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	The Greatest of All-Time	✔	✔
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	✔	M
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	Marcelo Montoya	✔
22	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
23	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
24	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
25	Adam Pompey	✔
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	C
29	Dylan Walker	✔
30	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔
D1	Kalani Going	D
D2	Tanner Stowers-Smith	D
T1	Jett Cleary	T	D	D

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, D = Development contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 30/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 2/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 30/30
Unconfirmed Development 2025: 3/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 14/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Jackson Ford, Tohu Harris, Ed Kosi, Ali Leiataua, Te Maire Martin, Marcelo Montoya, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Taine Tuaupiki, Dylan Walker, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Kalani Going (D), Tanner Stowers-Smith (D), Chanel Harris-Tavita (M), Demitric Vaimauga (C)

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[WahsaurusRex]

After missing the finals we all see areas of the roster that need strengthening. Either for depth or it is a weakness.

But do we realistically expect any more signings?

Webster a few weeks ago said they had a few players signed that they still need to announce. Since then Clark and Healey have been announced. A few could mean just those two or only one more.

I mean, the top 30 is locked up for now,

We have gone into each of the past two seasons with 28/29 spots filled and have run with that all the way to the June 30 deadline, so if Marcelo leaves, which seems like a matter of time at this point, I can't see us bringing anyone in his place. Same goes for if a Bunty or a Walker left

We have 4 spots in the Dev list we can use, but even that is more realistically 2 spots (Hanson and Jett). We haven't used up all Dev list spots in the past either, and even if we were to start now, it is probably going to be saved for a few preseason standouts.

Short answer, is no lol, for mine at least.

We are treading water here until we start having rumours flying around in a month or so with the '26 free agents haha

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

I am diametrically opposed to the view of pick the best 13 and train up a kicker
One of your 13 can be wiggled in mainly because he is a kicker
Your maths is a bit arbitrary
The guy who we train up may not kick at 75% what happens if he only kicks at 70% or 71%
And what happens if a decent kicker had kicked at 82%
That’s 6 or 7 more kicks per season

More importantly even accepting your 75 percent vs 80 percent construct the guy with 5 more points will be clutch when It really matters while the 5 points less guy inconsistent and maybe unreliable in a play off game.

Tannah Boyd kicked at 83 percent on your chart. Just saying

In reality it’s a lot more complex than that isn’t it? What if the 80% guy lets in a try a game? What if the 80% guy still chokes in the playoffs.

I think lots more guys can kick than we see. Eg Barnett was a decent kicker as well. Reality is within the 13, several will be adequate kickers (if they practice).

There are very few 80+% kickers. It’s like saying why didn’t we sign Cam Smith in his prime? A great player that’s also a great kicker is like hens teeth.

I wouldn’t have a reserve grade 80% kicker that is an clearly inferior player just for his kicking (except Tuaupiki) unless they demand a spot as they will let in more than the add with kicking.

 

[Inruin]

What were your numbers 24 points against per match ?
Had we only conceded 20 points against titans that awful blowout match instead of 66 then we would havre averaged a more respectable 22.2 points against instead of 24

And if we didn't lose the games we did we would have finished in first place.... It happened. You cant just dismiss it.

 

[CWC]

We had a high quality 75% kicker in SJ and we were losing 20 points+ at a time, then we had TMM paired with a 60% kicker and we were in position to win but lost by 1-2 points

TMM with Taine kicking we should be fine, with Pompey/Metcalf having potential to improve as well

 

[Falcon]

Paid close attention to JFH last night. His attitude and effort on defence is something I don’t know that anyone in our team has.
No laying down, slowly getting up after a tackle being late back into the line leaving a hole. He sprints back into the line and this happens at the start of his stint and the end.

I love Tohu but it really pissed me off at times how often he would slowly get off the ground and slowly get back into the line. Tohu wasn’t the only one to do it but he really stood out for it.

