace that Player. They let Our winger return to Australia recently, and now we have no winger to replace him. They should have learnt from when they let SJ leave and went into the season with no halfback. Why are the people running the Warriors so useless!

Re: Marcelo, I think it’s both cultural and part of the long term recruitment strategy from the Wahs. In that things like allowing Montoya to move cos it’s right for his fam situation show any Oz players that the club will do right by the them. Alternatively if they didn’t, and were a hardline ‘contracts a contract’ club, is a: mean snd not Wahs-like and b: very unappealing for future recruitment for any quality players that have options.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

On another note. I can see why we let Setu Tu go. Hope he gets a redemption though.

 

[Neo]

Winging it: Warriors identify urgent recruitment priority

The Auckland club scoured the market late last year but nothing came to fruition.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Interesting article. Still keen on adding an outside back and were in talks with a marquee signing at one stage but it fell over, wonder if it was Mulitalo? Berry still expected to recover early in the season, but these things can take longer Webster says

The rumour doing the rounds on the radio at that time was that it was Shaun Stevenson. Maybe as outlandish as it sounded there was some truth to it

 

[the WARs]

Should have been throwing $$$ at Jesse Aurthers that guy is going have a huge season IMHO

 

[the WARs]

Erin is the same weight at Jazz 98Kgs and only 1 inch taller. But looks an order of magnitude bigger than Jazz to the eye. I think some of Jazz's 98kgs was ineffective.

No I am not saying recruitment is influenced by the owner. I think we go for shiny toys in the backs is what I am saying.

without all the dumpshit plays Jazz does... watching him in the māori team dropping the ball couple times ...Manly can have him

 

[1995 Sufra!]

Wahs can’t get any backs from NRL
How about Pom’s or Fijians look at Raiders

 

[~Navigator~]

without all the dumpshit plays Jazz does... watching him in the māori team dropping the ball couple times ...Manly can have him

And the fact he goes looking for a fight every 2nd hit up, I think he will see plenty of time on the sidelines (sent off)

 

[Boats n Hoes]

Winging it: Warriors identify urgent recruitment priority

The Auckland club scoured the market late last year but nothing came to fruition.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Interesting article. Still keen on adding an outside back and were in talks with a marquee signing at one stage but it fell over, wonder if it was Mulitalo? Berry still expected to recover early in the season, but these things can take longer Webster says

If were throwing outside backs names out Caleb Clarke's contract with the NZRU expires at the end of the year. He only signed a 1 year deal with them last year to keep his options open and its no secret he's harboured Rugby League aspirations which in his words "would be a dream come true".

25, absolute prime, couldnt think of a current union outside back more suited to League tbh, good friends with the Tuivasa Sheck's and a host of League boys.....money might be the stumbling block as itd probably take a bit......never know tho......id at least be putting the feelers out if i was the club.

 

[Makasene]

I have never known a Sporting organisation that allows a player to leave early when they have no one to replace that Player. They let Our winger return to Australia recently, and now we have no winger to replace him. They should have learnt from when they let SJ leave and went into the season with no halfback. Why are the people running the Warriors so useless!

The thing is, yea we let Montoya go and we're looking a bit light. But was Montoya an answer? If he were still here, are we better? Do we win more with him?

I don't think it makes any difference. And if anything it has already shown the options we can take. No TT breaking into the team on the wing if Monts was still here.

Certainly not worth comparing to the calamity of releasing Lino and then strong arming SJ. That was straight up dumb!