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	Tanah Boyd	✔	✔
6	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔
7	Erin Clark	✔	✔	✔
8	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
9	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
10	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
11	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔
12	Morgan Harper	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
24	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
28	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Fatialofa	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Luke Hanson	S
S4	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	S	✔	✔
S5	Sio Kali	S
S6	Patrick Moimoi	S
-	Kahu Capper	T	T
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Motu Pasikala	T	✔	✔

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 28/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 23/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tanner Stowers-Smith

---

This thread is solely for Warriors recruitment and retention discussion. Any posts not related to the above will be deleted.

Repeat offenders will have their access to this page limited.

Please be mindful of what you are posting in this thread before clicking the reply button. Zero Tolerance to offtopic chat.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Love Dal, but didn't need to give him two more years.

 

[Billyspleen75]

When RTS' contract expires end of 2026, Pasikala and Kali will have just turned 21.
Then for 2027, you have one of Pasikala and Kali starting, with DWZ on the other wing. If Kali and Pasikala are both good enough, then they will both start and DWZ will be very handy depth.

 

[Fufu]

DWZ two year extension. Really like this re-signing. Will be on a greatly reduced deal, (he was coming off 800k), still a fantastic finisher & has found a home in Auckland. Real mana man in our group, and his finishing is up there with the best in the comp.

We’re locking up a lot of off contract nov1 available guys. Off contract November 1:

Bunty
Ale
Ford
Tohu
Kosi
TMM
CNK
Pompey
Tuaupiki
Walker

Bunty 200k
Ale
Ford 200k
Tohu
Kosi 120k
TMM
CNK
Pompey 200k
Tuaupiki
Walker 500k

Could save a bit of cash by replacing these guys with juniors on the minimum and resigning the rest.

Still enough cash for one of Mulitalo or Nikora?

 

[CWC]

When RTS' contract expires end of 2026, Pasikala and Kali will have just turned 21.
Then for 2027, you have one of Pasikala and Kali starting, with DWZ on the other wing. If Kali and Pasikala are both good enough, then they will both start and DWZ will be very handy depth.

or both could lock down the starting spots for 2028 for their prime years

They're already going to get FG development next year with old man Roger, DWZ needs maintenance at times, and MTG is rumored to be gone. Unless Webby keeps using Kosi ahead of those 2.

 

[John Nick]

Love Dal, but didn't need to give him two more years.

Agreed but if he demanded 2 years and we had no better options.
If we have better options what are they??

 

[Iridescent]

Agreed but if he demanded 2 years and we had no better options.
If we have better options what are they??

I don't see any, he is still by far the best finisher in the team and one of the best in the comp.

I'm happy with the extension.

 

[John Nick]

I don't see any, he is still by far the best finisher in the team and one of the best in the comp.

I'm happy with the extension.

On reflection we have made the only viable decision

 

[Iridescent]

On reflection we have made the only viable decision

Especially considering how many injuries we go through, the young guys will get a chance but definitely don't want to be putting all our eggs in that basket.

 

[tajhay]

Walker 500k

Add another 200k ontop and you would be closer. He is one of the highest paid utility/bench players in the game.

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Agreed but if he demanded 2 years and we had no better options.
If we have better options what are they??

You don’t see too many effective 32 year old wingers is all, but if the young guys can’t chase him out of the team by then, they won’t be worth waiting on

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Would rather have a junior promotion than RTS.
Not a winger imo. We must have better options coming through

Who?

 

[Warriorsfan92]

You don’t see too many effective 32 year old wingers is all, but if the young guys can’t chase him out of the team by then, they won’t be worth waiting on

Kyle feldt 32
Daniel tupou 33
Jordan rapana 35

They’re not world beaters but they do a job. The reality is, we have already lost Marcelo & the next cab off the rank is a rookie with no nrl experience

 

[John Nick]

Kyle feldt 32
Daniel tupou 33
Jordan rapana 35

They’re not world beaters but they do a job. The reality is, we have already lost Marcelo & the next cab off the rank is a rookie with no nrl experience

The reason for the resigning of DWZ I presume

 

[Blain]

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.

 

[Playdaball]

Is Paulie Roache off to Brisbane?

 

[Noitall]

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.

I’m still in awe of him the way he has no concern for his body in early set hit ups just like he did back then

 

[Jonesy69]

Is Paulie Roache off to Brisbane?

Source?

 

[Neo]

Is Paulie Roache off to Brisbane?

You wouldn’t think for NRL opportunities as the Broncos have an abundance of hookers. The Dolphins?

 

[run_it_str8_again]

he ain't gonna get any quicker and he ain't going to improve his reads on defence.

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?

 

[run_it_str8_again]

DWZ signed for TWO more years??!!

When SJ deteriorated. So did his try scoring rate