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	Adam Pompey	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
28	Dylan Walker	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Faitialofa	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Luke Hanson	S
S4	Sio Kali	S
S5	Patrick Moimoi	S
S6	Tanner Stowers-Smith	S
T1	Daeon Amituanai	T
T2	Jaydee Auloa	T
T3	Kahu Capper	T	T
T4	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
T5	Augustino Filipo	T
T6	Etuane Fukofuka	T
T7	Moala Graham-Taufa	T
T8	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	?
T9	Brandon Norris	T
T10	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?
T10	Jason Salalilo	T
T11	Makaia Taufa	T
T12	Rodney Vea	T

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract (Formerly, Development), T = Train & Trial contract, ? = Wtf is up with Motu Pasikala

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 22/30
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

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[Fizurg]

Cool interview as well from him about 20 mins ago. Some choice quotes; "a big change for me this off season was finally jumping on a real diet", "me and capes had a compitition (in refrence to diet stuff), he obiviously beat me in the bronco but "

Surprised to see capes playing such a big mentor role, heard his name pop up a few times from the younger group. Great signing IMO. Also fuck our standards have been low for ages, good news that they are now but also pretty sad to hear some of our guys only taking diet seirously now or in the last year or so. Also damn is capes fast or is demitric just slow?

I remember seeing someone explaining that NRL players are professional athletes but they aren’t elite athletes. Took me a while to understand. Elite athletes life centers around performance. Every decision they make comes back to that. Where as NRL players still get stuck into KFC and a night on the turps if they feel like it. Shows there is still a heap of room for improvement overall.

 

[Noitall]

Yes that is very interesting. I thought Eddie Ieremia-Toeava might of been on the list. Also Moala Graham-Taufa not there either.

Sons of guns, schoolboys sensations and code switchers: Every NRL club’s train-and-trial lists

Sons of guns, schoolboys sensations and code switchers: Every NRL club’s train-and-trial lists

www.foxsports.com.au

How many development players can each team have per season? As was mentioned on here previously, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava and Moala Graham Taufa are on train and trial deals so could earn a development contract still? Or are we at maximum allowed? Interesting on the list of players offered train and trial deals with what teams here that Nate Roache has earned one at storm alongside Setu Tu as someone already mentioned. Good luck to them

 

[cock_o]

Sons of guns, schoolboys sensations and code switchers: Every NRL club’s train-and-trial lists

Sons of guns, schoolboys sensations and code switchers: Every NRL club’s train-and-trial lists

www.foxsports.com.au

How many development players can each team have per season? As was mentioned on here previously, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava and Moala Graham Taufa are on train and trial deals so could earn a development contract still? Or are we at maximum allowed? Interesting on the list of players offered train and trial deals with what teams here that Nate Roache has earned one at storm alongside Setu Tu as someone already mentioned. Good luck to them

Think 6 is the maximum for development contracts.

 

[Billyspleen75]

Would be interesting to know what kind of money he’ll be on there.

¥ probably

 

[Noitall]

Think 6 is the maximum for development contracts.

So we at 6 with Cleary on train and trial by the looks of that list. Perhaps Eddie Ieremia-Toeava is the type of player who McFadden mentioned that they might promote internally? Seems an impressive prospect not to be rewarded. With Fatialofa and Moimoi on development contracts, we seem to have a lot of centres with Leiataua surely almost guaranteed of one? Pompey, Berry, potentially RTS or CNK?

 

[Teets]

Interesting on the list of players offered train and trial deals with what teams here that Nate Roache has earned one at storm alongside Setu Tu as someone already mentioned. Good luck to them

Man kudos to those guys in their age bracket still chasing the NRL dream against the odds.

 

[Noitall]

Man kudos to those guys in their age bracket still chasing the NRL dream against the odds.

Especially Nate Roache. He’s had some rotten luck over the years. No Paul Roache on any of those lists. Wonder where he’s ended up?

 

[Makasene]

Man kudos to those guys in their age bracket still chasing the NRL dream against the odds.

Certainly kudos but sadly there will also be significant family pressure to continue until it is done and dusted.

 

[Cces]

So we at 6 with Cleary on train and trial by the looks of that list.