JFH is going to bring new standards

I was listening to an interview with a leading international CEO recently who had a fantastic mantra as a leader in the business, ‘Lift as you Climb’ - I’m like you Hornbybrown, JFH will set great minimum standards as a leader and demand more from individuals who don’t realise they can be better.
The subconscious confidence of having a player like him in the team will be great for everyone

 

[slime]

Everyone has written off CHT because he missed a couple of bad goals. The thing is he might not have practised in a few years, as he was away from the game and was probably the 5th in line kicker going into 2024 (behind Johnson, Pompey, Metcalfe, and Tuaupiki). Barnett hasn't kicked since 2021 and he wasn't lining up to take a shot, but CHT hadn't really kicked since 2020 in NRL games.

Prior to this season CHT actually had a really good GK%, I saw a stat during this season how he was in the top % (at the time). Going in to 2024 he was on 81%, with 52/64. This season he went 61% with 11/18. If he goes back to practising I'd expect him to come back at 75%+, maybe even back up to 80%.

The other thing people are talking about here is defence. CHT is a good defender and easily had the best points difference of any of our halves in 2024. He also had the best winning %. If he didn't fuck up a couple of those kicks, he would be by far the stand out half results wise.



In saying all this I think we have plenty of adequate goal kickers in the squad. The only one who has left is Johnson. I'm hoping Tuaupiki is in the line up more next season, but there's a good 3 or 4 others who should be able to kick around 75% if not.

Also I'm not even saying CHT should be in the starting squad, but seeing as there will probably be injuries, I'd be happy for him to fill in.

 

[El Chuckie]

I feel like I'm in a Bluey McLennan twilight zone moment. We just need to find a way to score more points..... If we score more points than the opposition we win.....

Our defence is what fucked us 9/10 this season and everyone seems to be talking about finding a goal kicker.

Those of us yarning about kickers aren't blind to other issues - just throwing it into the mix. But yeah, maybe it needs its own thread rather than being put under 'recruitment and retention'.

 

[CWC]

Everyone has written off CHT because he missed a couple of bad goals. The thing is he might not have practised in a few years, as he was away from the game and was probably the 5th in line kicker going into 2024 (behind Johnson, Pompey, Metcalfe, and Tuaupiki). Barnett hasn't kicked since 2021 and he wasn't lining up to take a shot, but CHT hadn't really kicked since 2020 in NRL games.

Prior to this season CHT actually had a really good GK%, I saw a stat during this season how he was in the top % (at the time). Going in to 2024 he was on 81%, with 52/64. This season he went 61% with 11/18. If he goes back to practising I'd expect him to come back at 75%+, maybe even back up to 80%.

The other thing people are talking about here is defence. CHT is a good defender and easily had the best points difference of any of our halves in 2024. He also had the best winning %. If he didn't fuck up a couple of those kicks, he would be by far the stand out half results wise.

View attachment 9742

In saying all this I think we have plenty of adequate goal kickers in the squad. The only one who has left is Johnson. I'm hoping Tuaupiki is in the line up more next season, but there's a good 3 or 4 others who should be able to kick around 75% if not.

Also I'm not even saying CHT should be in the starting squad, but seeing as there will probably be injuries, I'd be happy for him to fill in.

I like CHT for his grit and D but unless he string together blinders or consistent 7/10 games he's a depth player handy to fill in 1-2 games at a time, or if Lussick is gone he might be the No.2 starting hooker (Healey as impact player)

His issue is just, clutch, like DMac is choking exactly like him in the same year for the ABs lol.
I remember before he left watching him unable to convert a golden point/field goal at the death from right in front with no pressure on him.
When he returned he was kicking some nice goals (including a smooth last minute goal against Knights or Raiders at home?)

Then against the Bulldogs under pressure he returned to 2021 field goal mode and couldn't do it twice in great positions set up by AFB and the pack.

Then it got worse with 3 straight missed conversions with 2 next to the posts, from a potential win or a draw to a loss

And again was hoping for a fairytale field goal against the Dolphins when we made a massive comeback with all the energy on our side, and again couldn't do it, then his mate from the other end kicked the winner from 40m out on an angle

I've seen plenty of rugby players missing do or die kicks then come back and kick winners at the death a couple of weeks later, it's satisfying to watch. CHT's story just left it hanging, and I'm not sure if it's worth persisting. Give the job to someone else, it's not fair on him by this point.

