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	Tohu Harris	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
19	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔
20	Te Maire Martin	✔
21	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
22	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
23	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
24	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
25	Adam Pompey	✔
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	C
29	Dylan Walker	✔
30	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: 30/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 2/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 30/30
Unconfirmed Supplementary 2025: 3/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 21/30
Confirmed Supplementary 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, Dylan Walker, Kalani Going (S), Tanner Stowers-Smith (S), Demitric Vaimauga (C)

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[Five&Last]

I really really want us to hold onto Toby Crosby. He looks impressive

For sure, very fast for a prop. Judging by NSW cup appearances he's probably still behind other props Durbin and Tuipulotu-Vea who are two years younger.

Remember most people just see the couple highlights of him breaking away 3/4 length of the field rather than watching the full game.

 

[Makasene]

With Bulldogs missing out on Papenhuyzen, makes you wonder whether they throw big money at Ben Hunt? Don’t think any team can pay more than roosters though? Perhaps Pahulu is a bit cheaper than Leo Thompson who they were apparently pursuing

It has been reported Lil Sexy and his management have met urgently with Dogs management.

Something is happening behind the scenes you would think

 

[SouthernWorrier]

It has been reported Lil Sexy and his management have met urgently with Dogs management.

Something is happening behind the scenes you would think

I'm clearly not on here often enough...who is Lil Sexy?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

I'm clearly not on here often enough...who is Lil Sexy?

Toby Sexton

 

[Noitall]

I'm clearly not on here often enough...who is Lil Sexy?

Toby Sexton

 

[snake77]

For sure, very fast for a prop. Judging by NSW cup appearances he's probably still behind other props Durbin and Tuipulotu-Vea who are two years younger.

Remember most people just see the couple highlights of him breaking away 3/4 length of the field rather than watching the full game.

Your point about highlights is something for a lot of development players or recruits. The recruits especially for the ones that are not in first grade regularly.

Healey for example has some great dummy half runs in his highlight videos. The space and the defence won't be that easy in first grade.

Someone posted either for the NSW Cup semis or final that he wasn't to impressive and it would be a big call dumping Lussick. I was watching him on Grand Final day. He has potential but there is a lot to work on. For example some of his selecting when to run from dummy half wasn't the best.

 

[Fizurg]

Toby Sexton

Cheers for clearing that up. I was worried my agent had been talking to the Bulldogs.

 

[Noitall]

Cheers for clearing that up. I was worried my agent had been talking to the Bulldogs.

I’d be disputing the lil part if I was you. At least go for average size sexy

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Personally I would’ve preferred sexton to Boyd but hindsight is easy. I’m assuming he’ll ask for a release, allowing the dogs to sign hunt for 2 years as the rumour suggests.

This is also assuming that sexton would even come to Auckland, and also how much would sexton be after?

I still think we made the right call on Boyd, and that he’ll be a serviceable half that is superior to our current crop.

Boyd was one of the elite halves coming through the juniors & has been mucked around by the titans, playing numerous positions, in a team that has struggled for success. I think he’ll do a good job here.

 

[Noitall]

Geez that Papenhuyzen extension for 1 year is weird. Means all of him, Harry Grant and Jahrome Hughes can be approached next November at the same time about shifting on at the end of 2026

 

[SouthernWorrier]

Geez that Papenhuyzen extension for 1 year is weird. Means all of him, Harry Grant and Jahrome Hughes can be approached next November at the same time about shifting on at the end of 2026

After an injury disrupted season which reflects in Melbournes offer they may have just agreed to kick it down the road and re-negotiate after a hopefully better 2025 season. Makes sense if he wants top dollar but also doesn't want to leave melb. They'll extend Grant soon I'd say.

 

[Noitall]

After an injury disrupted season which reflects in Melbournes offer they may have just agreed to kick it down the road and re-negotiate after a hopefully better 2025 season. Makes sense if he wants top dollar but also doesn't want to leave melb. They'll extend Grant soon I'd say.

Bit of a balancing act with clauses for Fa’alogo if Papenhuyzen extends and a similar one for Pezet regarding Hughes apparently. Also bulldogs surely offering more than a one year deal at a million a season, but he chooses to stay at storm for one extra season for $750k seems odd? Interesting too seeing that eels are meeting with Mitchell Moses about having his clauses taken out, but nothing about having Dylan Brown’s taken out?

 

[CWC]

Can Roger anymore?

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@nrl/video/7352400096811666694

Unfortunately no, I miss this type of play in 2017....oh wait, that's from 2024

 

[CWC]

Boyd's an excellent buy as a back up 6 and 7, terrible buy as a marquee starting 7, depending on which way you look at it

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@nrl/video/7352400096811666694

Unfortunately no, I miss this type of play in 2017....oh wait, that's from 2024

Find another example from 2024

 

[Ever Hopeful]

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@nrl/video/7352400096811666694

Unfortunately no, I miss this type of play in 2017....oh wait, that's from 2024

Those runs always look great and get the crowd excited. But beyond a 10m net gain, what benefit do they really get the team? That has always been the issue for me; all the glitz, but little of the substance in terms of results for the team(bar metres).

I've no doubt if he went back to fullback, we'd see more of this from him and people would think he is adding more to the team again. It would still take a lot to convince me that runs like this benefit us more than what the fullback alternatives offer though.

 

[Noitall]

Those runs always look great and get the crowd excited. But beyond a 10m net gain, what benefit do they really get the team? That has always been the issue for me; all the glitz, but little of the substance in terms of results for the team(bar metres).

I've no doubt if he went back to fullback, we'd see more of this from him and people would think he is adding more to the team again. It would still take a lot to convince me that runs like this benefit us more than what the fullback alternatives offer though.

Looks ideal for the way we use our wingers for yardage. Not the finisher that DWZ is, but neither was Montoya

 

[CWC]

Find another example from 2024

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck unleashing on Tigers | Warriors

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's big night out in One New Zealand Warriors' win over Wests Tigers.

www.warriors.kiwi

Since the argument is about Kosi vs Roger, please give me 2 examples of Kosi doing x-factor stuff in 2024

 

[Matiunz]

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@nrl/video/7352400096811666694

Unfortunately no, I miss this type of play in 2017....oh wait, that's from 2024

Cool that was a good run (only roughly 15m net gain and stepping a stationery forward) but he did not have a good season by any stretch of the imagination. Hopefully he’s never used at Center again but judging on when he went to wing for Walsh I’m not sure that’s his best spot either and it’s a log jam at fullback

 

[CWC]

Those runs always look great and get the crowd excited. But beyond a 10m net gain, what benefit do they really get the team? That has always been the issue for me; all the glitz, but little of the substance in terms of results for the team(bar metres).

I've no doubt if he went back to fullback, we'd see more of this from him and people would think he is adding more to the team again. It would still take a lot to convince me that runs like this benefit us more than what the fullback alternatives offer though.

This is just evidence for why he's more valuable than Kosi on the wing, in a debate brought up by another poster claiming Kosi > RTS