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	Jett Cleary	✔	S	S
9	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
10	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
11	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
12	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
13	Morgan Harper	✔
14	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
15	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
16	Edward Kosi	✔
17	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
18	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
19	Jye Linnane	✔	✔	✔	✔
20	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
21	Te Maire Martin	✔
22	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
23	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
24	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
25	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
26	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔	✔	✔
27	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
28	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
29	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
30	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
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Top 30 2025: 30/30
Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Top 30 2026: 26/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Edward Kosi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Te Maire Martin
Can negotiate with other clubs from Nov 1, 2025 (Entering final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Wrighty]

Who fills the remaining 2 spots in our Top 30? Eddie Ieremia-Toeava seems like the only Development contracted player who would be a sniff of getting NRL minutes.
I wouldn't be surprised if we give MGT a departing gift of a Top 30 like we did to Setu Tu

When's the deadline? June 30th?

 

[Wrighty]

Barnett out for season

David Fafita SOS !!!

 

[Wrighty]

Should Bring Gannon now.

 

[Dlenai]

It would make the most logical sense for us to enquire about Haas’ availability come November 1

Barnett likely will only have a season max in him of footy after a setback like this.
Our salary cap is very healthy

I guess the only downfall being too much of the cap lopsided into a prop, and not having much buffer to re-sign Metcalf on an upward trajectory or a marquee back

But what’s a good spine without good go forward?

2017 comes to mind

 

[Wrighty]

After racking my brain here is my list of Rental Middle recruitment targets -
I have focused on bottom ranked teams who may have given up on this year.

1) Josh Curran - rumours he is on the outer at Bulldogs. We can smoke the peace pipe with Josh. Not a bottom ranked team but Gus likes to wheel and deal.
2) Wiremu Grieg - not playing for Eels - they aren't make the finals anyway and they know that.
3) From Knights Adam Elliot and Leo Thompson aren't signed past this year. Both presently out but we don't need them right away.
Knights aren't making the finals this year. And they should be the type of team we phone.
4) Jamin Joliffe - not an elite player but Titans would trade him to us He would do a job as a bench middle.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

After racking my brain here is my list of Rental Middle recruitment targets -
I have focused on bottom ranked teams who may have given up on this year.

1) Josh Curran - rumours he is on the outer at Bulldogs. We can smoke the peace pipe with Josh. Not a bottom ranked team but Gus likes to wheel and deal.
2) Wiremu Grieg - not playing for Eels - they aren't make the finals anyway and they know that.
3) From Knights Adam Elliot and Leo Thompson aren't signed past this year. Both presently out but we don't need them right away.
Knights aren't making the finals this year. And they should be the type of team we phone.
4) Jamin Joliffe - not an elite player but Titans would trade him to us He would do a job as a bench middle.

Thompson signed a 4y deal w dogs

 

[Funky Ed Koosie]

Barnett out for season

David Fafita SOS !!!

I'm here to catch strays for you brother

 

[Canonball]

We don't need another middle immediately - Vaimauga showed he can go hard against the rabbits, we have Ale and TSS in the wings, they're good players, though they need to step up big - can do it with fish leading

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

As ratshit/ruthless as it is. We probably need to start looking at Barnetts permanent replacement.

Especially from start 2027 onwards.
(I would not force him out at all btw)

Marty Taupau for the rest of 2025?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Marty Taupau for the rest of 2025?

God no. Even Bunty is 2x a good as Tapout

 

[kos]

As ratshit/ruthless as it is. We probably need to start looking at Barnetts permanent replacement.

Especially from start 2027 onwards.
(I would not force him out at all btw)

Marty Taupau for the rest of 2025?

Really?
Marty Taupau?

We have much younger much more able props sitting in Cup
Bunty-Ale-TSS

All are far superior options to Marty.

 

[tajhay]

As ratshit/ruthless as it is. We probably need to start looking at Barnetts permanent replacement.

Especially from start 2027 onwards.
(I would not force him out at all btw)

Marty Taupau for the rest of 2025?

Hes not going to move to NZ. Hes too busy selling motivational journal entry books with his wife.

 

[Sukhdev]

We need to make a play for Haas. He’s not happy at the Broncos, we have the cap space and he has connections with the warriors.

 

[Cces]

Haas has connections with the warriors.

Was that a 2 week training camp 9 years ago when everyone was courting him? Don't think that will have much weight considering he has his brother buried in his backyard on the Gold Coast

 

[tajhay]

We need to make a play for Haas. He’s not happy at the Broncos, we have the cap space and he has connections with the warriors.

Its a pity that SBW lives in Sydney and has no connection with the Warriors. If he was based in Auckland and had an association with the club, i am sure the carrot of being mentored by him would have a positive impact when players were approached by the club.

 

[mt.wellington]

In other news, just letting everyone know that Starford is off contract 2027 and available for approaches Nox 1.
He will turn 27 in June 2027.

He's a handy player but would be a backwards or sideways signing for what we already have. Thats a no from me dawg...

 

[Tragic]

JFH
Marata
Ford
Vaimaunga
TSS
Ale
Bunty

We will be fine.

 

[Too much]

Ive been keeping an eye on it but only watched a handful of highlights of the cup boys this year.

For those in the know how is Toby Crosby progressing? Smokey to see some game time in NRL side this year with Mitch’s injury or still a year or two away?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Ive been keeping an eye on it but only watched a handful of highlights of the cup boys this year.

For those in the know how is Toby Crosby progressing? Smokey to see some game time in NRL side this year with Mitch’s injury or still a year or two away?

I could see him taking off next year, but he should not be considered this year for me.

 

[Damo]

Ive been keeping an eye on it but only watched a handful of highlights of the cup boys this year.

For those in the know how is Toby Crosby progressing? Smokey to see some game time in NRL side this year with Mitch’s injury or still a year or two away?

Progressing well, only playing 20 - 30 mins on average off the bench so is well away from NRL time yet.