That list leaves me even more confused about what deal Pasikala is on

 

[Makasene]

So are we now saying (as expected) that Tanah Boyd is not on a dev deal?

 

[cock_o]

That list leaves me even more confused about what deal Pasikala is onView attachment 10523

Pasikala is only on a train and trail contract. Not in the top 30, been removed from the top 30 on the signing tracker.

 

[cock_o]

So are we now saying (as expected) that Tanah Boyd is not on a dev deal?

No he is top 30.

 

[Cces]

Pasikala is only on a train and trail contract. Not in the top 30, been removed from the top 30 on the signing tracker.

You could well be right but I don't understand the fuss of the club making a press release about him signing a 3 year deal if he's not even on a Development deal in year 1 of it. I guess the same could be said for Jett however there's more clarity on his progression with guaranteed Development years to come

 

[Hitro]

Was Fatialofa getting time in second row during the season? He and Moimoi listed as centres

played most of his ball and flegg games at second row.

 

[Hitro]

You could well be right but I don't understand the fuss of the club making a press release about him signing a 3 year deal if he's not even on a Development deal in year 1 of it. I guess the same could be said for Jett however there's more clarity on his progression with guaranteed Development years to come

True - most of the article was about Going and Stowers-Smith getting dev contracts and he was tacked on at the end though.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I remember seeing someone explaining that NRL players are professional athletes but they aren’t elite athletes. Took me a while to understand. Elite athletes life centers around performance. Every decision they make comes back to that. Where as NRL players still get stuck into KFC and a night on the turps if they feel like it. Shows there is still a heap of room for improvement overall.

Yeah it’s pretty clear. It was a comparison between Olympic athletes vs team sport athletes, particularly in NZ & Aus. There’s a perception they’re elite athletes - this is not correct. Bloke in a bar made a comment that there’s really only 10 or so ‘elite athletes’ in the nrl, the rest are spot fillers; good athletes but hardly ‘elite’.

The elites are obvious, Cleary, ponga, haas, Tedesco, turbo, Murray. These guys are 24/7 athletes, diet, training, recovery, everything is tuned to a dial.

What I will say is, Olympic athletes have up to 10 coaches, management, Physios, trainers etc working with the one individual, fine tuning every aspect to chase an improvement of 1%. Team sport athletes are in larger groups, with smaller management teams, therefore logically the improvements are scaled accordingly. It’s also down to resourcing too, and the clubs don’t have this financial positions to develop 30+ elite athletes.

That’s why, imo, the biggest aspect to a teams success is team culture. It’s a word that’s bashed to the death, but a team culture that demands success will allow the average athletes to jump a tier into above average, and when everyone improves by 5-10%, the impact is massive. The positive aspect to all of this is it’s incredibly difficult as an elite athlete to improve 1%, hours and hours of time spent. Its far more simple for an average athlete to improve 10%, simply by dialling in their off field commitment.

I believe this is the rationale for signing fish & Capewell, in the hope they can move the team cultures needle in the right direction, ala Demetric referencing Capewell as having a huge impact on him professionally.

This is why we need aussies in the system too, they’ve had better developmental systems where they haven’t relied simply on their physical attributes (as seen in nz where maori/pasifika players are far more physically developed than their peers) & haven’t needed to improve other facets of their game to be successful.

 

[mrblonde]

I remember seeing someone explaining that NRL players are professional athletes but they aren’t elite athletes. Took me a while to understand. Elite athletes life centers around performance. Every decision they make comes back to that. Where as NRL players still get stuck into KFC and a night on the turps if they feel like it. Shows there is still a heap of room for improvement overall.

One note of caution I have read about that - and this says more about the athlete than anything else - is that when they "snap", give it the "Hey, one beer isn't going to ruin things", it's not "one beer", it's "one slab"...Plenty of stories of NRL and other team players who've sworn off the alcohol/non-club approved food from Pre-Season Day 1 To Whenever Our Season Ends and as of the next day, it's booze and junk food for Africa!

Warriorsfan92 makes a good point. When was the last time someone like, say, Mahe Drysdale was seen on the town getting shit-faced and lippy?

