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	Tanah Boyd	S	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	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: 3/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Development 2025: 4/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 20/30
Confirmed Development 2026: 2/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

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

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[MrFrankWhite]

News corp Aus
Suggesting NZW may be interested in Josiah Pahulu
Plays for the Titans as a prop
He is a goodie watched him come through over the last 18months.
Was school captain at his school in Ipswich.
Born in Nz but grew up in Qld
Good player good prop suggests Titans have cap pressures.

Love the club targeting these younger guys

 

[Riz]

MrFrankWhite do you sometimes go by an alias of Dutchie?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

MrFrankWhite do you sometimes go by an alias of Dutchie?

Nope, served with a ginger called Dutchie though

 

[kos]

On Thursday titans forum said there was a newscorp article mentioning Pahulu was nearly extended, but they were concerned with nothing on Jojo Fifita who they really want to hold onto also. Interesting if true at our end that we are in fact interested in a prop. Titans see him as a lock, could we be looking at him as a replacement for Tohu when he hangs his boots up?

Bugger it
Let’s sign up Pahulu and Jojo Fifita
What’s the titans forum internet name
I think I looked at it years ago or maybe another version
I think we have our own young guys coming through that can replace Tohu
Tom Ale?

 

[Noitall]

Daily Telegraph
WHALE OF A DEAL FOR JONAH

The Storm and rising halfback Jonah Pezet are locked in delicate talks which could see the 21-year-old follow the path of teammate Harry Grant and be loaned out to an NRL rival for 12 months.
There could also be a Jahrome Hughes clause attached to a deal.
Pezet will attract a stack of interest from clubs should he and Melbourne not reach an agreement before the November 1 deadline hits.
Already a host of clubs have indicated they would be keen and they could offer him something the Storm cannot – and that’s a starting halfback spot immediately.
But it is understood that Pezet is keen to agree to a deal with the Storm but with a few strings attached.
While Pezet wants to be Melbourne’s long-term halfback he does not want to continue to sit behind incumbents Hughes and Cameron Munster for multiple years.
Munster is contracted until the end of 2027, while Hughes has two more seasons left on his deal.
Pezet wants formal assurances that if he does agree to a long-term deal to stay in Melbourne, there is the potential for him to be granted a release should the Storm opt to extend Hughes’ contract beyond 2026. He is also keen on exploring the potential of playing elsewhere for the 2026 season as part of a one-year loan before returning to Melbourne to take on the no.7 jersey in 2027.
The Storm had success doing that with Grant who was an obvious talent but was stuck behind Cameron Smith. Grant played for the Tigers in 2020 to get some much needed experience before returning to the Storm the following season.
Pezet is making his comeback from a knee reconstruction but that won’t stop rival clubs from making a serious play for him if he can’t come to terms with Melbourne







Going to be interesting to keep an eye on what Pezet does? Sounds like Hughes will have some bearing on his decision

 

[kos]

Love the club targeting these younger guys

He s a very good player and human this kid Pahulu
I d be very surprised if Des let him slip away
Bear in mind this is just DT Curious Mail speculation

 

[Noitall]

Bugger it
Let’s sign up Pahulu and Jojo Fifita
What’s the titans forum internet name
I think I looked at it years ago or maybe another version
I think we have our own young guys coming through that can replace Tohu
Tom Ale?

League of titans is their forum. Interesting if we’re keen on Pahulu. A young guy that doesn’t offer big run meters yet on average but a solid defender. With guys like Thompson, Willison and Pole able to be negotiated with soon we could be looking to spend in another area with those three listed potentially picking up lucrative deals and Pahulu an up and comer

 

[kos]

League of titans is their forum. Interesting if we’re keen on Pahulu. A young guy that doesn’t offer big run meters yet on average but a solid defender. With guys like Thompson, Willison and Pole able to be negotiated with soon we could be looking to spend in another area with those three listed potentially picking up lucrative deals and Pahulu an up and comer

Bunty mark two but with forward potential
Betcha Bunty is on less money but is on the outer for AW reasons

 

[Noitall]

Bunty mark two but with forward potential
Betcha Bunty is on less money but is on the outer for AW reasons

To be honest I haven’t taken a big interest in him, can he ball play?

 

[kos]

To be honest I haven’t taken a big interest in him, can he ball play?

Not yet haven’t seen it but only 20

 

[Noitall]

Not yet haven’t seen it but only 20

That old chestnut of coming over to learn from JFH as far a prop might be handy? He’s got Tino, RCG and Fotuaika in that regard admittedly, but also stuck behind all them. Erin Clark could have a sway if they’re mates

 

[Teets]

Daily Telegraph
WHALE OF A DEAL FOR JONAH

The Storm and rising halfback Jonah Pezet are locked in delicate talks which could see the 21-year-old follow the path of teammate Harry Grant and be loaned out to an NRL rival for 12 months.

