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	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔
6	Erin Clark	✔	✔	✔
7	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
8	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
9	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
10	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔
11	Tohu Harris	✔
12	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
13	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
14	Edward Kosi	✔
15	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
16	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
17	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
18	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	C
28	Dylan Walker	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Tanah Boyd	S	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Tanner Stowers-Smith	S
T1	Jett Cleary	T	S	S

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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 3/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Development 2025: 4/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 20/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 2/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Tohu Harris, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Dylan Walker, Kalani Going (S), Tanner Stowers-Smith (S), Demitric Vaimauga (C)

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[Noitall]

A little outside the box thinking and a bit high risk/high reward.

Charnz is getting on, and will be 30 at the end of next year. I'm guessing he's on about 500k or so.

We're likely losing Montoya at the end of this year, and would be on around 350k (ball park guess)

What about resigning CNK on a smaller contract (350k - Montoya's money) and then make a big play for Cobbo, offering him a cool mill to play full back. We're struggling to find better halves than what we have currently, but having a game breaking player from the back would ultimately help our game. He'd essentially get SJs money from this year, so we wouldn't have to move anyone on. Another year on for our juniors and out backline could look like this in 2026:

1. Cobbo
2. DWZ
3. Ali
4. Rocco/CNK
5. RTS
6. LM
7. TMM

I like Cobbo but I'm not a huge fan of him if in honest. I just think as a 22 year old who's already played 70 NRL games and 2 years for QLD would be a pretty decent asset and could build the club around him for the next 10 yrs

Was looking at an article yesterday titled every clubs biggest flight risk. Ours was CNK. Could he go and earn more in his last few seasons or is he home with his family to stay?

 

[france]

Mark Nawaqanitawase. The commentators seemed to love him but his defensive positioning in the game was so bad it was really noticeable.

but he's going to really good this guy

 

[france]

Was looking at an article yesterday titled every clubs biggest flight risk. Ours was CNK. Could he go and earn more in his last few seasons or is he home with his family to stay?

i'd be surprised if he wanted to leave nz again

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

but he's going to really good this guy

Perhaps but he need more time in NSW Cup to work on his D.

 

[cock_o]

Would Valynce Te Whare be better as an edge back rowers than a centre?

 

[peewee]

Would Valynce Te Whare be better as an edge back rowers than a centre?

I'm thinking he would be a better allrounder than RTS.
To me RTS is very limited for the money he's on.
A knee jerk reaction by the club to sign him.

 

[Aman 2.0]

have we signed anyone yet?

 

[Vancent]

What lol surely this is parody. Watch Souths make the top 8 next year, and his record for player development is only rivalled by Bellamy imo.

He turned isaako from a reserve grader at the broncos back to an international player. Plath will play origin in the next years, denveloped under Bennett. Te whare was a groundsman who made his nrl debut & is now the qld cup final.

He’s also taken a brand new count one game from the top 8 in 2 years, losing 3 of his best players in Aitken, flegler & Gilbert. Take yeo, fisher Harris & Martin out of the panthers pack and they’re a completely different side. I think you’re underselling what Bennett has done.

Yes, I should clarify.

I’m referring solely to the point made that “if a player pick is good for Wayne then it’s good for me” comment - for which I most certainly disagree.

Stevenson could quite possibly remain as (un)successful as Te Whare to be specific.

Did a good job with Dolphins, will do a great job at Souths, due mainly to the fact there’s a decent roster there.

I think sometimes we gloss straight over the Knights and Dolphins records being poor and construct copious amounts of reasons why.

Facts are there has been nominal success for Wayne since the Dragons GF win and if he was a player talent identifier of the ilk many hold him up to be - he would have enjoyed more success as a result of his Coaching expertise.

That hopefully, clarifies the point I’m tabling.

 

[Noitall]

Would Valynce Te Whare be better as an edge back rowers than a centre?

Perhaps a similar player to Talakai at the sharks with a bigger build that fills second row and centre? Not sure about him defensively but he’s a big guy with some speed

 

[Damo]

Would Valynce Te Whare be better as an edge back rowers than a centre?

He doesn't have the fitness to play centre let alone second row.

 

[Defence]

That's exactly why I have thought any chat is BS. He'll be 28 soon, why would he play NRL for a cheap deal when he can go get 4 times that in Japan.

Do u think this is still true?
I remember this was discussed on the old site and it turned out there was really only a handful of guys in Japanese and European rugby on big money and they were the elite- the majority were on pretty modest deals.
The average nrl salary was much higher than any other rugby competition in the world.

 

[Noitall]

dion teaupa highlights - Google Search

8 players let go by the rabbits including Dion Teaupa. Plays halfback and five eighth. Got 4 games this year

 

[Noitall]

Do u think this is still true?
I remember this was discussed on the old site and it turned out there was really only a handful of guys in Japanese and European rugby on big money and they were the elite- the majority were on pretty modest deals.
The average nrl salary was much higher than any other rugby competition in the world.

Article came out today about Joseph Manu having no interest in playing super rugby. Maybe there’s a lot of players with the same attitude? Guilty of not actually reading the article so don’t know the exact context

 

[Billyspleen75]

Any chance we can get Etene Nanai-Seturo back? Just turned 25 but hasn't cracked the ABs and doesn't look like he will

 

[tajhay]

Article came out today about Joseph Manu having no interest in playing super rugby. Maybe there’s a lot of players with the same attitude? Guilty of not actually reading the article so don’t know the exact context

because its all about a payday and supplementing his league income. he will be back to roosters at the end of the japan union season.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Do u think this is still true?
I remember this was discussed on the old site and it turned out there was really only a handful of guys in Japanese and European rugby on big money and they were the elite- the majority were on pretty modest deals.
The average nrl salary was much higher than any other rugby competition in the world.

Yeah if your not in the all blacks you'd only have to find around 300K to get them a wee payrise. If he sucks he isn't going to stick around, would just go to Japan.

But would have to play fullback, NRL teams just want their wingers to run into brick walls and finish in the corner, that's not him. But what's the point if we have 3 guys already who can argue for the FB spot.

 

[Wrighty]

dion teaupa highlights - Google Search

8 players let go by the rabbits including Dion Teaupa. Plays halfback and five eighth. Got 4 games this year

He's worse than Kodi on a bad day.
No way. Not ever. Not this century.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

He's worse than Kodi on a bad day.
No way. Not ever. Not this century.

He’s 22… he’s got a lot of development to go. He’s had huge wraps on him.

 

[Wrighty]

He’s 22… he’s got a lot of development to go. He’s had huge wraps on him.

22 is old.

 

[Noitall]

because its all about a payday and supplementing his league income. he will be back to roosters at the end of the japan union season.

Many like RTS are keen to crack the All Blacks. I thought with him going to a club with Ian Foster, Steve Hanson and Aaron Smith that there was a genuine interest there