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 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
-	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: 23/30
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

---

This thread is solely for Warriors recruitment and retention discussion. Any posts not related to the above will be deleted.

Repeat offenders will have their access to this page limited.

Please be mindful of what you are posting in this thread before clicking the reply button. Zero Tolerance to offtopic chat.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

If there is any truth to these rumours of a potential monster signing then this club deserves one especially with all the compassionate releases.

The “speedy outside back” still holds merit for me. Rumours are getting louder that CNK is out at the end of this year so either the club is set to hand Taine the baton or looking to bring in an elite fullback. DWZ AND RTS seem locked for the foreseeable future so can’t see an elite winger on the cards and with Rocco back, Ali locking down and Pomp’s as mr reliable, what’s left? Yes, speed, but who?????

Reece Walsh? compassionate grounds for sure!

I heard he hated how Kevie was treated, should have got the sky TV gig but ended up having to go to fox instead.

 

[Matiunz]

What the heck is that?

One of those 0900 numbers from the 90s?

 

[Fizurg]

One thing seems to be for sure. The Warriors have a war chest. It’s about the only part of this yarn that adds up.

 

[JaggedJ]

If "NRL Zero f@#ks Given" says so and wants to use a Ponga picture from his squeaky voice years as some kind of random proof - then who am I to argue?

 

[Dannevegas]

Funny people mentioning Palmerston North like it is a draw. I live half an hour way and plan my whole life around never having to visit!

Haha that whole area is just a 2 hour radius of shit hole towns aye, I lived in dannevirke.

 

[sballer7]

He was the New Zealand under 13 golf champion

And a Warriors fan

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Not a nice story, but his brother passed away in Australia and the family brought him back to NZ to lay him to rest in Palmerston North.

There are definitely some deep Kiwi roots here.

 

[Tonbridge(aka Swanley)]

What the heck is that?

Code for onlyfans

 

[france]

But then we'd have to talk to Knights fans

aah..no thanks lol

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

New Zealand Warriors star set for Super League move as suitors revealed

Catalans are among the clubs interested in signing New Zealand Warriors' Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - and are ready to table a deal to sign the fullback.

www.loverugbyleague.com

 

[juju]

New Zealand Warriors star set for Super League move as suitors revealed

Catalans are among the clubs interested in signing New Zealand Warriors' Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - and are ready to table a deal to sign the fullback.

www.loverugbyleague.com

You couldn't begrudge any player moving to Catalans.
Special spot to live.

 

[jonesy101]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/warriors-stun-with-signings-coup-of-ponga-and-hughes

BREAKING NEWS: Warriors Stun NRL with Huge Double Signing

By Matt Williamson | April 1, 2025 | 2:28 AM NZDT

In a shock move that's set to send ripples across the NRL, the New Zealand Warriors have reportedly secured the signatures of superstars Kalyn Ponga and Jahrome Hughes, commencing in the 2026 season.

Sources close to both players have indicated that the deals were finalized quietly behind closed doors, with negotiations intensifying in recent weeks. The Warriors, under coach Andrew Webster, have pulled off arguably their biggest coup in club history by bringing these elite talents back across the Tasman.

Kalyn Ponga, currently contracted with the Newcastle Knights, is said to be eager to represent the Warriors and reconnect with his Kiwi roots, while Jahrome Hughes, a key playmaker at the Melbourne Storm, sees this move as an opportunity to lead the Warriors to their first premiership.

Neither club nor player representatives have officially commented yet, but an announcement from the Warriors is expected within the next 24 hours.

Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.

----

Due to the Kalyn Ponga and Jahrome Hughes news, a dedicated thread has been created to segregate from rest of the recruitment rumours: https://nzwarriors.com/threads/kalyn-ponga-and-jahrome-hughes.1150/

Nice try. I probably would have believed something more realistic like Matt Lodge coming back to see out the rest of his contract.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Don't know what is worse: cruel April fools jokes that give a false sense of hope or more bad news about actual reality of our recruitment situation.

 

[Noitall]

So was that initial Warriorholic instagram thing part of the April fools prank?

 

[JaggedJ]

RtS and TT might not be the long term options, but having them will hopefully prevent us from getting desperate.

There will be a lot of managers looking at a vacant fullback spot and available salary cap thinking they can get their average fullback or delusional winger more money than they're worth.

Don't bite, Cam. That bait smells funky.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

So was that initial Warriorholic instagram thing part of the April fools prank?

I just don't want to believe Zain would do us fans dirty like that. Do I trust who he's hearing or from though?

 

[Canadian_Warriors_Fan]

So was that initial Warriorholic instagram thing part of the April fools prank?

I doubt it, Zain's a good fella, I can't imagine he would do that.

 

[Sam Wahpira]

NO - Warriorholic released his info prior to April Fools Day.

From my listening to his comments (he indicates he knows the person) when I listened I thought of Ponga and Cobbo. Have a listen yourself with each in mind. For me it sounds more like a Cobbo (he called it massive news with emphasis on it being "interesting") I went on a youtube search and found that 2023 interview with Cobbo in West Auckland (remembering he has links here through his partner's NZ side and comes here often). In it he said he was training at FB as Walters had directly asked him. However, this was before Reece went over (and he actually says in the podcast that he reckons that Reece was gonna play halves). He pointed out he was FB growing up and was contending for it that offseason but that Herbie Farnworth was as well.

Also for others saying Joey Manu, Te Ao with Moana had an interview with him where he basically says he is staying in rugby and wants to play All Blacks (but doesn't have it all spelled out yet but sounds like he will return to NZ after his season in Japan ends).

 

[~Navigator~]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/warriors-stun-with-signings-coup-of-ponga-and-hughes

BREAKING NEWS: Warriors Stun NRL with Huge Double Signing

By Matt Williamson | April 1, 2025 | 2:28 AM NZDT

In a shock move that's set to send ripples across the NRL, the New Zealand Warriors have reportedly secured the signatures of superstars Kalyn Ponga and Jahrome Hughes, commencing in the 2026 season.

Sources close to both players have indicated that the deals were finalized quietly behind closed doors, with negotiations intensifying in recent weeks. The Warriors, under coach Andrew Webster, have pulled off arguably their biggest coup in club history by bringing these elite talents back across the Tasman.

Kalyn Ponga, currently contracted with the Newcastle Knights, is said to be eager to represent the Warriors and reconnect with his Kiwi roots, while Jahrome Hughes, a key playmaker at the Melbourne Storm, sees this move as an opportunity to lead the Warriors to their first premiership.

Neither club nor player representatives have officially commented yet, but an announcement from the Warriors is expected within the next 24 hours.

Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.

----

Due to the Kalyn Ponga and Jahrome Hughes news, a dedicated thread has been created to segregate from rest of the recruitment rumours: https://nzwarriors.com/threads/kalyn-ponga-and-jahrome-hughes.1150/

Could today's date have any thing to do with this. ?????

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

We all know April fools finishes at 12pm so will patiently be waiting for the official announcement from the club today