Hopefully the other 3 kickers can step up, or if we can recruit someone to get us over the line, the pack deserve better

 

[Leon Black]

I am diametrically opposed to the view of pick the best 13 and train up a kicker
One of your 13 can be wiggled in mainly because he is a kicker
Your maths is a bit arbitrary
The guy who we train up may not kick at 75% what happens if he only kicks at 70% or 71%
And what happens if a decent kicker had kicked at 82%
That’s 6 or 7 more kicks per season

More importantly even accepting your 75 percent vs 80 percent construct the guy with 5 more points will be clutch when It really matters while the 5 points less guy inconsistent and maybe unreliable in a play off game.

Tannah Boyd kicked at 83 percent on your chart. Just saying

Only thing going for him, not NRL standard as a no.7. Headless chook and doesn’t mind the odd kick out on the full.

 

[Wrighty]

And if we didn't lose the games we did we would have finished in first place.... It happened. You cant just dismiss it.

I went back and looked at our season, Only on 4 occasions out of 24 games played did the opposition score more than 30 points on the Warriors. In the other 20 matches we defended solidly or averagely.

I think we were ok defensively and that our issues were offence. And goaf kicking. CHT makes 75% all his drop goals and conversions and we would have been in the top 8.
We finished 9th out of 17 teams for total points conceded on the NRL ladder. We would have finished higher up in my opinion had our offence been better. Why? Then we would have had repeat sets and been able to run them ragged.
We came 11th for total points scored.
I also think we would have been higher defensively due to a reason not connected to tackling or defensive reads or attitude and muscling up. I think our discipline in the ruck was poor and we gave away at least 40 piggy back penalties for lying on the ruck.

I went and counted Tigers. They gave away more than 30 points on 10 occasions compared to our 4 occasions.

I have also thought a lot about it. And two months ago you quoted Andrew Johns to me "Defence is the most important thing"

Johns last played in 2007.

The game has moved on. Particularly in the last 4 years with the six again rule. Now it is about getting a roll on and getting repeat sets after a try and scoring again. The goal is to have one part of the game where you have the pill exclusively for 7 to 8 minutes and socre 3 to 4 tries and bury them. It is all about momentum in the game now.

 

[John Nick]

I went back and looked at our season, Only on 4 occasions out of 24 games played did the opposition score more than 30 points on the Warriors. In the other 20 matches we defended solidly or averagely.

I think we were ok defensively and that our issues were offence. And goaf kicking. CHT makes 75% all his drop goals and conversions and we would have been in the top 8.
We finished 9th out of 17 teams for total points conceded on the NRL ladder. We would have finished higher up in my opinion had our offence been better. Why? Then we would have had repeat sets and been able to run them ragged.
We came 11th for total points scored.
I also think we would have been higher defensively due to a reason not connected to tackling or defensive reads or attitude and muscling up. I think our discipline in the ruck was poor and we gave away at least 40 piggy back penalties for lying on the ruck.

I went and counted Tigers. They gave away more than 30 points on 10 occasions compared to our 4 occasions.

I have also thought a lot about it. And two months ago you quoted Andrew Johns to me "Defence is the most important thing"

Johns last played in 2007.

The game has moved on. Particularly in the last 4 years with the six again rule. Now it is about getting a roll on and getting repeat sets after a try and scoring again. The goal is to have one part of the game where you have the pill exclusively for 7 to 8 minutes and socre 3 to 4 tries and bury them. It is all about momentum in the game now.

Certainly has changed a lot.
Players need to be faster and more agile and less bulky than ever in the past.
One thing that hasn't changed is determination

 

[Wrighty]

Everyone has written off CHT because he missed a couple of bad goals. The thing is he might not have practised in a few years, as he was away from the game and was probably the 5th in line kicker going into 2024 (behind Johnson, Pompey, Metcalfe, and Tuaupiki). Barnett hasn't kicked since 2021 and he wasn't lining up to take a shot, but CHT hadn't really kicked since 2020 in NRL games.

