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: 25/30
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, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Five&Last]

Giving Morgan Harper a top 30 contract over MGT will stay one of the most brain dead decisions Cappy has made.

Good luck to MGT though.

 

[PhilsySH35]

I guess we better get rid Halasima & Vaimauga then before their disloyal Tongan blood betrays us & they piss off to greener pastures…

Nah bro, they is all good, let them go to who they want to rep, I had to let it all go too, until I l finally realised the warriors isn't a stepping stone to the kiwis only, its to the Tongan, Samoan, cook island teams etc. too.

 

[PhilsySH35]

About tongan loyalty, do you think this apply to Leka? Or because he was born here, he will stay loyal?

It's going to be interesting because he's going to become hot property.

just want those who desire the kiwi jersey, not the maybe's tests are about dying for the jersey. also a lot of players (island heritgge who played for the kiwis got plenty of pressure and grief from family and their people , they actually got booed by the crowd - pretty sad tho.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

just want those who desire the kiwi jersey, not the maybe's tests are about dying for the jersey. also a lot of players (island heritgge who played for the kiwis got plenty of pressure and grief from family and their people , they actually got booed by the crowd - pretty sad tho.

What do you reckon about players like Mulitalo...obvs wanted to play for QLD Morons and then when he couldn't, came to us.

 

[PhilsySH35]

What do you reckon about players like Mulitalo...obvs wanted to play for QLD Morons and then when he couldn't, came to us.

to be honest I was wrapped when he chose us, but had mixed feeling when I found out we were pick number 2 for him, similar when tohu got selected for England tour and then sbw got selected too and poor old someone miss out cos of Mulitalo being picked. prefer players willing to die for the jersey than one who picks us second, plenty of players like that Benji for one, Jason Nightingale, Sorenson brothers etc. simple really, jersey first and foremost. the jersey is more than enough.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Nah bro, they is all good, let them go to who they want to rep, I had to let it all go too, until I l finally realised the warriors isn't a stepping stone to the kiwis only, its to the Tongan, Samoan, cook island teams etc. too.

I wasn’t being serious with that post, just highlighting some stupidity from two posts earlier.

 

[sup42]

I wasn’t being serious with that post, just highlighting some stupidity from two posts earlier.

If you cannot grasp that the Warriors trade on this loyalty to one club one country idea when it comes to how they retain or attract their poly/māori players then I can see why you would have nothing to add to the discussion.

The number of times I have read on these sites about a young player in a recruitment thread and posters assuming they will not leave the Warriors because they are from NZ (it is a thing, it is out there in the Universe).

When Katoa left here there was discussion about why wouldn't he want to stay in New Zealand. It was pointed out and quite correctly that he is a Tongan born Tongan player with no particular loyalty to this country. That is a fact...ergo the back ground of the Tongans who played for the Kiwis then turn coated is a reality of a changing landscape.

I bet you that a lot of posters here think that New Zealand is a draw for say Leka who was born in Tonga. Yes it may be, he may love it here particularly, however posters shouldn't be sledged for speaking to issues which people find difficult for whatever reason.

Mt Wellington pointed out one time that he and a lot of Tongan folk support the Wallabies because they picked prominent Tongan players. Mt Wellington is as loyal a Warrior as you will find. But peoples life choices and culture are nuanced. It does not pay to assume that all brownies will stay at the Warriors out of some imagined loyalty to NZ.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

If you cannot grasp that the Warriors trade on this loyalty to one club one country idea when it comes to how they retain or attract their poly/māori players then I can see why you would have nothing to add to the discussion.

The number of times I have read on these sites about a young player in a recruitment thread and posters assuming they will not leave the Warriors because they are from NZ.

When Katoa left here there was discussion about why wouldn't he want to stay in New Zealand. It was pointed out and quite correctly that he is a Tongan born Tongan player with no particular loyalty to this country. That is a fact...ergo the back ground of the Tongans who played for the Kiwis then turn coated is a reality of a changing landscape.

I bet you that a lot of posters here think that New Zealand is a draw for say Leka who was born in Tonga. Yes it may be, he may love it here particularly, however posters shouldn't be sledged for speaking to issues which people find difficult for whatever reason.

Mt Wellington pointed out one time that he and a lot of Tongan folk support the Wallabies because they picked prominent Tongan players. Mt Wellington is as loyal a Warrior as you will find. But peoples life choices and culture are nuanced. It does not pay to assume that all brownies will stay at the Warriors out of some imagined loyalty to NZ.

Fair enough, you make some good points. However you could make the same argument for any number of players really so I don’t see the point in going down the ethnicity path & it’s not necessarily anything to do with loyalty. Geez even I left NZ for 12 years in Australia & it simply came down to opportunity at the time. Nothing to do with loyalty. I guess the great news is that Leka is here now on a long term contract, so everyone can be happy.

 

[sup42]

Fair enough, you make some good points. However you could make the same argument for any number of players really so I don’t see the point in going down the ethnicity path & it’s not necessarily anything to do with loyalty. Geez even I left NZ for 12 years in Australia & it simply came down to opportunity at the time. Nothing to do with loyalty. I guess the great news is that Leka is here now on a long term contract, so everyone can be happy.

As I understand it Leka has a strong family and Church connection in his life here in Auckland.

The race and identity thing is not my personal axe to grind. Nor do I criticize these players that have no 'loyalty' to New Zealand Per Se. I should have clarified that.

Ties to New Zealand would have been a better choice rather than Loyalty.

 

[Noitall]

Thought against storm we were in need of more in the middle against them but with Capewell, Halasima and Laban covering edges, does having Niukore in the middle permanently cover that need for an extra middle? He’s big and doesn’t shy away from confrontation that’s needed to be an effective middle. Means we could spend a good portion of cap with extensions for backs and maybe recruit someone with Gannon’s arrival next season as a forward recruit and Linnane coming into the nsw cup team?