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

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[giffy]

Confirmed. Morgan will join our top 30 for this season.

Morgan Harper signs with NRL team for 2025

He last played for the Parramatta Eels.

www.zerotackle.com

Rick James (DWZ) AND Lionel Ritchie!


If he’s cheap, I don’t mind it

 

[afakasi247]

All these names and rumours just to land Harper lol

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Not excited about the prospect of him defending but makes sense otherwise. Experienced, Low cost, won't get in the way of developing other players, will plug the Berry sized gap until he has recovered.

He defends?! Show me the evidence.

 

[Naumaifooty]

View attachment 11895

Fuck we are actually going to have the slowest backline of all time. Why wouldn’t they target 1 of the manly outside backs they’re loaded in those positions.

 

[snake77]

We needed to get someone in. We are injury hit with Berry and DWZ and the season hasn't even started yet. Then we add niggles over a few others.

I know his name doesn't create headlines. At this stage of the season that is going to be tough.

I don't want to rag on a signing. He has an opportunity to impress if he wants to turn around his career.

Hopefully Tuaupiki works out on the weekend and ends up a stable replacement for DWZ and the others named this weekend get a good run without injury.

 

[hornbybrown]

I prefer him over Kosi. I’m sure we didn’t break the bank on it

 

[Akkerz]

No refection on Harper but once again " Why can't we ever have nice things".
On a more postive note - justr caught the fan club on the news heading off to Vegas at the airport. Have a great trip folks -

 

[CWC]

didn’t he get creamed in the trial game just now?

 

[Ref]

He won’t get a game ahead of anyone who has been named in the 17 thus week.
And if a centre of winger got injured for the next game then move CNK and play TMM at the back.

Just hoping he has matured from his 64 game entree of first grade games at a few clubs and is ready to peak for us.

Will have been cheap.
Is he better than MGT or Eddie?

 

[chrisnz]

harper is a gross signing and I would genuinely rather play kosi and there is not many scenarios I would say that

 

[Playdaball]

That is farked

 

[Ref]

harper is a gross signing and I would genuinely rather play kosi and there is not many scenarios I would say that

Let’s hope he has eradicated the niggle and lip. Got some sprint training. Learnt the draw and pass. Stays on his man when defending.
He has some natural talent and great hair.

 

[Ref]

A quick summary of most of the comments in a brief sentence
“a poor man’s Kosi”
Glass half full for me.
An unlikely opportunity to capitalise on.

 

[Blain]

Ha - I called this 2 weeks ago. The only logical guy we could sign for cheap and on a short deal who has decent NRL experience.

TBH for a min wage fill in player who might play 3-10 games at best, he'll do the job. People need to remember this is a short term role. After seeing Kali and Pasikala in the trials, they are clearly a year or 2 away and super young.

 

[Noitall]

Can recall many being pretty distraught when we signed Marcelo Montoya back when we did. Not saying Harper will be a success like that ended up being, but he might find some form again? He was going alright at manly a few years ago

 

[Muddogz]

He’s not the signing we’d like but he has experience and will hopefully be depth. It will be his last shot and he’ll want to give it his all.

We’ve squeezed out mileage out of centres in their mid twenties before. Byrne, Montoya, Jonno Wright come to mind even Hiku at a push.

 

[Zarjaz]

Kind of get it. You can't sign a marquee winger without bumping out Dallin or Rodge, so he's a solid enough backup for 25, which is what we need. Doesn't need to set the world on fire, just do his job when called on. To me he's in the Montoya mold, capable of highlights and howlers.
Won't knock him. We need someone, and he answered.

 

[Funky Ed Koosie]

Faaarrrk this signing. He offers absolutely nothing. Laumape on a 4 year contract on 500k per year makes more sense than singing this fucking mug.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Who?

Haha nah, tbh I don't want Lenui at our club but was just pointing out that we don't seem to have an issue spending a bit of $$$ for the bench, especially as we've recently promoted a few players likely on minimum contract for this year, while we still haven't spent Tohu or SJs money yet.

Yeah I get that. Who is actually available that we might be able to successfully bid for?

 

[juju]

Sorry Morgan Harper if you are reading this thread...
Do Ngāruawāhia proud.