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	Morgan Harper	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
24	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
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: 28/30
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

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[Makasene]

There’s certainly some odd stuff going on, the amount of decent players we are letting go with nothing in return is just bizarre and as others have said after team naming is beyond weird

The NRL is not a trading system.

Virtually impossible to get players in return.

If we were able to get players in return we would have Hamlin-Uele instead of JFH.

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

The NRL is not a trading system.

Virtually impossible to get players in return.

If we were able to get players in return we would have Hamlin-Uele instead of JFH.

Both parties/players need to agree to the move if a swap is involved right, compared to a trade where you have fairly little input

 

[Boston Boy]

Probably get Dylan Brown for 1 season

DCE to roosters and we get Chad Townsend to play 13

 

[WahsaurusRex]

We must have a pretty ridiculous amount of cap space for this time of the year right? Budgeted to have Walker and Tohu in the team, yet only a third of the way through the league year they are gone?

Someone check how Blaize Talagi is feeling, since Ivan seems to hate the kid lol

 

[SJ2k]

DCE to roosters and we get Chad Townsend to play 13

DCE to the wahs to play 6. CHT to 14.

 

[Makasene]

Both parties/players need to agree to the move if a swap is involved right, compared to a trade where you have fairly little input

It's a swap in optics only. They are completely brand new contracts. Release from one, sign another.

Nothing in the contracts would make any mention of a swap

In American sports for example you are trading the contracts.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Reported on nine news now

Eels land big coup as star released immediately

Walker released by Warriors

www.nine.com.au

The fuck......

 

[juju]

Yep. Looks like he tried to make it work which you have to respect him for.

Missing your kids is not optimal for high performance.

 

[defensivebomb]

FFS I saw headline that a player was going to the Eels, and I saw the photo and thought it was Nuikore!

I thought “I could live with that”

But Walker?! Shit, he’s one of the best ones. And key to our game plan

Clark offers something similar but not as dangerous with ball in hand

George better have a good plan that he is about to announce. You don’t let go a good player, key to our game plan, mid-season, unless you either have an announcement or a cap problem

 

[Playdaball]

FFS I saw headline that a player was going to the Eels, and I saw the photo and thought it was Nuikore!

I thought “I could live with that”

But Walker?! Shit, he’s one of the best ones. And key to our game plan

Clark offers something similar but not as dangerous with ball in hand

George better have a good plan that he is about to announce. You don’t let go a good player, key to our game plan, mid-season, unless you either have an announcement or a cap problem

There will be no immediate plan and expect one of the young guys to move up, Going or some old player such as HARPER.

 

[juju]

Never a dull moment with this club.

 

[Rizzah]

Okay, after a breath this still sucks. After sucking in some oxygen I got thinking - is this Ale's time to shine in the lock position, but he's injured!

 

[juju]

Ethan Bullemor is off contract end of this year....

 

[rugged]

I hope we played some form of hardball over this release. II would hope we asked for some kind of release fee to accommodate his wishes but sense we probably just rolled over again

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Oh jeez. That's a bit of a L for us.

I quite liked Walker.

 

[chrisnz]

Walker WILL be missed by us the temo swing when he comes on has literally been the difference a lot especially to start this season but we have known about him wanting to leave since last season so hopefully we agreed now a replacement has popped up

 

[Matiunz]

The NRL is not a trading system.

Virtually impossible to get players in return.

If we were able to get players in return we would have Hamlin-Uele instead of JFH.

I get that but at the same time being ‘nice guys’ and letting our squad get weakened isn’t going to get us very far either.
Has been whispers of it for a while so looks like it comes down to poor management letting it happen now when the market is sparse rather than end of last season/end of this season when there’s a chance to get someone.
One offs happen I get but it’s happening far too often

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Ethan Bullemor is off contract end of this year....

Can he play wing and lock?

 

[Ever Hopeful]

I'm not unhappy, as it is a chance for Healy who I think will do us alright there.

Walker is long in the tooth and likely to break down/deteriorate on a fairly sizeable contract.

We have the room to make a big move.

We'll see how it pans out. Big shock though.

 

[Noitall]

Ethan Bullemor is off contract end of this year....

Manly forum reckons he’s on the verge of a lengthy extension with them