Also, if the senior players are doing it and getting away with it ie they're not having gawdawful games or if they are they're not being dropped, but whatever their on-field output, they're turning up to training all short-tempered and shuffling because they've got a hangover from last night and they look like they're gonna barf any minute, so it's obvious they're not at 100% but it's also obvious none of the management want to have a word with the drunk senior player, why wouldn't a younger player go, "Oh, sweet! Maccas tonight and it's Boozed Up Saturday tomorrow!"??

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Yes that is very interesting. I thought Eddie Ieremia-Toeava might of been on the list. Also Moala Graham-Taufa not there either.

Fox has them both listed on train and trial contracts along with a fair few others:

WARRIORS

Jett Cleary, Moala Graham-Taufa, Daeon Amituanai, Kahu Capper, Jaydee Auloa, Makaia Tafua, Rodney Vea, Augustino Filipo, Etuate Fukofuka, Jason Salalilo, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Motu Pasikala, Brandon Norris

Analysis: The brother of four-time premiership-winning halfback Nathan Cleary headlines this list with Jett Cleary about to embark on his own NRL journey via a train-and-trial opportunity with the Warriors. He’ll progress to a development deal in 2026. Also making the move is Daeon Amituanai, who has spent the last three years in the Panthers system as a winger. Moala Graham-Taufa (centre) was the Warriors’ top tryscorer in NSW Cup for 2024 and was awarded with the club’s NSW Cup Player of the Year and Players’ Player honours. 19-year-old Eddie Ieremia-Toeava proved his worth this year, shifting between prop, second row and centre in NSW Cup. 18-year-old Motu Pasikala (fullback/winger) is another exciting prospect who played SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup in 2024.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Yeah it’s pretty clear. It was a comparison between Olympic athletes vs team sport athletes, particularly in NZ & Aus. There’s a perception they’re elite athletes - this is not correct. Bloke in a bar made a comment that there’s really only 10 or so ‘elite athletes’ in the nrl, the rest are spot fillers; good athletes but hardly ‘elite’.

The elites are obvious, Cleary, ponga, haas, Tedesco, turbo, Murray. These guys are 24/7 athletes, diet, training, recovery, everything is tuned to a dial.

What I will say is, Olympic athletes have up to 10 coaches, management, Physios, trainers etc working with the one individual, fine tuning every aspect to chase an improvement of 1%. Team sport athletes are in larger groups, with smaller management teams, therefore logically the improvements are scaled accordingly. It’s also down to resourcing too, and the clubs don’t have this financial positions to develop 30+ elite athletes.

That’s why, imo, the biggest aspect to a teams success is team culture. It’s a word that’s bashed to the death, but a team culture that demands success will allow the average athletes to jump a tier into above average, and when everyone improves by 5-10%, the impact is massive. The positive aspect to all of this is it’s incredibly difficult as an elite athlete to improve 1%, hours and hours of time spent. Its far more simple for an average athlete to improve 10%, simply by dialling in their off field commitment.

I believe this is the rationale for signing fish & Capewell, in the hope they can move the team cultures needle in the right direction, ala Demetric referencing Capewell as having a huge impact on him professionally.

This is why we need aussies in the system too, they’ve had better developmental systems where they haven’t relied simply on their physical attributes (as seen in nz where maori/pasifika players are far more physically developed than their peers) & haven’t needed to improve other facets of their game to be successful.

Great post mate.

I was thinking about it the other day, and I hope it doesn't sound like I'm not excited for Fisher-Harris to come here but I was kinda wondering - what the hell makes him so good? He's not the biggest, strongest or quickest prop. On paper, he shouldnt be that good.
But, he's probably one of those few who are able to get that extra 5 or 10% out of his skills that most people don't.
Man if he could help bring Vaimunga, Laban, Ali, Halasima and go along so that they're reaching that extra 5 or 10% over the top of their skills and size, were going to be bloody dangerous

 

[Damo]

Great post mate.

I was thinking about it the other day, and I hope it doesn't sound like I'm not excited for Fisher-Harris to come here but I was kinda wondering - what the hell makes him so good?

His biceps the size of my head obviously