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	Jye Linnane	✔	✔	✔	✔
19	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
20	Te Maire Martin	✔
21	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
22	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
23	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
25	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔	✔	✔
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
29	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: 29/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

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

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin
Can negotiate with others clubs from 01/11/25 (final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

---

This thread is solely for Warriors recruitment and retention discussion. Any posts not related to the above will be deleted.

Repeat offenders will have their access to this page limited.

Please be mindful of what you are posting in this thread before clicking the reply button. Zero Tolerance to offtopic chat.

 

[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