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: 19/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

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

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[Mr. Brownstone]

When SJ deteriorated. So did his try scoring rate

Remember when Fusitua switched sides with Maumalo, complete reversal in try scoring frequency, fairly sure at least one of them got most tries in the NRL. I’m not overly happy about DWZ resigning, massive defensive liability.

 

[John Nick]

Remember when Fusitua switched sides with Maumalo, complete reversal in try scoring frequency, fairly sure at least one of them got most tries in the NRL. I’m not overly happy about DWZ resigning, massive defensive liability.

Who would you prefer

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Who would you prefer

I know right , We have /had Montoya, DWZ , RTS, Kosi. Everyone of them were massive defensive liabilities. DWZ runs it back the hardest & has more speed than all of them. Still finds the tryline better than anybody.

Happy to see him being re-signed. Him and Rocco had a good partnership going on for a while there.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Who would you prefer

I’d probably have kept Montoya over him. Never been a fan, great finisher but that’s not even half the game of being a winger.

I’ll go further and say that in my opinion, the Panthers releasing DWZ was one of the key decisions that turned that club around. No premiership winning team would have a turnstile like him on the wing.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

I’d probably have kept Montoya over him. Never been a fan, great finisher but that’s not even half the game of being a winger.

I’ll go further and say that in my opinion, the Panthers releasing DWZ was one of the key decisions that turned that club around. No premiership winning team would have a turnstile like him on the wing.

Marcello Montoya
Tackles Made
77
Missed Tackles
21
Tackle Efficiency
78.6 percent

Dallin Watene Zelezniack
Tackles Made
125
Missed Tackles
32
Tackle Efficiency
79.6 percent

Dallin missed 11 more tackles, But made 48 more than Montz.
2024 - 22 games played
Tries
15
Try Assists
2
Line Breaks
14
Tackle Breaks
76
Average run metres
149
Total run metres
3282

Montoya 2024 19 games
Tries
8
Attack
Try Assists
1
Line Breaks
11
Tackle Breaks
67
Average running metres
126
Total runs
2403

I liked Monty. But It's not even a debate. We kept the better winger.

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Marcello Montoya
Tackles Made
77
Missed Tackles
21
Tackle Efficiency
78.6 percent

Dallin Watene Zelezniack
Tackles Made
125
Missed Tackles
32
Tackle Efficiency
79.6 percent

Dallin missed 11 more tackles, But made 48 more than Montz.
2024 - 22 games played
Tries
15
Try Assists
2
Line Breaks
14
Tackle Breaks
76
Average run metres
149
Total run metres
3282

Montoya 2024 19 games
Tries
8
Attack
Try Assists
1
Line Breaks
11
Tackle Breaks
67
Average running metres
126
Total runs
2403

I liked Monty. But It's not even a debate. We kept the better winger.

I'm not really interested in a debate on who is the better winger, but missed tackles is not a tell all statistic for wingers because you have to be marking the opposite winger to miss them. So often wingers leave their opposite unmarked. DWZ more than many.

 

[JustVisiting82]

Remember when Fusitua switched sides with Maumalo, complete reversal in try scoring frequency, fairly sure at least one of them got most tries in the NRL.

I don't think they ever switched sides - rather it was Hiku that switched from right to left centre from one year to the next. He played inside Fus in his big try scoring year and then inside Ken in his big year - said a lot about his ability to set up the outside man.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

I don't think they ever switched sides - rather it was Hiku that switched from right to left centre from one year to the next. He played inside Fus in his big try scoring year and then inside Ken in his big year - said a lot about his ability to set up the outside man.

Yeah you could be right, it might have been Hiku switching. In any case, SJ has made a lot of wingers look a million dollars.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Marcello Montoya
Tackles Made
77
Missed Tackles
21
Tackle Efficiency
78.6 percent

Dallin Watene Zelezniack
Tackles Made
125
Missed Tackles
32
Tackle Efficiency
79.6 percent

Dallin missed 11 more tackles, But made 48 more than Montz.
2024 - 22 games played
Tries
15
Try Assists
2
Line Breaks
14
Tackle Breaks
76
Average run metres
149
Total run metres
3282

Montoya 2024 19 games
Tries
8
Attack
Try Assists
1
Line Breaks
11
Tackle Breaks
67
Average running metres
126
Total runs
2403

I liked Monty. But It's not even a debate. We kept the better winger.

I’m not upset Montoya has gone, I don’t really rate either highly. Not a fan of RTS either, I’m just a downer on our current outside backs.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

I'm not really interested in a debate on who is the better winger, but missed tackles is not a tell all statistic for wingers because you have to be marking the opposite winger to miss them. So often wingers leave their opposite unmarked. DWZ more than many.

I'm not debating with you. Im saying Monty was as bad if not worse than Dallin. If you're going to have 2 useless defenders I'd at least keep the better attacking weapon. Which is Dallin

 

[Vancent]

I'm not debating with you. Im saying Monty was as bad if not worse than Monty. If you're going to have 2 useless defenders I'd at least keep the better attacking weapon. Which is Dallin

Yeah bro but Monty has always been as bad if not worse than Monty….

 

[Zahnos06]

If we get the rest of the team sorted from forward platform to halves and centres execution.... he could stroll over for most of his tries.

About his defensive reads... Perhaps he should be fullback....? That's actually a question. Would he be a better defensive and attacking weapon from fullback? CNK to centre? Rocco any good as a wing?

I think Rocco to wing is a option, good speed just needs some open space to show his goods.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

I’m not upset Montoya has gone, I don’t really rate either highly. Not a fan of RTS either, I’m just a downer on our current outside backs.

Mate, I'm a bit depressed on the same subject - our wingers - lol. Rts is not the answer. Dallin can defend. But he never trusts his insides. When Rocco was going gang busters is when we saw the best of Dallin defensively. And he likes the odd lazy shit tackle. I was meh either way if we kept or lost him. We def need some bitch be gone speed on the other side.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Yeah bro but Monty has always been as bad if not worse than Monty….

Fuck slip a lil edit in there

 

[Inruin]

Yeah bro but Monty has always been as bad if not worse than Monty….

To be fair he has also been as good if not better than Monty as well

 

[Inruin]

Dallin can defend.

Link?

 

[PNG Kiwi]

What about the young Fijian we had who lead the sand dune challenge didn't he make an appearance for their sevens team and was reported to go all in?

 

[Playdaball]

Source?

It was a question?

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Link?

View: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=699389613942944&vanity=NRLonNine

 

[WahsaurusRex]

There will be 6 regular starting wingers in the NRL next year *who will be 30 or older, and we account for two of them, and of the other four, two are about to be kicked to the curb by their clubs

For me, it's not the idea of extending him that is the issue, its that we would do it for two years, before preseason has even started, when he still has a year to run.. Who were we possibly afraid of competing with? Some team in the Super League?? Catalans wing situation is sorted, so it's not like the allure of southern France is on the table anymore.

*edit: age