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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[Tookey 2.0]

Serious question of those who rate Ale highly. Would you rather have lost him or Fatialofa?

I think most would agree that Fatialofa is the answer to your question, but tbh, I don't think that's even the right question.

Ale hasn't been given a go this year at all, despite being in top form in Cup and having decent experience in the NRL, and being in peake physical form as a 25/26 year old.

Injuries at the wrong time hindered him this year you say? I say between Bunty and Tanner Showers-Smith, they've played 16 games in first grade this year, and of those weeks, Ale has played cup about 11 times. So he's been available.

I like Tanner and can see upside in his game but we've seriously lacked go forward since Mitch went down injured, and Ale would have improved that somewhat.

It's all likely to be water under the bridge as Ale will likely sign with Penrith, but in a year of confusing Webster selections and bench rotations, Ale not playing a single game in first grade has to be up there with one of his more confusing decisions.

 

[CWC]

Ale went beast mode sometime last year then got dropped and never really returned since

Probably in the same category as Curran, MGT, to some extent AFB, Walker (?)

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Thank fook Ale is going, was getting sick of reading the same people saying why isn't he being picked every day of the team list threads.

Maybe the Panthers will get new fans that can post why isn't Ale getting picked over there every week.

I think we are going to be reading lots of posts lamenting him doing well over there whilst completely ignoring how well the players who we chose over him are going. Ale leaving is great in a way because it shows how our pathways are coming up trumps.

 

[Funky Ed Koosie]

Ale went beast mode sometime last year then got dropped and never really returned since

Probably in the same category as Curran, MGT, to some extent AFB, Walker (?)

Think it was the Dolphins game at home when Ale went beast mode, then pretty sure he got the Webby special and got dropped for the next game

 

[Blain]

His numbers are great in NSW Cup, no doubting that. But he never looked that great in NRL, but never got the minutes for us to properly assess him. The coaching team have never seemed to trust him enough, and I would say they know far more about his game than we do. I suspect it's around his defence, as they value that above everything.

I'm stoked if he can go to the Panthers.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Serious question of those who rate Ale highly. Would you rather have lost him or Fatialofa?

Id keep Crosby or salalilo over Ale

 

[Falcon]

Thats an easy answer. I've been a fan of his for quite a few seasons now, before Fatialofa was on the scene. Also notice I didnt say I wished we kept him, as its obvious we couldnt.

Some fans are drawn to some players; it doesnt make sense at times, but thats what it is.

I wonder if Tom had one of those spicy contracts that if he clocked a certain amount of first grade games he got an automatic extension and upgrade. This whole ‘saga’ smells like a ‘Financial Management’ type of situation. .

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I wonder if Tom had one of those spicy contracts that if he clocked a certain amount of first grade games he got an automatic extension and upgrade. This whole ‘saga’ smells like a ‘Financial Management’ type of situation. .

I was thinking maybe there was issues around the trade and Webby knew he was leaving all year, but your idea makes a little more sense on the face of it.