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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[Noitall]

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.

I’d like to see Tuaupiki replace TMM as one of the clubs five eighths. I’d back him to make it his over CHT in a matter of time

 

[Tookey 2.0]

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.

This is the thing I'm constantly wondering with recruitment.

A top player becomes available on the market. He's not specifically what we need, but the reality of landing what we really need (top tier half or game managing fullback) are not, and are very unlikely to become available.

So, do we get the next best thing ?Manu, Cobbo, DCE, Brown etc wouldn't be my first choice signing for what we specifically need, but if any of those players were available and keen to play for the Wahs at a price our team is willing to pay, I think we have to get them.

I can really only remember Price and RTS being a top 5 in their position when they signed with us (Fish and AFB count count but we're more lucky, and fell into our lap as opposed to an out n out signing), so for me we have to take what we can get, which hopefully in turn brings us onfield success which makes us more attractive as a club moving forward

 

[run_it_str8_again]

If we pull the "overachiever" trick and go deep into the finals again we might be able to become marquee

This is the thing I'm constantly wondering with recruitment.

A top player becomes available on the market. He's not specifically what we need, but the reality of landing what we really need (top tier half or game managing fullback) are not, and are very unlikely to become available.

So, do we get the next best thing ?Manu, Cobbo, DCE, Brown etc wouldn't be my first choice signing for what we specifically need, but if any of those players were available and keen to play for the Wahs at a price our team is willing to pay, I think we have to get them.

I can really only remember Price and RTS being a top 5 in their position when they signed with us (Fish and AFB count count but we're more lucky, and fell into our lap as opposed to an out n out signing), so for me we have to take what we can get, which hopefully in turn brings us onfield success which makes us more attractive as a club moving forward

That's why development is your side hustle. We need to lend our players out and bring them back in their prime like Australia does to us. Imagine the list.

 

[RobRoyMcCoy]

If my memory serves me correctly (not always true I must add) Joey Manu has played in every position except half back. His versatility would be a great asset. I also rate him as a better player than any in our current backline for game breaking ability.

We have a massive war chest which is no good unspent. I say throw the lot at him. I can't imagine NZ Rugby can get close to the $$$ we can offer given he is not a world class Union player and they probably have many Union prospects in NZ they are attempting to retain. His chances of making the All Blacks team for the World Cup are slim.

Finally, what could be better than going by Joseph Wahnu!

 

[Bay39er]

Agree with you on the hungus part, ...

So are Jye Gray & Tedesco but look where they sit in the Dally M points & Tedesco has only been in a team that has won once!

 

[Hazza]

this is an article on zero tackle

NRL club set to make play for superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga

He won the Dally M Medal in 2023.

www.zerotackle.com

 

[LeagueJunkie]

Drums beating louder. Ponga switching allegiences to māori All Starts, repping the flag now this.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

This is the telephone effect at its best lol

- Baseless rumour comes from random on twitter
- Warriorholic asks if their name starts with P
- Moley writes "talk that the Warriors are set to make a play for Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga"
- Zero Tackle rewrites that as "Wide World of Sports have now revealed that the New Zealand Warriors are set to make a play for his services."

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Aw man I thought we were done with the KP rumour. Time to move on fellas

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Day 39 of waiting for CG's 'big signing'.

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

This is the telephone effect at its best lol

- Baseless rumour comes from random on twitter
- Warriorholic asks if their name starts with P
- Moley writes "talk that the Warriors are set to make a play for Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga"
- Zero Tackle rewrites that as "Wide World of Sports have now revealed that the New Zealand Warriors are set to make a play for his services."

The mole works under nine wide world of sports I believe

 

[Dlenai]

Can we ban any articles from Zero Tackle? Probs one of the most baseless sites for recruitment rumours considering its reputation. It’s only good for tracking contracts and even then it’s highly inaccurate

 

[Damo]

Can we ban any articles from Zero Tackle? Probs one of the most baseless sites for recruitment rumours considering its reputation. It’s only good for tracking contracts and even then it’s highly inaccurate

Especially as anyone can write articles for Zero Tackle lol

 

[Dippa]

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/nr...ml?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/nr...ml?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

"The Warriors have had no discussions in respect to Joey Manu’s future, but of course if Joey Manu was to become available we would definitely sit down with his management,” George said. “To this date, we’ve had none whatsoever.” - Cameron George.

CG, with his finger on the pulse.

 

[miket12]

"The Warriors have had no discussions in respect to Joey Manu’s future, but of course if Joey Manu was to become available we would definitely sit down with his management,” George said. “To this date, we’ve had none whatsoever.” - Cameron George.

CG, with his finger on the pulse.

So, we can expect the signing to be announced before the weekend then.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

So, we can expect the signing to be announced before the weekend then.

Which weekend?

 

[WahsaurusRex]

April 14th baby!

@mod how do I change my user from W-Rex to "the Oracle"?? /s

RTS announcement came April 20th, 2023
JFH announcement came April 17th, 2024

Based on form, we should be due a blockbuster signing in two weeks time!

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Listening to Gello on sports nation I believe it’s called and he mentioned a signing is incoming. Had no relation to either the Ponga or Manu news circulating however.

 

[Wahs_Ultras]