I thought we should've loaned out Zyon Maiu’u when the interest was there. Give him a taste of life outside his comfort zone and a chance to measure himself against the competition.

 

[kos]

That old chestnut of coming over to learn from JFH as far a prop might be handy? He’s got Tino, RCG and Fotuaika in that regard admittedly, but also stuck behind all them. Erin Clark could have a sway if they’re mates

He s in the same spot for 25 as he was in 24
Sure Rcg there in 25
But Erin was there in 24 and played prop in a lot of games
I reckon we have enough forwards
Could do with a winger
And loan RtS to another club

 

[Noitall]

He s in the same spot for 25 as he was in 24
Sure Rcg there in 25
But Erin was there in 24 and played prop in a lot of games
I reckon we have enough forwards
Could do with a winger
And loan RtS to another club

To a degree. Tino spent a lot of the year out and will return next year, whether that’s front row or lock? They’ve got Liu going so that could be why they see him Filling lock?

 

[Noitall]

I thought we should've loaned out Zyon Maiu’u when the interest was there. Give him a taste of life outside his comfort zone and a chance to measure himself against the competition.

Knights was the team that was interested. Outside of Laban, all these highly regarded young guys have picked up injuries in Zyon Maiu’u, Vaimauga and Halasima. Would hope to see Zyon Maiu’u make strides next season. Eddie Ieremia Toeava is another I’m keeping an eye on, didn’t pick up injury like the others but can’t be far from a debut?

 

[Noitall]

SJ's cautious reply to NRL retirement backflip question

'I shouldn't say that'

www.nine.com.au

SJ says nothing could bring him out of nrl retirement, but then says he’s said that before. If he has a big one, could anyone see him playing another season?

 

[nzwarriorsfaithful]

Can anyone unlock this article? https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...ous&mode=premium&v21=ULTRALOW-Segment-2-SCORE

Thanks !

 

[Tookey 2.0]

SJ's cautious reply to NRL retirement backflip question

'I shouldn't say that'

www.nine.com.au

SJ says nothing could bring him out of nrl retirement, but then says he’s said that before. If he has a big one, could anyone see him playing another season?

Mate immediately after that Sharks game where he came up trump's, I said it wasn't the last we see of him in the NRL. Im guessing he felt he wasnt good enough any more after his last few games, but the way he wound back the clock v the Sharks I think it gave him confidence.

IF - and it's a big if - he plays well and leads us to one victory against the Kangaroos I think he'll definitely lace the boots again for the Wahs.

 

[Dempsey]

We all know it begins with R and ends in S

None of the backline have names that start with R and end with S.

 

[PhilsySH35]

I would like to play devils advocate please sir.

You speak of AWs model that requires a ball playing full back.

How so? I see AW following a similar model to Penrith, whose 4x champion fullback Dylan Edwards is a stat machine - runs all day and is not a ball player, having 7 or less try assists for the last 4 years.

Last year AWs fullback was Charnz, who similarly to Edwards ran all day with big run meters and had 6 try assists. Very similar as Edwards - Mr Consistent.

Based on all of that, I would actually argue that Roger is more suited to AWs model that you speak of. And here's the kicker...of the last 4 years RTS played fb for us, 2 of those years he had more try assists than CNK or D Edwards...so you could even make an argument that he would be a better ball player/distributor...

I’ve been more vocal than most on RTS and I think a lot of it comes from frustration not just with him but also the players around him. I agree with the post yesterday that made the point that he was just fed the ball & expected to do the rest, & I think that expectation was symptomatic of a bigger issue that was a key reason of why 2024 was a failure for the club.

As I’ve said many times (too many), I believe RTS is one of the most overrated players ever in the NRL. Now that doesn’t mean he isn’t NRL standard, he’s always been easily that, and at one point in his career he was possibly the best winger in the comp, and top tier at fullback. It’s also no fault of RTS that people hold him in such high regard - he comes across as a humble guy who always puts in max effort. However the players do seem to put him on a pedestal on the basis of performances that are well & truly in the rear view mirror. My theory is that his signing, along with our success in 2023, led to the club being complacent in the offseason. Too many were thinking that he was the missing piece in the puzzle that would now take the Warriors to premiership glory. Then a combination of that complacency & injuries to key player derailed our season.

I’m hopeful everyone has learnt from last seasons mistakes. I’m also happy to see RTS given his chance to excel on the wing, but definitely not at centre or fullback, I think that would be a big mistake. Anyway I’m getting behind him from this point forward & hope he smashes it in 2025.

Yeah, guilty as charged put him up on high, just thought he was the answer so expectations were way up there, but yeah we all still support him in 25 and maybe with a pre-season under his belt could change things for the better.