Prior to this season CHT actually had a really good GK%, I saw a stat during this season how he was in the top % (at the time). Going in to 2024 he was on 81%, with 52/64. This season he went 61% with 11/18. If he goes back to practising I'd expect him to come back at 75%+, maybe even back up to 80%.

The other thing people are talking about here is defence. CHT is a good defender and easily had the best points difference of any of our halves in 2024. He also had the best winning %. If he didn't fuck up a couple of those kicks, he would be by far the stand out half results wise.

View attachment 9742

In saying all this I think we have plenty of adequate goal kickers in the squad. The only one who has left is Johnson. I'm hoping Tuaupiki is in the line up more next season, but there's a good 3 or 4 others who should be able to kick around 75% if not.

Also I'm not even saying CHT should be in the starting squad, but seeing as there will probably be injuries, I'd be happy for him to fill in.

Unless you wat to risk CHT being psychologically harmed by missing more easy kicks and getting attacked online brutally then we shouldn't put him into any more kicking situations. Racist shit was getting said. And he is highly likely to miss again because those mental memories as flashbacks now. I don't want to see him self harm himself. And we were getting close to that based on his close to Catatonic trance he went into at full time against the raiders. Yes he could bounce back and redeem himself but if he misses yet again without any embellishment I would have him under suicide watch after the match if I were Cameron George.
It is not the human correct thing to let him kick anymore. Ever.

 

[Teets]

I went back and looked at our season, Only on 4 occasions out of 24 games played did the opposition score more than 30 points on the Warriors. In the other 20 matches we defended solidly or averagely.

I have also thought a lot about it. And two months ago you quoted Andrew Johns to me "Defence is the most important thing"

Johns last played in 2007.

The game has moved on.

While I don't disagree with your assertion that good offense feeds into good defence at all, using 30 points for your cut off is interesting. A solid NRL defensive team would be holding teams under 20-22 points imo.

And the obvious counter point to defence not being the most important part of the game is the best defensive team in the NRL era is about to challenge for it's 4th straight chip with a really good but not amazing attack.

 

[Wrighty]

While I don't disagree with your assertion that good offense feeds into good defence at all, using 30 points for your cut off is interesting. A solid NRL defensive team would be holding teams under 20-22 points imo.

And the obvious counter point to defence not being the most important part of the game is the best defensive team in the NRL era is about to challenge for it's 4th straight chip with a really good but not amazing attack.

Ok I will repeat the analysis for 23 points and above. Give me a bit.

 

[Wrighty]

While I don't disagree with your assertion that good offense feeds into good defence at all, using 30 points for your cut off is interesting. A solid NRL defensive team would be holding teams under 20-22 points imo.

And the obvious counter point to defence not being the most important part of the game is the best defensive team in the NRL era is about to challenge for it's 4th straight chip with a really good but not amazing attack.

2024​
Team	>23 points conceded
Warriors	11​
Tigers	15​
Panthers	3​

Hmm - interesting numbers. I may owe Inruin an apology based on that cut.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

And the obvious counter point to defence not being the most important part of the game is the best defensive team in the NRL era is about to challenge for it's 4th straight chip with a really good but not amazing attack.

Panthers :

2024 6th best attack
2023 Best attack
2022 2nd best attack
2021 4th best attack

Still a pretty stacked attacking team. I think it supports the theory that players conditioning transfers into both attack AND defence.

 

[Wrighty]

Panthers :

2024 6th best attack
2023 Best attack
2022 2nd best attack
2021 4th best attack

Still a pretty stacked attacking team. I think it supports the theory that players conditioning transfers into both attack AND defence.

They would have been higher in 2024 had Cleary not been injured.

 

[Playdaball]

Rumour:
Warriors chasing Briton Nikora - ex Ngāruawāhia Panther.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Rumour:
Warriors chasing Briton Nikora - ex Ngāruawāhia Panther.

This is for 2026 when he is free or are we trying to get him early?

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Rumour:
Warriors chasing Briton Nikora - ex Ngāruawāhia Panther.

Would make sense - Sharks need to free up cap space to hold onto Trindall