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: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, 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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[Inruin]

Ok with CNK at Center
RTS needs to go back to Full Bsck

TT was get rag dolled at FB. No way he survives a season playing in that position at FG level. He can play wing though.. right side wing spot is vacant …

I think TT provides a real point of difference at the back for us. He is elusive, has good combo with Boyd and TMM when he links in to the backline and is a very good defender. I would like to see him take a leaf out of Reece Walsh's book and put away the one out hit up looking for yardage though. That's where he is going to get hurt.

 

[Beastmode]

I think TT provides a real point of difference at the back for us. He is elusive, has good combo with Boyd and TMM when he links in to the backline and is a very good defender. I would like to see him take a leaf out of Reece Walsh's book and put away the one out hit up looking for yardage though. That's where he is going to get hurt.

I think he could go well in the halves
We badly need something different in that critical spot

 

[Inruin]

I think he could go well in the halves
We badly need something different in that critical spot

I don't think so myself but I can see why you do. Personally I don't want to see him there making twenty tackles a game on second rowers. Halves we have are fine if we can get some players back to lay a platform for them to work off

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Boyd has been let down by halves partners the last 2 weeks in my mind offering no additional playmaking support.
I think our new centre signing for next season is ….. wait for it…… CNK.
Fridays game could be a window into next seasons settled lineup with Taine at fullback.
The club I hope now realise they need some creativity and off the cuff opportunists and he’s the best we currently have who can create something from nothing.
I still think we will sign a winger for next season, maybe a centre for 27.

Dont know if im sold on Taine now. Too small

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I think he could go well in the halves
We badly need something different in that critical spot

Was thinking that the other day.

 

[John Nick]

Dont know if im sold on Taine now. Too small

Always looking to break the line but never does and then gets dragged backwards

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Always looking to break the line but never does and then gets dragged backwards

I would like to see him in the halves, no shade on CHT, but now we have 2 slow halves with Boyd at 7.

 

[Beastmode]

I would like to see him in the halves, no shade on CHT, but now we have 2 slow halves with Boyd at 7.

Same thinking

Boyd could find him holes to run into or exploit

We need speed in the halves to create

 

[John Nick]

I would like to see him in the halves, no shade on CHT, but now we have 2 slow halves with Boyd at 7.

I can see your point of view but probably not at this time of the season
Give him a crack in trial games and see what happens

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I can see your point of view but probably not at this time of the season
Give him a crack in trial games and see what happens

Very true, but then we could be looking at a halves pairing of Taine and Metcalf.

 

[Worried2Death]

Very true, but then we could be looking at a halves pairing of Taine and Metcalf.

Could be the deadliest combo

 

[Ref]

Taine would be Jayden Campbell like in the halves.
Also the best full back in the club.
He seldom gets rag dolled.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Could be the deadliest combo

Also the lightest

 

[Boston Boy]

I love Taines spark, could potentially be a decent to very good half. I agree that he is very light, but so was Thurston. The issue is he would be a major liability on D with rampaging second rowers running lines and isolating him. I think it would be a process to phase him in.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Was Xavier Tito-Harris with us at one point? Just watching Auckland vs Waikato npc match on youtube. That kid is fast as fuck! The name rings as bell. If so, why tf did we let him go!

 

[Noitall]

Was Xavier Tito-Harris with us at one point? Just watching Auckland vs Waikato npc match on youtube. That kid is fast as fuck! The name rings as bell. If so, why tf did we let him go!

Played in the halves I think?

 

[Cces]

Was Xavier Tito-Harris with us at one point? Just watching Auckland vs Waikato npc match on youtube. That kid is fast as fuck! The name rings as bell. If so, why tf did we let him go!

He chose NZ 7s

 

[Milking!]

Was Xavier Tito-Harris with us at one point? Just watching Auckland vs Waikato npc match on youtube. That kid is fast as fuck! The name rings as bell. If so, why tf did we let him go!

Think he got a NZ 7’s contract. Get paid to pay rugby and travel the world - pretty appealing for a junior.

 

[CWC]

Taine literally took on 3 defenders and somehow made a break under them I mean he made some half breaks too which means quick PTB…

And we still get CNK and Roger together on the left and Pompey unlocking Dallin on the right…I’d play CHT or Healey at 14, TMM IMO is better suited to Boyd at the worst the same as CHT, but CHT is a better hooker

Probably need Marata on the right wide just in the red zone to create the shape or score himself

Btw CNK can solve our centre problem while we search for outside backs…covers FB if TT breaks down

 

[Noitall]

Taine literally took on 3 defenders and somehow made a break under them I mean he made some half breaks too which means quick PTB…

And we still get CNK and Roger together on the left and Pompey unlocking Dallin on the right…I’d play CHT or Healey at 14, TMM IMO is better suited to Boyd at the worst the same as CHT, but CHT is a better hooker

Probably need Marata on the right wide just in the red zone to create the shape or score himself

Btw CNK can solve our centre problem while we search for outside backs…covers FB if TT breaks down

Right edge is diabolical with Boyd missing 8 tackles, Pompey 5 tackles and DWZ 4 tackles. They’ll be seeing a lot of attack admittedly because teams are targeting it, but I think Pompey could hopefully tighten it up a bit given some time