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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[3rdstriker]

I think this is great news. Walker was excellent for us but rumours have been around for a while and we need to keep developing.

Healey to 14

Healey to 14 seems very natural.

 

[Inruin]

I think this is great news. Walker was excellent for us but rumours have been around for a while and we need to keep developing.

Healey to 14

Healey does make the most sense for the utility role, followed by Lussick, then CHT with shuffling in the halves

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Fuck. Not the news i was expecting lol. With an already green halves pairing, Our ball playing abilities gets worse with Tohu & Dylan gone. Dylan is harder to replace than we realise.

It is what it is. Rather lose an older head that one of our young fullas through lack of game time.

Eddie Ieremia-Toeava is the Mr Fix-it in cup. Prop, Center, backrow & filled in at 9 for half a game last year.

CHT seems the logical choice. He plays more like a lock. Can cover every position in the backline. Even 9.

Just recruit a gun winger/center and I'll get over it lol

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Regarding Cobbo, I am pretty certain his missus is a New Zealander. Her last name is Peyroux, a well-known Cook Island last name (ala former Warrior Dom Peyroux). He was probably just visiting her whanau here.

Regarding a Walker replacement - right now I see one name that fits the bill (1) expiring contract (2) bench player comes on as lock (3) kiwi (māori mother but lived in aussie though)

Kurtis Morrin from the Doggies.

Plays with real aggression, is only 25, and they doggies adding Leo Thompson so one less forward position for him to vie for in the pack.

Thoughts?

I personally struggle with his face. Between him and Morgan Harper the Wahs 'punch that guy in the face' quota would be through the roof.

Other notable mentions:
Nathan Brown (Jazz's bro)
Cameron McInnes
Hudson Young
Horse (Although he's a ging so has already suffered enough)

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Official - Signings, Transfers & Recruitment Discussion

Who knows, pretty ordinary but somehow funny at the same time. Happy for it to not be us

sharksforever.com

Crazy rumour on sharks thread regarding Walker. Won’t post it myself in case it’s rubbish and causes issue

Sheesh!! No wonder we haven't had a NRL womens team for a few years. With TMM & Dylan around, we'd have no wahine players. They'd all be on maternity leave.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

This ties in with my view that next year, the window is open a crack. Let’s get Healey reps with the top team this year so we can hit the ground running next year.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

I think this will make recruiting Aussies easier for us but not in a good way. They can come over on overs and when they get a good offer from an Aussie club have a cry to our management team and get to go back without honouring their contract. Starting to wonder when Lee Hagipantelis will be appointed chairman of our club.....

Think it is a recruitment policy where when we sign players we make clear you can leave at any time regardless of contract.

It’s the best way to get Aussie players over the line isn’t it? Take a chance moving countries with a guaranteed exit if needed.

 

[Wrighty]

Healey does make the most sense for the utility role, followed by Lussick, then CHT with shuffling in the halves

When do we find out who replaces Walker this week?

 

[marv.]

When do we find out who replaces Walker this week?

sunday 8:15pm at the latest i believe.

 

[Wrighty]

sunday 8:15pm at the latest i believe.

And when's the earliest? And by that I mean they tend to announce team list changes with a certain cadence. There is a 24 hour in advance list. And a ??? List. and a late mail list. What is the cadence of how nrl.com announces team lists normally and changes to them?

Thanks though Marv appreciate your answer

 

[Inruin]

And when's the earliest? And by that I mean they tend to announce team list changes with a certain cadence. There is a 24 hour in advance list. And a ??? List. and a late mail list. What is the cadence of how nrl.com announces team lists normally and changes to them?

Thanks though Marv appreciate your answer

24 hour before kick off and a one hour before kick off. not sure if they can add anyone else to the list to replace Walker since the teamlist has already been named. may be able to get some dispensation? teams can withdraw players and make positional changes before the 24 hours though

 

[Matiunz]

Think it is a recruitment policy where when we sign players we make clear you can leave at any time regardless of contract.

It’s the best way to get Aussie players over the line isn’t it? Take a chance moving countries with a guaranteed exit if needed.

I wondered this too but also wonder if it almost does the opposite when potential recruits see other Aus players bailing before their contract is up ie are the optics that they couldn’t wait out a contract to leave NZ?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Think it is a recruitment policy where when we sign players we make clear you can leave at any time regardless of contract.

It’s the best way to get Aussie players over the line isn’t it? Take a chance moving countries with a guaranteed exit if needed.

Surely it's case by case, AFB had his family here and a whole move to make, it sounded like Walkers ex left last season with the kids.

Man and here I'm thinking it was TMM the ladies had to watch out for

Anyways nothing backing that claim
So the sharks and thier gay fans can go fuck themselves.

 

[KO WAI RA]

Hhmmmmm So!!!
Allegedly,sum1 jus released was tickling up sum fish cake brownies….!!!!
Whilst the coaches were doing video tape reviews!!!!!

Surely can’t be true?
Nnnnahhhhhhhh…….??????

 

[Dantheman]

Sheesh!! No wonder we haven't had a NRL womens team for a few years. With TMM & Dylan around, we'd have no wahine players. They'd all be on maternity leave.

100% fake, I know who his partner is and it's not a coach's wife . I hope this brings us Cobbo though, would go well here I think.

 

[Completion Rate]

Trying to get some perspective on this and what it means for the teams play style.

We've been trying to compress opposition defence, dropping players under and having forwards run between the post before playing to an edge. Walker has been coming on and trying to go sideways overplaying and stifling LM and CHT. I think Leka is the perfect guy to come in and do a similar job to Clark in sucking in as many defenders as possible, giving our halves more time.

I'm terms of possible recruitment targets:
1. Ideally kiwi, or some connection to NZ
2. Wants to be a Warrior.
3. Young. No kids, no need for compassionate release.
4. Fills a position requiring depth.

 

[Wrighty]

Trying to get some perspective on this and what it means for the teams play style.

We've been trying to compress opposition defence, dropping players under and having forwards run between the post before playing to an edge. Walker has been coming on and trying to go sideways overplaying and stifling LM and CHT. I think Leka is the perfect guy to come in and do a similar job to Clark in sucking in as many defenders as possible, giving our halves more time.

I'm terms of possible recruitment targets:
1. Ideally kiwi, or some connection to NZ
2. Wants to be a Warrior.
3. Young. No kids, no need for compassionate release.
4. Fills a position requiring depth.

"3. Young. No kids, no need for compassionate release."

This sounds logical but is it a bit cold????

 

[Blain]

Play style wise, I wonder if Healy can play minutes at 13, and interchange with Egan as dummy half/ball player. He's a decent sized dude, if his defense is good enough that would be a pretty awesome attacking option for the side. Even for 15-20 minutes.

Clark will play an extra 10 minutes no problem.

 

[Boston Boy]

Play style wise, I wonder if Healy can play minutes at 13, and interchange with Egan as dummy half/ball player. He's a decent sized dude, if his defense is good enough that would be a pretty awesome attacking option for the side. Even for 15-20 minutes.

Clark will play an extra 10 minutes no problem.

He is a strong defender, a few on here noticed a couple of lift tackles during one of the trials. I think he got penalised for 1?

 

[Riz]

If Ale was fit I'd be starting him at 13 and having Erin provide the punch off the bench.