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	Kalani Going	S
S2	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: 2/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Development 2025: 3/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 16/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

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

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[cock_o]

So we know
SJ retiring
Jazz money to Clark
Monty $ to Healey?
JFH earns less than AFB
Ford and MTG rumored to be moved on

We definitely have the $ for 1 elite or 2 solid depth players IMO

Wonder Nikora's in talk for 2025 (like Capewell situ last yr) or 2026. We did give AFB to them, but they're the prickly Sharks.

Currently 30 players signed in top 30 squad.
Rumour that 4 players might be moved on:
Bunty (Eels or Knights)
Ford (Sharks)
Kosi (Superleague)
Montoya (Tigers)
So this could open some space and money.

 

[Playdaball]

Shaun Stevenson not named for end of year tour for All Blacks

Roigard returns, Perenara retained as All Blacks make one change for northern tour

Scott Robertson has resisted the urge for major changes to end 2024.

www.nzherald.co.nz

He is in the NZ 2nd XV to Europe which possibly rules him out of switch to RL.

 

[CWC]

Currently 30 players signed in top 30 squad.
Rumour that 4 players might be moved on:
Bunty (Eels or Knights)
Ford (Sharks)
Kosi (Superleague)
Montoya (Tigers)
So this could open some space and money.

Hm where did the Ford/Sharks rumor come from? We could do a deal with them for Nikora for 2025 then

 

[Teets]

He is in the NZ 2nd XV to Europe which possibly rules him out of switch to RL.

If he can't help his NPC team off the bottom end of the table in a sport he's good at, no chance he's going to help the Warriors off the bottom of the table in a sport he's never played anyway.

 

[Damo]

We had AFBs (JFH didn’t take all of it), SJs, Montoyas and tevangas salary’s.

Surely that’s not all gone on Clarke and Healy.

How do you know he didn't take all of it?
Montoya is still signed (officially). Tevaga and SJ are probably covered by those two.
As I said, not much left in the kitty (if any).

 

[Muddogz]

How do you know he didn't take all of it?
Montoya is still signed (officially). Tevaga and SJ are probably covered by those two.
As I said, not much left in the kitty (if any).

We also resigned Barnett as well, I imagine that was a decent pay rise given his form this year.

 

[Defence]

Hasn’t tohus salary been cut in half too?

 

[Aman 2.0]

How do you know he didn't take all of it?
Montoya is still signed (officially). Tevaga and SJ are probably covered by those two.
As I said, not much left in the kitty (if any).

Fish signed for 8something and AFB was one 1.1 million or something.

How’s Montoya signed? He’s signed with the tigers

 

[Gods_17]

How’s Montoya signed? He’s signed with the tigersWah?

How’s Montoya signed? He’s signed with the tigers

Wah? News to me, ah that's sad

 

[Damo]

Fish signed for 8something and AFB was one 1.1 million or something.

How’s Montoya signed? He’s signed with the tigers

How do you know this?

And the Montoya "signing" has not been announced anywhere.

 

[Playdaball]

Montoya has played his last game for the Warriors and in Monty's interview with Egan this evening he let it slip.

 

[Dantheman]

Montoya has played his last game for the Warriors and in Monty's interview with Egan this evening he let it slip.

Anyone got a link?

 

[CWC]

Montoya has played his last game for the Warriors and in Monty's interview with Egan this evening he let it slip.

Is Nikora looking at coming in ‘25 or ‘26? Thx

 

[cock_o]

Is Nikora looking at coming in ‘25 or ‘26? Thx

I doubt that he is even looking at coming. Most likely just a made up rumour.

 

[bobba]

Surely our recruitment team are speaking with Ali L. Need him to Re-sign past next year asap. Love to make it happen before November 1st. He is my number 1 centre next year.

 

[Wellington Warrior]

I didn’t get that from the interview. They were just referring to the aussies that were still part of the team when they came back to NZ after COVID…. one of which was leaving (was AFB).

 

[snake77]

We have a few of our players linked with a move to other clubs. Or their status in question.

Not a lot of confirmation that they are gone.

We may need to wait for pre-season to start and see if they turn up or not. Mind you even then players can start the pre-season at one club and still end up moving. I'm pretty sure that is how it worked out with Ben Murdoch-Masila when he left.

It could also work the other way. We see pictures of them training and ask "who is that guy"?

 

[Playdaball]

Montoya back to the Bulldogs?

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Montoya back to the Bulldogs?

Sounds like it,
View: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1844252683793989966

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Sounds like it,
View: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1844252683793989966

Come on Webby, make the call for a swap with Ado-Carr. Both teams benefit imo