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	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Haizyn Mellars	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

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

Top 30 2026: 29/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

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

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

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[Noitall]

That Gagai rumor makes sense now, he’s more durable on one knee than our young centres

Two clubs showing interest apparently, sounds like eels are one of them. 100% makes sense to me that we would look to put an experienced centre next to DWZ if there’s any truth of interest from us

 

[MrFrankWhite]

We could do with a legit big man

 

[John Nick]

Who would be a player you think could add some value as bigger body?

And more to the point is who realistically would come here

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Gagai is Māori, and loves playing for the all stars. I’d sign him up in a heart beat. Even offer a 2 year deal if it sealed the deal. He’s one of the most experienced outside backs in the comp, still playing at a high quality & can cover centre, wing & fullback. He’d be straight into the starting line up & would bring a wealth of experience to our outsides. Hes done it all too, won man of the series as a winger for qld a couple years back.

 

[kos]

Does Gagai offer us speed?
No

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Does Gagai offer us speed?
No

Is he faster than our backs we have now? Probably yes lol. Thats how slow we are.

Leka is our faster player.

 

[Noitall]

Gagai is Māori, and loves playing for the all stars. I’d sign him up in a heart beat. Even offer a 2 year deal if it sealed the deal. He’s one of the most experienced outside backs in the comp, still playing at a high quality & can cover centre, wing & fullback. He’d be straight into the starting line up & would bring a wealth of experience to our outsides. Hes done it all too, won man of the series as a winger for qld a couple years back.

I still think Leiataua is our future in the centres and think Gagai would be handy in the meantime to tighten up the right edge until Leiataua brushes up on a few deficiencies. Another player I’ve seen that could be on the outer is Paul Alamoti with Casey McLean locking down a centre spot with Tago. He’d be a different proposition though only being 21 but fast and playing in a system that we look to emulate

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I still think Leiataua is our future in the centres and think Gagai would be handy in the meantime to tighten up the right edge until Leiataua brushes up on a few deficiencies. Another player I’ve seen that could be on the outer is Paul Alamoti with Casey McLean locking down a centre spot with Tago. He’d be a different proposition though only being 21 but fast and playing in a system that we look to emulate

Yeah it’s a tough one. I take Gagai over alamoti at the moment as we need leadership out wide, education, experience, and whilst alamoti has a tonne of upside and I rate him very highly, I feel like Gagai would suit our playing group better, at the moment.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Best props in the game , Payne Haas - 194cm 119kg - Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 197 110kg - AFB 189 123kg - Joe Tapine 190 - 110kg.

Compare that to our props
JFH - 187 104kg - Jackson Ford 187 100kg - Demetric Vaimauga 183 104kg - 187 104kg.

We get beat up by top 8 sides. The bigger sides.
Its all good & well having small mobile fit props. Until we meet big , mobile & fit opposition.

And to top it off, Apart from Demetric & Barney(Who is out for the season) Our props lack the aggression that smaller props like Leota , Leniu bring.

We could do with a legit big man to come off the bench when we're getting beat up by the opposition & getting pushed back on attack. Instead , We are relying on a 19 year superstar on the rise to get us out of trouble.

Doesn’t hurt to have a Xavier Willison or a Utoikamanu in the forwards.

A fucken men! Thats why im so excited for Bishop Neal! Long way away, but you do need a big bopper, just to have the intimidation factor.

 

[Jaffa J]

Yeah it’s a tough one. I take Gagai over alamoti at the moment as we need leadership out wide, education, experience, and whilst alamoti has a tonne of upside and I rate him very highly, I feel like Gagai would suit our playing group better, at the moment.

