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	✔	✔	✔
-	Jye Linnane	-	✔	✔	✔
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: 24/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Jye Linnane (Newcastle Knights)
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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[Billyspleen75]

Just as the Ponga rumours die down..

 

[Noitall]

Manu making moves in fullback

Joseph Manu shifts into fullback in the Roosters clash against the Knights

www.nrl.com

Manu at fullback just last year. Even though another code, handy he’s been playing fullback over seas if it happened

 

[Noitall]

Just as the Ponga rumours die down..

View attachment 12471

Don’t forget Cobbo floating around too. We’ve got a bit of coin but we’re going to go over the cap at this rate

 

[tajhay]

article pulled.

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/nrl/why-joey-manu-could-be-on-the-verge-of-an-nrl-return-20250409-p5lqin.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

said NRL return in the url. Posted 2 hours ago so could tie in with the screenshot.

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

I’d rather have him in the centers if he came

 

[Defence]

I think Joey would be a great fit at fullback for us and playing with rts would be a massive help for him.
Manu, rts, dwz is a bullshit back 3- meters for days with strike as well.
I’d like to see Ali and berry lockdown those center spots.
Hard to get a read on where cnk is at- he had looked busted for a while but has come screaming back to life- u have to wonder if it’s his last gasp though- the club would know where his bodies at.
Manu would be fresh af after a little rugby holiday.
Not as exciting as the ponga rumor but a good lil back up rumor nonetheless.

 

[JaggedJ]

Thats what a rumour is. A currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth.

Big difference between a credible rumour and some rando with a twitter/IG account.

 

[SJ2k]

Anyone who wouldn't take Manu is dreamin'. We aren't getting Hughes or Ponga or whoever at that level, we'd be extremely lucky to get Manu (I'll happily eat my words if a top 20 player comes).

Manu would play over CNK at fullback, he always does for the kiwis. He's a level above CNK and would upgrade our spine immensely. He will have some growing to do at FB not having played that much, but the dude is a high end player and it would be a fantastic signing.

 

[Dantheman]

Anyone who wouldn't take Manu is dreamin'. We aren't getting Hughes or Ponga or whoever at that level, we'd be extremely lucky to get Manu (I'll happily eat my words if a top 20 player comes).

Manu would play over CNK at fullback, he always does for the kiwis. He's a level above CNK and would upgrade our spine immensely. He will have some growing to do at FB not having played that much, but the dude is a high end player and it would be a fantastic signing.

He was a freak during that period a season or two ago when Teddy was out and he had to play fullback.

 

[snake77]

Manu would be a good get. He'd provide something we need as he can create opportunities.

Returning to NZ for family reasons would either be the Warriors or Super Rugby. That then depends on what sport he wants to play or money.

When NRL players come across to union there is often speculation on how much NZ Rugby want to outlay on someone with little experience in the sport. Sure, he's been playing it but it is only a short sample period with a season in Japan and France. I doubt it would be their top tier level contract so if we put out marque money or close to it we could get it over the line.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Has there been any actual word around Manu though? It sounds like he was keen on the 2027 Rugby World Cup, so if he was to do that he'd likely need to be back in NZ playing for the Chiefs in 2026 to get that opportunity.
Has there been any oil specifically about Manu, or are we just putting 1+1 together and coming up with Joey's name?

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Rugby news 2025 | Joseph Manu interview, Sydney Roosters rumours, Japanese rugby career, French rugby; All Blacks dream

I just can’t see us signing him. Based on the article above released 3 weeks ago, he dosen’t want to return to leauge. Although he may have some family issues going on which may force a move back to NZ, he surely has to be off to super rugby which could work out well for him with his AB aspirations.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

100% no to Manu 2.0

 

[Noitall]

Rugby news 2025 | Joseph Manu interview, Sydney Roosters rumours, Japanese rugby career, French rugby; All Blacks dream

I just can’t see us signing him. Based on the article above released 3 weeks ago, he dosen’t want to return to leauge. Although he may have some family issues going on which may force a move back to NZ, he surely has to be off to super rugby which could work out well for him with his AB aspirations.

The payday and a team building like it could be a genuine shot in the coming years of being the first team to win a premiership would be all that league could offer him over rugby. RTS couldn’t crack it and Manu getting on to be waiting around too long for an AB’s call up. He got one at roosters, but I reckon a maiden Warriors premiership would be all the sweeter

 

[Tookey 2.0]

The payday and a team building like it could be a genuine shot in the coming years of being the first team to win a premiership would be all that league could offer him over rugby. RTS couldn’t crack it and Manu getting on to be waiting around too long for an AB’s call up. He got one at roosters, but I reckon a maiden Warriors premiership would be all the sweeter

Yip hard out, well see if the lure of the ABs jersey and winning a world cup can compete with a cool 3 mill (I assume if it got over the line we'd be looking at 2026-2028) and the chance to be the FB for the Wahs first premiership.

Imo the ABs jersey has diminished over the years. I used to watch Union religiously and there were some great players who never got to play for the ABs, however these days it seems one good season gets you in. I think I've watched 30 minutes of ABs in the last 5 years, it just doesn't hit like it used to.

Hopefully Manu sees the light, but I'm not holding my breath

 

[Makasene]

Someone mentioned Madge played Manu at fullback and CNK at centre.

This is true at the 2022 world cup but in subsequent tests he reversed it.

I wouldn't turn down Manu but he is not the saviour. Very limited ball playing ability at the back and has a tendency to be a bit of a hungus.

Think we need to back our Centres now too. Wouldn't want to see Berry or Ali getting the chop.

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Idk about Manu, he's been out of the scene for a bit now, not as long as RTS but I doubt he'd be near the level he was when he left. Gives me 2024 RTS vibes where it just didn't work even with all the hype. Also Taine has been a great backup and I thought it would be him next in line. $1m is way to expensive imo for Manu.

 

[Riz]

Idk about Manu, he's been out of the scene for a bit now, not as long as RTS but I doubt he'd be near the level he was when he left. Gives me 2024 RTS vibes where it just didn't work even with all the hype. Also Taine has been a great backup and I thought it would be him next in line. $1m is way to expensive imo for Manu.

He last played League on the 27th of September last year...

 

[RiceOwl]

All being equal you would swap Manu for CNK. But all is not equal…

We have a salary cap to consider, so when you think of signing a player of Manu’s ilk, the question I would be asking is does he provide the value to the team for what we would need to offer him, or could we get greater value out of another player (say Taine for example) and use that $ saved elsewhere on a position that may need it more.

To me I’d rather we invest in Taine. He may not have the same ceiling but he will likely provide us with great value.

 

[Noitall]

Someone mentioned Madge played Manu at fullback and CNK at centre.

This is true at the 2022 world cup but in subsequent tests he reversed it.

I wouldn't turn down Manu but he is not the saviour. Very limited ball playing ability at the back and has a tendency to be a bit of a hungus.

Think we need to back our Centres now too. Wouldn't want to see Berry or Ali getting the chop.

Agree with you on the hungus part, but he can definitely ball play. Got a great cutout pass and has played at 6 at times. Not successfully though to add. Love CNK and the heart he plays with, but Manu is a better version of him. Almost both can fill the same positions being fullback, centre, wing and five eighth. Could also be what Warriors are offering that he couldn’t get at roosters over Tedesco, the opportunity to play fullback permanently