Recruitment Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
-Player20252026202720282029
1Bunty Afoa
2Tom Ale
3Mitchell Barnett
4Rocco Berry
5Tanah Boyd
6Kurt Capewell
7Erin Clark
8Jett ClearySS
9Wayde Egan
10James Fisher-Harris
11Jackson Ford
12Leka Halasima
13Morgan Harper
14Chanel Harris-Tavita
15Sam Healey
16Edward Kosi
17Jacob Laban
18Ali Leiataua
19Jye Linnane
20Freddy Lussick
21Te Maire Martin
22Luke Metcalf
23Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
24Marata Niukore
25Adam Pompey
26Tanner Stowers-Smith
27Taine Tuaupiki
28Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
29Demitric Vaimauga
30Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
S1Kayliss FatialofaS
S2Kalani GoingS
S3Luke HansonS
S4Eddie Ieremia-ToeavaS
S5Sio KaliS
S6Patrick MoimoiS
-Kahu CapperTT
-Morgan Gannon-
-Haizyn Mellars
-Motu PasikalaT??
C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Top 30 2026: 29/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos), Haizyn Mellars (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
2026 Losses: Edward Kosi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper
Can negotiate with other clubs from Nov 1, 2025 (Entering final year) 🐻: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck



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A little outside the box thinking and a bit high risk/high reward.

Charnz is getting on, and will be 30 at the end of next year. I'm guessing he's on about 500k or so.

We're likely losing Montoya at the end of this year, and would be on around 350k (ball park guess)

What about resigning CNK on a smaller contract (350k - Montoya's money) and then make a big play for Cobbo, offering him a cool mill to play full back. We're struggling to find better halves than what we have currently, but having a game breaking player from the back would ultimately help our game. He'd essentially get SJs money from this year, so we wouldn't have to move anyone on. Another year on for our juniors and out backline could look like this in 2026:

1. Cobbo
2. DWZ
3. Ali
4. Rocco/CNK
5. RTS
6. LM
7. TMM

I like Cobbo but I'm not a huge fan of him if in honest. I just think as a 22 year old who's already played 70 NRL games and 2 years for QLD would be a pretty decent asset and could build the club around him for the next 10 yrs
Was looking at an article yesterday titled every clubs biggest flight risk. Ours was CNK. Could he go and earn more in his last few seasons or is he home with his family to stay?
 

NZWarriors.com

What lol surely this is parody. Watch Souths make the top 8 next year, and his record for player development is only rivalled by Bellamy imo.

He turned isaako from a reserve grader at the broncos back to an international player. Plath will play origin in the next years, denveloped under Bennett. Te whare was a groundsman who made his nrl debut & is now the qld cup final.

He’s also taken a brand new count one game from the top 8 in 2 years, losing 3 of his best players in Aitken, flegler & Gilbert. Take yeo, fisher Harris & Martin out of the panthers pack and they’re a completely different side. I think you’re underselling what Bennett has done.
Yes, I should clarify.

I’m referring solely to the point made that “if a player pick is good for Wayne then it’s good for me” comment - for which I most certainly disagree.

Stevenson could quite possibly remain as (un)successful as Te Whare to be specific.

Did a good job with Dolphins, will do a great job at Souths, due mainly to the fact there’s a decent roster there.

I think sometimes we gloss straight over the Knights and Dolphins records being poor and construct copious amounts of reasons why.

Facts are there has been nominal success for Wayne since the Dragons GF win and if he was a player talent identifier of the ilk many hold him up to be - he would have enjoyed more success as a result of his Coaching expertise.

That hopefully, clarifies the point I’m tabling.
 
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That's exactly why I have thought any chat is BS. He'll be 28 soon, why would he play NRL for a cheap deal when he can go get 4 times that in Japan.
Do u think this is still true?
I remember this was discussed on the old site and it turned out there was really only a handful of guys in Japanese and European rugby on big money and they were the elite- the majority were on pretty modest deals.
The average nrl salary was much higher than any other rugby competition in the world.
 
Do u think this is still true?
I remember this was discussed on the old site and it turned out there was really only a handful of guys in Japanese and European rugby on big money and they were the elite- the majority were on pretty modest deals.
The average nrl salary was much higher than any other rugby competition in the world.
Article came out today about Joseph Manu having no interest in playing super rugby. Maybe there’s a lot of players with the same attitude? Guilty of not actually reading the article so don’t know the exact context
 
Do u think this is still true?
I remember this was discussed on the old site and it turned out there was really only a handful of guys in Japanese and European rugby on big money and they were the elite- the majority were on pretty modest deals.
The average nrl salary was much higher than any other rugby competition in the world.
Yeah if your not in the all blacks you'd only have to find around 300K to get them a wee payrise. If he sucks he isn't going to stick around, would just go to Japan.

But would have to play fullback, NRL teams just want their wingers to run into brick walls and finish in the corner, that's not him. But what's the point if we have 3 guys already who can argue for the FB spot.
 
because its all about a payday and supplementing his league income. he will be back to roosters at the end of the japan union season.
Many like RTS are keen to crack the All Blacks. I thought with him going to a club with Ian Foster, Steve Hanson and Aaron Smith that there was a genuine interest there
 
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