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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[peewee]

Wouldn’t call him a failed player, he’s had a decent career- just can’t crack the ABs in a traditionally strong position. I’d be more annoyed if our recruitment wasn’t exploring all avenues for potential players. Beggars can’t really be choosers when Ed Kosi is the next cab up…

Everybody is wondering this and wondering that.
Warriors are so slow at signing or even looking at anyone.
Though just thinking, If we wait long enough we will be able to pick up all the scraps that are left behind.
Absolute Bullshit by the recruitment staff.
Could of solved a wing spot with JAC, nah just let some other club have him.

 

[Noitall]

Whens Bunty to Eels going to be announced?

Could there be potential that he could go to knights as part of getting Leo Thompson early? Can recall recently seeing that knights were another club linked to Bunty

 

[cock_o]

Could there be potential that he could go to knights as part of getting Leo Thompson early? Can recall recently seeing that knights were another club linked to Bunty

How good would that be

 

[Noitall]

How good would that be

If you were a club wanting to pass on a good work ethic to younger players and depth with plenty of nrl experience, Bunty would be a great pickup

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Why do Warriors management seem intent on "releasing" the more personable and therefore more influential players? eg Jazz and now Marcel. I'm worried that this will only weaken the team and raise the strength of other teams they are released to.

Because winning is the highest priority I suppose. We may be sacrificing the energy guys for performance levels. As in we want to win

 

[run_it_str8_again]

This Recruitment Forum is absolutely bored shitless.

It's really not even pre season yet..... yikes

 

[Wrighty]

Ben Hunt's future with Dragons in doubt, Queensland return on the horizon

“They don’t seem overly keen to keep me.”

www.zerotackle.com

Ben Hunt turns 35 in March next year is available for offers for the 2026 season.

Maybe Tookey has a point that we can talk SJ into one more year who is 6 months younger. What about if we offer him a cushy year of ten regular season games max. And find the rest out of CHT/TMM/Metcalf
It will be bad from a building combinations perspective but we always seem to be rotating halves anyway.

 

[SouthernWorrier]

Everybody is wondering this and wondering that.
Warriors are so slow at signing or even looking at anyone.
Though just thinking, If we wait long enough we will be able to pick up all the scraps that are left behind.
Absolute Bullshit by the recruitment staff.
Could of solved a wing spot with JAC, nah just let some other club have him.

....I guess "In Webby we trust" has run it's course then

If anything it seems like they have a plan, they keep it tight, and we find out after the fact. And currently they're moving lads on for roster space ... upgrades for juniors or negotiations underway who knows. JAC would have been an awful pickup. Have some chill mate, next year is our year haha

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Wouldn’t call him a failed player, he’s had a decent career- just can’t crack the ABs in a traditionally strong position. I’d be more annoyed if our recruitment wasn’t exploring all avenues for potential players. Beggars can’t really be choosers when Ed Kosi is the next cab up…

The goal of any NZ rugby player is to play for the AB's. He didn't = failure. I used that descriptor because I wouldnt be opposed to signing the captain of the ABs, but that's about it.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Ben Hunt's future with Dragons in doubt, Queensland return on the horizon

“They don’t seem overly keen to keep me.”

www.zerotackle.com

Ben Hunt turns 35 in March next year is available for offers for the 2026 season.

Maybe Tookey has a point that we can talk SJ into one more year who is 6 months younger. What about if we offer him a cushy year of ten regular season games max. And find the rest out of CHT/TMM/Metcalf
It will be bad from a building combinations perspective but we always seem to be rotating halves anyway.

Having SJ retired but waiting in the wings could be a secret plan B...

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Having SJ retired but waiting in the wings could be a secret plan B...

Do a roosters and bring a super star in for the last half of the season and pay bugger all on the books while he earns heaps for ‘commentating’ while training and managing injuries

Sounds like a cunning plan.

But realistically I think we need to back someone and put all our resources and build combinations around them. Is it time to move on?

 

[sballer7]

The goal of any NZ rugby player is to play for the AB's. He didn't = failure. I used that descriptor because I wouldnt be opposed to signing the captain of the ABs, but that's about it.

He did, once.

 

[Playdaball]

The goal of any NZ rugby player is to play for the AB's. He didn't = failure. I used that descriptor because I wouldnt be opposed to signing the captain of the ABs, but that's about it.

Neither did the likes of NAS, Halligan and Warbrick, Hill - all played at a national / provincial level in rugby union but all were successful in RL.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Neither did the like of NAS, Halligan and Warbrick, Hill - all played at a national / provincial level in rugby union but all were successful in RL.

NAS - wasnt he signed by the Storm at 15? lol
Halligan - go back to the 1800s if you want
Warbrick played every sport there is and played rep AFL before rep rugby
Hill - fucking who?

not a very convincing case mate.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

But realistically I think we need to back someone and put all our resources and build combinations around them. Is it time to move on?

we can actually do both. thats what having SJ retired allows you to do

 

[Playdaball]

NAS - wasnt he signed by the Storm at 15? lol
Halligan - go back to the 1800s if you want
Warbrick played every sport there is and played rep AFL before rep rugby
Hill - fucking who?

not a very convincing case mate.

Maybe before your time, as you’re probably still at school now:
NAS - played Nz Barbarians schoolboys
Halligan - he played for Waikato rugby and went onto to play for Norths and the Bulldogs as well as the Kiwis - great goal kicker
Gavin Hill - played for Wgtn rugby as well as warriors and bulldogs
SJ and Nick Evans played AFL in Nz before playing for their countries

 

[Playdaball]

I’d love to see Bevan French ( Wigan) in a Warriors #6 jersey

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Maybe before your time, as you’re probably still at school now:
NAS - played Nz Barbarians schoolboys
Halligan - he played for Waikato rugby and went onto to play for Norths and the Bulldogs as well as the Kiwis - great goal kicker
Gavin Hill - played for Wgtn rugby as well as warriors and bulldogs
SJ and Nick Evans played AFL in Nz before playing for their countries

Was this meant to counter my argument of not signing failed rugby players? 2 blokes from 1885 and NAS back when he was still a virgin??

 

[Leon Black]

The goal of any NZ rugby player is to play for the AB's. He didn't = failure. I used that descriptor because I wouldnt be opposed to signing the captain of the ABs, but that's about it.

What about no.11 for the AB’s, Caleb Clarke?

 

[Makasene]

As many posited at the time. It would not be fair on Jett to try and come through Penrith.