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	Jett Cleary	✔	S	S
9	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
10	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
11	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
12	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
13	Morgan Harper	✔
14	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
15	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
16	Edward Kosi	✔
17	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
18	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
19	Jye Linnane	✔	✔	✔	✔
20	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
21	Te Maire Martin	✔	✔
22	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
23	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
24	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
25	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
26	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔	✔	✔
27	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
28	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
29	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
30	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
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Haizyn Mellars	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

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

Top 30 2026: 29/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos), Haizyn Mellars (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
2026 Losses: Edward Kosi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper
Can negotiate with other clubs from Nov 1, 2025 (Entering final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[CWC]

I reckon clubs should have the rights to "compassionate release" overpaid flopped players

 

[Wrighty]

He's not the first player in sports to take advantage of circumstance and end up on a contract that very much favours the player and certainly wont be the last.

It's called leverage and if there is some available, you and your agent use it. With all the ageing halves, and the clear rumors/interest from the Warriors it's not a bad a time to try and be greedy.

Frankly i cant believe he is on $900k in the first place. I would have guessed probably less than half of that. But if the Eels are crazy enough to pay him $900k a year then someone, including the Eels again, may be crazier to pay him even more.

I shouldn't have had my outburst. And I am glad I made myself go have a cup of tea and calm down. I appreciate your reply.

On further review if he can eek out $1.1M out of this or $1.15 Million or even forcing a club into $1.2M it isn't as bad as I first thought for three reasons

1) The salary cap has gone up and Nathan Cleary's $1.2 Million was agreed to 2022.
2) Cleary himself is renegotiating a new deal at the end of 2o24 and they will apparently agree on $1.5M. So Brown's agent knows Cleary is getting $1.5M and that the salary cap has gone up. Hence they want more.
3) Tookey makes a good point. The league is about to expand driving up salaries for spine players.

I apologise Dylan Brown if you are reading this - i had not done all my homework before posting. I would love to have you at the Warriors.

For Shits and Giggles here is a table Chat GPT compiled for me of the Salary cap by year (blame Chat GPT if this is wrong)


Year Base Salary Cap
2015 $6.55 million
2016 $6.8 million
2017 $7 million
2018 $9.4 million
2019 $9.6 million
2020 $9.8 million
2021 $9.9 million
2022 $10 million
2023 $11.05 million
2024 $11.25 million
2025 $11.4 million
2026 $11.55 million
2027 $11.7 million

​

 

[Noitall]

Just gonna put this on, Tohu announces his retirement and 8 days later 1 of Hughes/Brown goes to the market, and we're the dumb club that's renowned for overpaying kiwi players

View attachment 10815

Warriors under scrutiny over $3m bid to lure Eels young gun

Warriors recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan had his name on a contract offer for Parramatta youngster Dylan Brown but the club denies breaking anti-tampering rules.

www.smh.com.au

Warriors already offered him a big contract in terms of where he was in his career at that point, and almost had tampering breaches levelled at them in the process. They’ve obviously always had their eye on him. Had he accepted that offer, he’d be coming off contract this year

 

[Wrighty]

Here is another shape

Storm Spine current Salaries
Munster $1.1M
Hughes $0.9M
Papps $0.8M
Grant $1M
Total = $3.8M

If the Warriors were to go $1.1M in 2026 for Brown their spine might cost

Brown - $1.1M
Metcalf maybe he will be worth $500K to $600K
CNK $500K
Egan Maybe $600K
Total - $2.8M

Even if we go all in on Brown our total spine cost will be less than the elite teams in the league. Means we can afford it without unbalancing our cap spend?

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Here is another shape

Storm Spine current Salaries
Munster $1.1M
Hughes $0.9M
Papps $0.8M
Grant $1M
Total = $3.8M

If the Warriors were to go $1.1M in 2026 for Brown their spine might cost

Brown - $1.1M
Metcalf maybe he will be worth $500K to $600K
CNK $500K
Egan Maybe $600K
Total - $2.8M

Even if we go all in on Brown our total spine cost will be less than the elite teams in the league. Means we can afford it without unbalancing our cap spend?

We could afford Brown and Hughes

 

[CWC]

Warriors under scrutiny over $3m bid to lure Eels young gun

Warriors recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan had his name on a contract offer for Parramatta youngster Dylan Brown but the club denies breaking anti-tampering rules.

www.smh.com.au

Warriors already offered him a big contract in terms of where he was in his career at that point, and almost had tampering breaches levelled at them in the process. They’ve obviously always had their eye on him. Had he accepted that offer, he’d be coming off contract this year

Would be a huge win not to have him go through covid torture and get him back as an Eels superstar

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Brown - $1.1M
Metcalf maybe he will be worth $500K to $600K
CNK $500K
Egan Maybe $600K
Total - $2.8M

I'll do you one better Wrighty!

