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
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Jye Linnane	-	✔	✔	✔
-	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: 26/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Jye Linnane (Newcastle Knights), Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Tanner Stowers-Smith
Off Contract from 01/11/25: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Jacob Laban, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[run_it_str8_again]

I'd be happy with a development deal for Grieg if Webby thinks he could weave some magic.

Low risk, high reward. If he doesn't go good, turf him

Watched him in nsw cup last year and he played a Stormer first half and was gassed second half. Looks like a bench guy without endurance so getting his best fit would be ideal. Goodnight Webby and Cappy

 

[Noitall]

I'd be happy with a development deal for Grieg if Webby thinks he could weave some magic.

Low risk, high reward. If he doesn't go good, turf him

Looks like another from Northland. You’d want the JFH factor to put him in the right space and get all out of him

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Looks like another from Northland. You’d want the JFH factor to put him in the right space and get all of him

Watching a bit of Tobias Crosby talking about his weight lifting etc I think he got up to 116-120kg of muscle but it was to heavy for his structure and he said he'd hurt his back walking to the fridge. It made me think how a big unit is great but getting the most optimal body size and shape is an art and science for sure.

 

[CWC]

Watching a bit of Tobias Crosby talking about his weight lifting etc I think he got up to 116-120kg of muscle but it was to heavy for his structure and he said he'd hurt his back walking to the fridge. It made me think how a big unit is great but getting the most optimal body size and shape is an art and science for sure.

Whoever was telling these guys to build weight last year got it really wrong, Crosby and also Marata had constant foot fractures or injuries until he looks a bit leaner than last year.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Whoever was telling these guys to build weight last year got it really wrong, Crosby and also Marata had constant foot fractures or injuries until he looks a bit leaner than last year.

Agreed. Mobility in our pack is important and you offset the loss of big unit strength by hunting in packs and dominating tackles.

 

[PhilsySH35]

Very different, like comparing apples and a sack of spuds

got a new name for Neame - Riwai (he he)

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Good interview with Cappy on Sport Nation.
Heavily paraphrasing.. "Gannon is ready to go once he gets here. Different kind of player to what we have. Tough rangy ball playing back rower, will eventually end up in the middle. It's pretty obvious how it'll all play out, we've got some pretty handy backrowers, so you add in a ball playing lock.."

Is there a recording anywhere?

 

[Billyspleen75]

Is there a recording anywhere?

View: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2I4BlmK0BO25cB4FVnXn3y?si=HCTFph0YQ8OfDWnP7XlUOA

 

[Noitall]

View: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2I4BlmK0BO25cB4FVnXn3y?si=HCTFph0YQ8OfDWnP7XlUOA

Cheers for that. Seems like the squad is pretty much set that they see to take them into the future. We seem to have a lot of salary cap spare, likely extending Metcalf should he choose to stay and CHT will take some of that but are we keeping some for talent coming through that we see progressing fast?

 

[Horriors2013]

Parramatta Eels forward offered to several teams

He is off-contract at the end of 2025.

www.zerotackle.com

Real shame that Wiremu Greig can’t get a look in anywhere. Got some good size to work with but must be lazy

If Webby was open to it, I'd have him on a Bunty deal. Low cost, see how you go contract.

 

[Noitall]

If Webby was open to it, I'd have him on a Bunty deal. Low cost, see how you go contract.

He’s that big body that we don’t really have, but also a body that can struggle in the modern game at times. We’ve got a squad of hard workers by the looks, so anyone we recruit needs to fit this mould. 25 now so probably a defining time in his career

 

[Garry Saloon]

We can lure him if for 50% freight, Cuddles is the man to relaunch a career, outside backs seem to be pulling hammies every other week

Edit: OMG Cuddles is now an official link to Webster's page lol

Cuddles is a terrible, terrible nickname man. Needs to die ASAP.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Cuddles is a terrible, terrible nickname man. Needs to die ASAP.

why, it's very apt: he's such a friendly man!

 

[run_it_str8_again]

He’s that big body that we don’t really have, but also a body that can struggle in the modern game at times. We’ve got a squad of hard workers by the looks, so anyone we recruit needs to fit this mould. 25 now so probably a defining time in his career

We had Chris Satae who had mass but also the problem of less interchanges than when his body type had infinite subs to just bash and rumble through teams

 

[Noitall]

We had Chris Satae who had mass but also the problem of less interchanges than when his body type had infinite subs to just bash and rumble through teams

Satae showed in patches that he had some impact but the game is even much faster than when he was around the club. I think it’s unlikely that Greig would be disciplined enough to develop a decent motor but the 192cm is something we don’t have much of-height in our forwards. Laban is coming through and the club sees Gannon as being ready listening to McFadden, who also has some height. Greig sits at about 118kg, so you’d probably want to see him get to about 115kg an play some bigger minutes. Discipline can be poor too with some high shots, so that would need fixing

 

[Wrighty]

I don't think we need Wiremu Grieg. For 2026 we have props of

JFH
Barney
Ford
Niukore
Bunty
Ale
TSS
Maybe Crosby if he continues his growth and learning path

At best Wiremu would be 5th on that list and that is not fair on him to just take Bunty's spot in the pecking order. Let him go to Perth where we can get decent minutes and develop.

I personally think what we are lacking is

1) a ball playing lock - seems to be solved with Gannon
2) An elite fullback should one fall in our laps
3) Maybe another wing

 

[Noitall]

I don't think we need Wiremu Grieg. For 2026 we have props of

JFH
Barney
Ford
Niukore
Bunty
Ale
TSS
Maybe Crosby if he continues his growth and learning path

At best Wiremu would be 5th on that list and that is not fair on him to just take Bunty's spot in the pecking order. Let him go to Perth where we can get decent minutes and develop.

I personally think what we are lacking is

1) a ball playing lock - seems to be solved with Gannon
2) An elite fullback should one fall in our laps
3) Maybe another wing

All of Bunty, Ale and TSS off contract at season’s end. Extend them all?

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Cuddles is a terrible, terrible nickname man. Needs to die ASAP.

Do you, maybe, need a cuddle??

 

[Noitall]

Do you, maybe, need a cuddle??
View attachment 12926

Are you filming a movie on Webster? Looks like you’ve found an actor that’s not far off, well done. Looks more like 2023 Webster, he’s aged a bit since then

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Are you filming a movie on Webster? Looks like you’ve found an actor that’s not far off, well done. Looks more like 2023 Webster, he’s aged a bit since then

Thats clearly Tannah Boyds father in the picture