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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[PhilsySH35]

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.

good post, was watching wahsup podcast the other day and one the posters said morgan has the most punch-able face in the nrl, wow! obviously we'll love him now.

 

[Leon Black]

Had to check it wasn’t April 1. Straight out of the Jono Wright/Dane Nielsen playbook

 

[Makasene]

Gross over reaction in here.

With luck he won't play at all. If Kosi didn't completely shit the bed in the trials he might not have been signed at all.

Outside back depth needed a signing for this year and that's what they've gone and done.

 

[Dannevegas]

View attachment 11895

What a signing, ticks all the boxes.
Speed, youth, X factor and handsome

 

[Riz]

Specialist 18th man, doesn't play and doesn't stop anyone getting reps in reserve grade

 

[Dannevegas]

Was probably last resort because we couldn’t get anyone else. But y not just upgrade Kali or mgt first..

 

[CWC]

Is he better than our junior?

Like, I suppose One NZ will like the handsome hair bros on the right edge with Dallin

 

[Playdaball]

Hopefully just a 1 year signing ..,

 

[sup42]

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.

Here here, well said.

Welcome to the club Morgan Harper. Seems people are forgetting it is an emergency signing for minimum wage.

If we lose more outside backs from here we will really look silly.

The Warriors know what they are getting, a defensive project, they have a good track record there, helping blokes that have tackling issues (the ones that want to turn it around).

He seems like a really nice chap, articulate, very nice timing and angled running on attack.

Sort out the tackling and he would be excellent overall. At least he is a ball playing center and a better attacker than Pompey.

 

[Matiunz]

He’s one of us now so gotta back him. Can go one of 2 ways, fingers crossed it goes well for all parties and to be blunt probably was the best we could get under the circumstances.

 

[3rdstriker]

He defends?! Show me the evidence.

Hed be On par with Dwz,
They both keep getting spun round.

 

[Bevosa]

As a fan, it's hard not to feel like this is a poor signing. The players available to us seem to fall into one of three categories: unwanted, desperate, or aging. But when I take a step back and look at it from a business perspective, it makes a lot of sense. It's a cheap, experienced addition on a one year deal, its low risk, it doesn’t block the development of younger players. Plus, it provides emergency cover when we’re just days away from our first game. Realistically, what else were we expecting with such little time left before the season starts? Let’s support this lad and hope that, in time we can look back on this as one of those great redemption stories.

 

[Noitall]

Harper's bizarre finals campaign: Surprise spray revives centre's form

Tough love from unlikely source lifts finals rookie.

www.nrl.com

Good little article with a bit about Harper in it. Had a big year in 2021 and shows with goals put in front of him that he’s got potential. Hasler must have seen something taking him from the bulldogs as a 17 year old when he went to manly. Interesting it was Hasler who turned Walker into an impact middle, proved to be a master stroke

 

[Gods_17]

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.

He held his own at Manly (for his size) and is stronger than he looks. Good foresight, from what I remember, on defense. He brings experience too. Actually, he has the face on an arrogant *whispers, Matthew Ridge* ar+ehole and we need someone like that now that Jazz has gone

Yeah man, welcome to the club Morgy!

 

[Vancent]

A little perspective and perhaps a breath or two before posting.

64 games in, a 1yr cost effective stop gap as cover we may not need often if at all.

Not a fan, not a relation - but can appreciate a reasonable, cost efficient acquisition out of limited pool, moments before the season kicks off - when I see one.

Thanks HO, happy enough with the play, and who knows, it may even deliver upside.

 

[Five&Last]

Cappy really making me questioning his competency with this one.

I can't believe we signed Harper to our top 30. He's not remotely close to NRL level anymore. Disgraceful signing.

MGT and Sio Kali both better options.

If I was MGT I'd pack up and leave after hearing this.

Does anyone know what the go with Patrick Moimoi is, just perennially injured it seems.

 

[3rdstriker]

Screams a bit of Dane neilsen, todd lowrie, jono Wright, blake ayshford but like others have said Webster might get him firing and turn him into a Montoya.

 

[3rdstriker]

Who would you rather.... kosi vs Harper?

 

[Makasene]

Screams a bit of Dane neilsen, todd lowrie, jono Wright, blake ayshford but like others have said Webster might get him firing and turn him into a Montoya.

I don't understand this sort of thinking.

Neilsen, Lowrie, Wright, Ayshford - all signed as starters - that was the best we could get for a starting position.

Harper will play less than 5 games this year. Unless there are significant injuries in which case that justifies the signing even more!

 

[Defence]

Is that what it’s come to?
Oh well he’s a warrior now so I wish him all the best and promise to stop calling him the pool cleaner.
Good luck swimming pool service technician