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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[MrFrankWhite]

They have potential, if we could guarantee their health I wouldn't be too concerned. Not getting us to the top 4 but good enough to get us to the finals. The big issue is they're both fragile, especially Metcalf. We need 1 more half who has played at the NRL level, because they'll almost certainly be thrown in. Last year we had 4 and still had non halves starting for us. Honestly at this point i feel like they should be training up TT or something, because we're a half short.

What about looking at 2026? I think we have a shot if we blood next year

 

[Canonball]

What about looking at 2026? I think we have a shot if we blood next year

That has to be the strategy right? But who do we have in our system that could step up next year? Jett is too young, Hansen seems ok, but would really have to go to another level even to get to servicable in first grade - Like i've said elsewhere I reckon the quickest fix is having Tuaupiki switch, but it's going take more than one off-season to start seeing results ... so if we don't go down that path we need to get someone else in - Puru from Newtown is the guy i'd like.

 

[SJ2k]

What about looking at 2026? I think we have a shot if we blood next year

I like the look of 2026! We'll need Metcalf to really kick on though. Biggest thing is someone needs to be a decent distance kicker like SJ handled in 2023. Was so frustrating this year watching us win the middle game after game, but gain no advantage over other teams getting 20m less on their sets, since our poor kicking game evened it out.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I really think CNK - centre and Taine to FB is on the cards. That gives Webby another kicker and ball player. Then I assume Healy comes into the conversation re 2026.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

That has to be the strategy right? But who do we have in our system that could step up next year? Jett is too young, Hansen seems ok, but would really have to go to another level even to get to servicable in first grade - Like i've said elsewhere I reckon the quickest fix is having Tuaupiki switch, but it's going take more than one off-season to start seeing results ... so if we don't go down that path we need to get someone else in - Puru from Newtown is the guy i'd like.

We have to go with Metcalf and TMM because that who we have.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

So far only Tanner Stowers-Smith and Kalani Going are confirmed on development contract for 2025.
Who else will likely join them?

You only have to have 4 of the 6 spots filled, and it has its own little salary cap so the club will probably look to keep the 160k it would cost to fill those other two spots.

So if I had to guess, I'd say Ieremia and Cleary are the only two players added.

I just find it hard to believe Cleary would have a Dev contract lined up for the following two years and not get that bumped up for this coming season as well. And before anyone @'s me, we had Moimoi, Fokafuka, and Farr all on the list last year, and Roache still played over all of them; it doesn't really mean anything lol

 

[CWC]

Metcalf, Taine, and maybe Pompey train them for long kicks, share the load so they don't end up like CHT losing distance after 3-4 weeks

Even spreading it to DWZ, stretch the D/draw the FB then kick down field might be a tactic to vary it up