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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[Noitall]

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

View attachment 9824

Feel like he’s in for that either way. Would like to think there’s a connection to NZ too being born here and the potential to pave his own way

 

[MrFrankWhite]

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

25yr old winger. Probably better defense than DWZ.. Sign him up

 

[Makasene]

Feel like he’s in for that either way. Would like to think there’s a connection to NZ too being born here and the potential to pave his own way

He's definitely in for it but as many pointed out. There were obvious reasons why Ivan would ship his son off.

 

[JaggedJ]

Warriors fans: We need to sign "Insert random NPC player who had a random good game"

Also Warriors fans: Dude can't make the AB's - fuck em.

 

[Worried2Death]

Warriors fans: We need to sign "Insert random NPC player who had a random good game"

Also Warriors fans: Dude can't make the AB's - fuck em.

We've got Groucho Marx syndrome. If someone wants to join our club, our first suspicion is there must be something wrong with them.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

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

View attachment 9824

Well when he steps onto Mt Smart he's still Nathan's brother

 

[CWC]

Well when he steps onto Mt Smart he's still Nathan's brother

Bangwagoners will think he’s that 4x premier legend like Richie Mo’unga and be like WTF

 

[run_it_str8_again]

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.

That's actually how I would like to see the team managed. Think of how ragged Charnze has been this season. How many games would we ideally have had Shaun play and which games and what point of the season? How do we get our best possible team on the field at the right times and how do we use the wider squad to try to win the boring and should be easy but we bananas skin them?

 

[CWC]

Soon some will be begging for Laumape’s signature lol. Off season anxiety

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Development is key. It's just not instant like people like their noodles

 

[CWC]

That's actually how I would like to see the team managed. Think of how ragged Charnze has been this season. How many games would we ideally have had Shaun play and which games and what point of the season? How do we get our best possible team on the field at the right times and how do we use the wider squad to try to win the boring and should be easy but we bananas skin them?

I think that’s how Charnz got injured before the season started this year, full on 2023 NRL, 3 international games then a month of rest then time to pull his hammy. Hope the Kiwis get knocked out early this year and JFH, Charnz etc return less exhausted

No wonder they managed JFH’s minutes to 45-55min per game, this yr, he played 2023 season, 3 playoff games and 3 Pacific games, Webby needs to roll out his players like a top team rotating minutes and not AFB everyone till they bust their nuts

 

[CWC]

Would be so weird to bring back SJ after a month of hype and emotions, ceremonies to farewell him, surely there is a Maloney or someone up and coming wanting opportunities come over for a couple of seasons

 

[mrblonde]

He's definitely in for it but as many pointed out. There were obvious reasons why Ivan would ship his son off.

Growing up out of the limelight: Refer to my previous comments about the number of times we play the 8PM/6PM Friday game, who's watching those in Australia, if you're not a fan of the Warriors opposition or an NRL Tragic like me who has to watch every game every weekend?
Relative lack of expectations: Yes, he's got Cleary as his surname. Jerome had Ropati as his surname. Didn't seem to turn him into a super-duper player, did it? Maybe Bayley Sironin is a better example but whatever, Jett still has to do the hard metres/training etc as himself. And maybe he prove himself to not really be worthy of being an NRL half like his big bro is, which may end up with some people saying "Not as good as your brother!", but he turns into a brilliant hooker...

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Would be so weird to bring back SJ after a month of hype and emotions, ceremonies to farewell him, surely there is a Maloney or someone up and coming wanting opportunities come over for a couple of seasons

I'd be saying to Jonah Pezet if he wants, 700k a year on a 3 year deal and guaranteed starting spot behind a big pack with a crafty dummy half combo. If you want to leave afterwards, take your GF ring with ya and feek off!

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Any one keen on Kai Pearce-Paul? Will test the market and is currently on $600k, if we're also currently looking at Nikora I'd be considering this guy too actually.
Imagine this tall rangy backrower offloading to Ali who's one on one with his centre.... Only 23 atm too, and being from the UK he'd be used to shit weather so Auckland wouldn't be that bad

 

[Wrighty]

He's a very good player in my view (Pearce-Paul) Not convinced we need him as much as we need a half.

 

[Inruin]

Any one keen on Kai Pearce-Paul? Will test the market and is currently on $600k, if we're also currently looking at Nikora I'd be considering this guy too actually. Only 23 atm too, and being from the UK he'd be used to shit weather so Auckland wouldn't be that bad

Yes! In fact I'd probably take him over Nikora. Still developing, big upside, damaging runner of the ball, exactly what our back row currently lacks and a good complement to Capewah.

 

[Leon Black]

Any one keen on Kai Pearce-Paul? Will test the market and is currently on $600k, if we're also currently looking at Nikora I'd be considering this guy too actually.
Imagine this tall rangy backrower offloading to Ali who's one on one with his centre.... Only 23 atm too, and being from the UK he'd be used to shit weather so Auckland wouldn't be that bad

Yep I’d take him over Nikora… SBW vibes at times.

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Gee, poor Knights if they lose Thompson, Pearce-Paul, Saifiti, and gain Lodge. The full PoS, Moses, SoS effect coming soon no doubt, and they are getting Blair!

 

[Zaggo]

Jerome had Ropati as his surname. Didn't seem to turn him into a super-duper player, did it?

Gee this forum has bloody high expectations of what constitutes a good career. Jerome Ropati won a World Cup playing for his country, and you're using him as an example of a dud!

Same with people acting like Stevenson is a dropkick because he only played for the ABs once.

Talk about a high bloody bar!