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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[Noitall]

We don't seem to have an eye for or the development of a great winger that ticks enough boxes. If that continues we would have to develop our middle platform to stay at recent form to get us up field. Good edges and centres who can feed our Kmart branded wingers.

Feel like we’ve used the Vatuvei type winger for so long that we use early in sets for carries. Probably more in the prop mould when you consider Vatuvei or Maumalo, though Maumalo more lumbering. We still do it with DWZ and did with Montoya but their frame is slighter. They still hit the line hard though, just offer a bit more pace than the previous holders of the position

 

[JustVisiting82]

Used to be an edge of SJ, Tohu, Hiku, Fus and we swapped Tohu and Hiku to the other side. Was weird.

I am not 100% on this but it may have been the year that they decided Kata should be on the right because he can pass better that way, hence triggering them to move Hiku to the left. Not sure why they moved Tohu, maybe just to keep a combination with Hiku. It was also the first season after SJ went to the Sharks so they already lost a key piece in the successful 2018 try scoring edge.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Ezra is so shit, wouldn’t touch him.

 

[~Navigator~]

Come on ppl someone must have seen a guy in a warriors shirt talking to a big someone at the airport that could be our new recruit,
My blind neighbours deaf dog told me something is about to happen.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Ezra is so shit, wouldn’t touch him.

Bit more context would be nice bro!? Lol. What have you heard?

 

[JaggedJ]

Bit more context would be nice bro!? Lol. What have you heard?

Not a thing. He's virtually a choir boy who would never fail a drug test and drive without a license resulting in a car accident.

And don't let anyone try and tell you otherwise.

 

[PhilsySH35]

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

gotta be a dumbass not able to defend your opposite winger having the sideline as an advantage, I mean how hard is to count your winger in, and stay man on man, seen a couple of defenders dummy tackle inside man, pretend they're going to tackle the center and then actually hit the winger or vice versa pretend going to tackle winger then hit the center. I've done that a few times in touch and hold sucked in a few wingers, jez dal gets sucked in so many times this year.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

gotta be a dumbass not able to defend your opposite winger having the sideline as an advantage, I mean how hard is to count your winger in, and stay man on man, seen a couple of defenders dummy tackle inside man, pretend they're going to tackle the center and then actually hit the winger or vice versa pretend going to tackle winger then hit the center. I've done that a few times in touch and hold sucked in a few wingers, jez dal gets sucked in so many times this year.

Jeeze you should be a coach with those kinda gems

Someone call Webby, quick!

 

[CWC]

Personally I don't want our club to be a rehabilitation centre for Australian junkies eh

So much desperation for JAC & now Mam, guys, we couldn't even handle Mrs AFB's brownies

 

[chrisnz]

Nene Mcdonald said he ready for an nrl return looked really good for png and stats from super leauge look promising would be worth a look

 

[Ref]

Nene Mcdonald said he ready for an nrl return looked really good for png and stats from super leauge look promising would be worth a look

Where would you play him that isn’t log jammed already.

 

[chrisnz]

Where would you play him that isn’t log jammed already.

Wing ? Upgrade on kosi

 

[Completion Rate]

gotta be a dumbass not able to defend your opposite winger having the sideline as an advantage, I mean how hard is to count your winger in, and stay man on man, seen a couple of defenders dummy tackle inside man, pretend they're going to tackle the center and then actually hit the winger or vice versa pretend going to tackle winger then hit the center. I've done that a few times in touch and hold sucked in a few wingers, jez dal gets sucked in so many times this year.

I've defended plenty at both center and wing and Jesus it shits me when they try too hard to use the sideline. Just tackle the player instead of trying to drag/push them into touch it's not that hard strong contact should take them over anyway. Man on man defense requires inside man (2rf) to work but that should be expected. Dallin gets turned around usually because he gets too far up in the line looking for a chancy intercept which is playing stupid - he's not fast enough to do that and cover his man.
All that said, Dallin resigning should be seen as a stop-gap while we wait for some young cheap wheels to come through the juniors.

 

[John Nick]

I've defended plenty at both center and wing and Jesus it shits me when they try too hard to use the sideline. Just tackle the player instead of trying to drag/push them into touch it's not that hard strong contact should take them over anyway. Man on man defense requires inside man (2rf) to work but that should be expected. Dallin gets turned around usually because he gets too far up in the line looking for a chancy intercept which is playing stupid - he's not fast enough to do that and cover his man.
All that said, Dallin resigning should be seen as a stop-gap while we wait for some young cheap wheels to come through the juniors.

Very true and I always thought that centre was the hardest position to play particularly in defence.

 

[Dannevegas]

Nene Mcdonald said he ready for an nrl return looked really good for png and stats from super leauge look promising would be worth a look

Would take him if he wasn’t 30, we have enough 30 year olds already

 

[Makasene]

I only recall Fus playing on the right (as early as 2014 in our last win in Melbourne)

Hiku and Kata changed sides in 2019 and Herbert moved ahead of Kata into starting very early in that season.

 

[Kav1]

I can see DWZ being NRL standard in 2 years, the 3rd might be pushing it. I just hoped we would have someone young and exciting there to replace him before then. He's a highly rated guy in the camp, people forget he was Kiwi's captain several years back.

At fullback where he excelled as he did when playing against the Dolphins this season.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Nene Mcdonald said he ready for an nrl return looked really good for png and stats from super leauge look promising would be worth a look

Looked hella impressive. Still got speed and is huge lol. 30? Maybe worth a look at as backup.

 

[tajhay]

Nene Mcdonald said he ready for an nrl return looked really good for png and stats from super leauge look promising would be worth a look

What a weird thing to say for him considering he signed a 4 year contract last year.

He has some history with off field issues. Remember he was cut for hiring a car and then getting into an accident and then dumping it around magnetic island lol. Also recall a time he was cut/dropped for repeatedly being late for training.

Yeah and hes 30.

 

[Defence]

Nene is a genuine strike weapon- he had some bad injuries though and just never looked fit (till the other night )
I dont hate it tbh- it would have to be minimum wage stuff though to make the risk worth taking.
On his day he’s a beast.
Do we really need another outside back? We have heaps of center and fullback cover but wing still looks pretty thin. Couple of young ones coming through but not quite there- he could possibly bridge the gap.
Probably looking to return to oz anyway.