For 2026
Tuaupiki $300k
Brown $1 mill
Hughes $1.2 mil
Egan $600

Best spine in the comp?

 

[Hughes2026]

Yeah I think 1-1.1 mil is entirely reasonable money for Brown tbh, given the new salary cap context.

How many halves in the competition could you confidently say fill both of the following criteria:

• Are clearly better than Brown
• Are younger than 30

I think you could make a case for: Burton (reportedly just under $1 mil), Hynes ($1m), Cleary (obviously; $1.2m), I Katoa (too soon to really say; $650k), Dearden (can't find how much he's on), S Walker (reportedly about $1.05m), Luai ($1.2m).

It's not a very long list at all. And you can debate whether Burton, IKat, Dearden, S Walker are clearly better (not sure the first two are at least).

 

[Cces]

There have been many running halfs / fullbacks turn into great 7s. Look at Hughes, Hynes, Luai etc. Even going back to the great Lockyer.

I'll give you Hughes but Luai isn't a great 7, Trindall is rumoured to push Hynes to 6 this year & Lockyer played the position just once & got pumped.

He has all the skills. Pay for him Wahs!

Does he possess a good long kick? Zero 40/20s in 123 NRL games suggests not.


Paying a guy on the basis that he can turn into a completely different style of player is a huge gamble

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

I'll give you Hughes but Luai isn't a great 7, Trindall is rumoured to push Hynes to 6 this year & Lockyer played the position just once & got pumped.

Does he possess a good long kick? Zero 40/20s in 123 NRL games suggests not.


Paying a guy on the basis that he can turn into a completely different style of players is a huge gamble

I'd rather him come and play 6, and have Boyd as the 7.

 

[Muddogz]

Brown’s only 24 and has room to grow. That being said he was disappointing albeit in an underwhelming Eels team last year. He’s a very good foil for a quality 7, but he’s not going to win you games single-handedly at this point.

That being said there are few good halves in the comp under 30 and one of a couple at best that would potentially come to the Warriors. At the very least I’d hope the management are giving him a call.

 

[Wah's Up]

Cat among the Pidgeons. As all recruitment relies on the broadcasting fees that NRL rely on and as the multitude of posters suggest that they will continue to rise, may well do a little study.
The World Sevens is currently in doubt as expenses exceed television revenue.
Many other codes are currently trying to evaluate whether they will remain viable as TV audiences continually decline if the product fails to deliver new and innovative material to keep them glued to the box.
Many NRL fans are becoming very disgruntled with the BUNKER and its (biased) decisions, meaning that unless the product cleans up its act then they will walk away and watch the DARTS.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

I wouldn't mind Brown, Only as a 6. He is as fast as Metcalf. Excellent, fearless defender. Great support player , Good ball player, Average kicking game.
He is an upgrade on Metcalf, TMM & CHT.

Boyd is a structured half. Will do what he is told and stick to game plans. Has a awesome boot on him & defends well. Not much else to him. He doesn't need to do anything else when Brown can do the flash stuff.

 

[nzwarriorsfaithful]

Am in this chat and dylan brown said he’s joining (jokingly)

 

[Iridescent]

Brown is absolutely no chance of coming back to NZ at this stage, if he leaves the Eels he will end up at Rooster or Dogs

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Brown is absolutely no chance of coming back to NZ at this stage, if he leaves the Eels he will end up at Rooster or Dogs

To be fair I never thought fisher Harris would come either & would ya look at that

 

[Damo]

To be fair I never thought fisher Harris would come either & would ya look at that

That was out of the blue and done behind closed doors. If we were even a chance with Brown I doubt this would have even been made public.

 

[defensivebomb]

Here’s a tenuously plausible scenario:
1. The warriors sign Brown at $900k per year, with a clause in the player’s favour to increase it to market value, if he receives a better offer within 10 days
2. Brown’s agent invites any and all offers

 

[ROCCO]

The kid is all class. Anyone not wanting to sign him go and have a look at his highlights he's a freak. Sign him up 1 mill

 

[UpTheWahs]

To be fair I never thought fisher Harris would come either & would ya look at that

Fisher Harris is a well respected player having won 3 premierships back to back to back, with young kids and wanting them to grow up in New Zealand, which is why he came back home on a contract where money wasn't the most important factor.

Brown is an overpaid, underperforming half who is young and stupid, and likes to grope drunk women. So coming home to New Zealand wouldn't be his priority, unless we are stupid enough to pay him $1m+ a season

Two different scenarios.