I’d just sign both tbh

 

[Playdaball]

To complicate that
Tino plays at lock more for the Titans than prop
Plays prop if injuries dictate
Bunty is 113 kg
Ale is 109 kg

Stats produced say we win more games with Bunty in the fg side than out of it
And Ale is having a whale of a time in Cup

Maybe coach Webster has a 107 kg maximum limit on his first grade team

TSS out and Ale in for Friday

 

[JustVisiting82]

TSS out and Ale in for Friday

Are you just saying what you would like to see, or have you heard that's what is going to happen?

 

[Theking267]

Tepatasi Laumalili is another prop who’s about 6-5 coming through the system. Played Ball and Flegg this year should be pushing for some cup minutes next year and a possible NRL debut in 27

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Is Dallin the issue, or the constant changing of his centre pairing? He probably hasn’t played with the same centre more than 3 games in a row, leading to indecisiveness & miscommunication/connection. We have 3 quality centres; pomps, Ali, Berry. The issue is, Berry can’t string more than 5 games together & Ali is in unproven rookie, who’s been injured more often than he’s available.

Our issue is at centre. A decent nrl ready winger is obviously desirable too as it’s obvious Kosi isn’t nrl quality & kali is a year or 2 away, but our most urgent recruitment needs to be centre imo.

DWZ is absolutely an issue - his constant jamming on defence extends across his entire career. However he’s not the only problem on that right edge - and I think it’s more than just a centre issue as well.

 

[Five&Last]

Best props in the game , Payne Haas - 194cm 119kg - Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 197 110kg - AFB 189 123kg - Joe Tapine 190 - 110kg.

Compare that to our props
JFH - 187 104kg - Jackson Ford 187 100kg - Demetric Vaimauga 183 104kg - 187 104kg.

We get beat up by top 8 sides. The bigger sides.
Its all good & well having small mobile fit props. Until we meet big , mobile & fit opposition.

And to top it off, Apart from Demetric & Barney(Who is out for the season) Our props lack the aggression that smaller props like Leota , Leniu bring.

We could do with a legit big man to come off the bench when we're getting beat up by the opposition & getting pushed back on attack. Instead , We are relying on a 19 year superstar on the rise to get us out of trouble.

Doesn’t hurt to have a Xavier Willison or a Utoikamanu in the forwards.

I’d say Vaimauga is between 6’1 and 6’2

Tepatasi Laumalili is around 6’5
Lucian Mikaele is around 6’5
Krushil Koteka is around 6’3
Rodney Tuipolutu-Vea is around 6’2

These are all props in our pathways

Badly need to one of these guys to kick on because our most promising prop prospect is Salalilo who’s around 6’0 and similar build to Moses Leota

 

[Noitall]

Jett Cleary earns contract upgrade, eyes NRL debut

He is the younger brother of Nathan Cleary.

www.zerotackle.com

Jett Cleary into the top 30 for rest of the season in a contract upgrade

 

[Blain]

I wouldn't believe it yet, Zerotackle is more miss then hit.

 

[Canadian_Warriors_Fan]

I wouldn't believe it yet, Zerotackle is more miss then hit.

I get your point however.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

DWZ is absolutely an issue - his constant jamming on defence extends across his entire career. However he’s not the only problem on that right edge - and I think it’s more than just a centre issue as well.

That’s the warriors defensive policy? They jam, which is a higher percentage play that forces the opposition into a statistically more difficult pass (long ball to wing).

He jams, because his centre jams, because his edge jams. It’s a defensive policy. I’d rather they score on an edge rather than through the middle. I’d obviously rather they didn’t score at all but lumping all of the blame on a winger ain’t it.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

That’s the warriors defensive policy? They jam, which is a higher percentage play that forces the opposition into a statistically more difficult pass (long ball to wing).

He jams, because his centre jams, because his edge jams. It’s a defensive policy. I’d rather they score on an edge rather than through the middle. I’d obviously rather they didn’t score at all but lumping all of the blame on a winger ain’t it.

He doesnt jam, he goes halfway and second guesses himself then hesitates.

Pompey jams, RTS jams, Taine jams, even Ali jams, DWZ gets isolated and exposed