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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[bomb to vats]

Who's most likely to leave us before their contract is up? It's a pattern that predates Webster but since he's arrived we've seen Walker, Zyon Maiu’u, Montoya, AFB, Volkman, Curran, Vailea & Otukolo go early. Can't forgot the Kepu's who appear to have gone into the witness protection system

Afoa, Ale and Harper will be gone. Tanah and Lussick might walk in off season

 

[bomb to vats]

Except for the bottom 3, and Vaega all of them!

Would take AKP, Sami, Simonsen and Hiroti

 

[OtautahiEast]

Would take AKP, Sami, Simonsen and Hiroti

Yup I agree thats my top 4

 

[Cces]

Afoa, Ale and Harper will be gone. Tanah and Lussick might walk in off season

The first 3 won't be leaving early.
Why would Boyd walk when he's pretty much a guaranteed starter until May?

 

[bomb to vats]

The first 3 won't be leaving early.
Why would Boyd walk when he's pretty much a guaranteed starter until May?

The first three are off contract and wont be re-signed.

 

[CWC]

Whos off contract or requesting release worth targeting?

AKP
Sami
Simonsen
Staines
Stonestreet
Wilson
Veage
Hopoate
Talau
Hiroti
Laurie
Kennedy
Allan

Hopoate the Manly FB? He's replaced Turbo at FB basically

 

[Cces]

The first three are off contract and wont be re-signed.

Correct. My initial post didn't make any mention of those types of players who are fulfilling their contracts & leaving. It was around the trend of players leaving with time left on their contracts

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Who's most likely to leave us before their contract is up? It's a pattern that predates Webster but since he's arrived we've seen Walker, Zyon Maiu’u, Montoya, AFB, Volkman, Curran, Vailea & Otukolo go early. Can't forgot the Kepu's who appear to have gone into the witness protection system

Niukore hopefully....
I would be happy if we even contributed as much as half of his salary to have him leave before the start of 2026.
Frees up a spot in the 17 for one of our longer term prospects, who will do almost as well as Niukore is going currently, and we pocket another 400k? Thats a win all round imo

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Hopoate the Manly FB? He's replaced Turbo at FB basically

Albert

 

[Tookey 2.0]

What's his position in the starting team tooks? Good player but for who i dont know?

Hes probably only worth what the dragons are paying, so he wouldn't move to nz for that same pay packet you would think.

It's a tough call but until Berry proves he can string some games together, I'd be having Doueihi and Pompey/Ali starting next year if that was an option.
Pompey, whilst being solid wouldn't be my first choice even though he's been great this year. I think an Ali and Doueihi combo could be as good as any centre combo in the comp.
Doueihi also seems to have that dog in him, always up for it and a competitor. Probably one of the traits that Webby seems to favour over that TMM, laid back approach

 

[CWC]

It's a tough call but until Berry proves he can string some games together, I'd be having Doueihi and Pompey/Ali starting next year if that was an option.
Pompey, whilst being solid wouldn't be my first choice even though he's been great this year. I think an Ali and Doueihi combo could be as good as any centre combo in the comp.
Doueihi also seems to have that dog in him, always up for it and a competitor. Probably one of the traits that Webby seems to favour over that TMM, laid back approach

Ali can't stay on the field either

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

It's a tough call but until Berry proves he can string some games together, I'd be having Doueihi and Pompey/Ali starting next year if that was an option.
Pompey, whilst being solid wouldn't be my first choice even though he's been great this year. I think an Ali and Doueihi combo could be as good as any centre combo in the comp.
Doueihi also seems to have that dog in him, always up for it and a competitor. Probably one of the traits that Webby seems to favour over that TMM, laid back approach

I agree on pompey, great solid first grader, but im all in on berry and Leiataua next year and they need big ones!

But I would be grooming Fatialofa for a centre spot also.

 

[JaggedJ]

Correct. My initial post didn't make any mention of those types of players who are fulfilling their contracts & leaving. It was around the trend of players leaving with time left on their contracts

I don't see a lot of movement happening in the forwards. I think Niukore, Capewell, Barney will just leave as their contracts dictate.

Maybe some movement for guys on the fringes as we balance the needs of young up and comers vs those looking for more game time elsewhere.

The backs is where I see things happening. Whether through injury, form, age, talent - we just don't have the players there to capitalise on what the forwards are doing.

Whether it's internal promotions or external, it really wouldn't shock me to see changes. The only thing that may save some are that our NSW Cup backs are largely being shifted aside for young talent who could do with that extra year of development.

TLDR: Any movement will come in that spot 22-30+ area, but we'll see a changing of the guard that allows our more promising backs to get regular NSW Cup time with the view of them transitioning into first grade if our regulars don't avoid injury or form dips that don't justify their $$$.

 

[Noitall]

NRL 2026: Every club's current full squad, best 17, ins and outs, off-contract players

How is your club shaping up for 2026?

www.zerotackle.com

Not always the most accurate but this lot reckons we’ve got 26 signed for 2026. Interesting looking at their guess at the starting lineup and not having Vaimauga there. Makes it look like players like Niukore could become surplus to requirements

 

[MrFrankWhite]

What are everyone's thoughts on Adam Doueihi?

My guess is there is a near zero chance of that happening. Doueihi is as Western Sydney as it it comes, with strong ties to the Leb community. With his performance and price tag, clubs will be lining up

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Would love Arthur’s but I think he owns a cafe in Brisbane

Going to go out on a limb and say I doubt he's pouring coffee 6am-2pm 5 days a week.

 

[Warriorshopeful]

My guess is there is a near zero chance of that happening. Doueihi is as Western Sydney as it it comes, with strong ties to the Leb community. With his performance and price tag, clubs will be lining up

His agent is also Isaac Moses too.

 

[Neo]

NRL 2026: Every club's current full squad, best 17, ins and outs, off-contract players

How is your club shaping up for 2026?

www.zerotackle.com

Not always the most accurate but this lot reckons we’ve got 26 signed for 2026. Interesting looking at their guess at the starting lineup and not having Vaimauga there. Makes it look like players like Niukore could become surplus to requirements

Doesn’t have CHT who is signed for 2026 so that makes 27

 

[Cces]

NRL 2026: Every club's current full squad, best 17, ins and outs, off-contract players

How is your club shaping up for 2026?

www.zerotackle.com

Not always the most accurate but this lot reckons we’ve got 26 signed for 2026. Interesting looking at their guess at the starting lineup and not having Vaimauga there. Makes it look like players like Niukore could become surplus to requirements

They have Pasikala in there despite him being removed from the NRL's site during preseason.
In addition to @Neo mentioning CHT, they state Boyd has a undecided player option which we all know he's activated

 

[Noitall]

Parramatta rocked as third player from grand final team asks for immediate release

The outside back has played in two losing grand finals. Read more here.

au.news.yahoo.com

Really thinking this guy would be ideal for what we’re looking for. I’ve always been impressed with how strong he runs and has played in a couple of grand finals, though not won. He’s toured the titans apparently, thought eels would have have needed to give him permission being signed until 2027?