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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[BrisbaneWarrior]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/01/24/ranking-the-nrl-spines-serious-question-marks-for-souths-tigers-on-the-rise-and-panthers-rivals-take-top-spot/

Warriors spine rated second to last. Bullshit article as they list Lussick rather than Egan

Overall, Aussie media have a basic knowledge of the Warriors but not in-depth like the Sydney clubs, Brisbane or Melbourne. Their knowledge is based off their contacts they’re close with and ranking the Warriors higher or more fairly doesn’t get clicks .

 

[Noitall]

"However the 24-year-old is testing his value on the open market after receiving interest from the Dragons, Knights and Dolphins. Two other clubs are also understood to be in the mix."

The contenders for "two other clubs to be in the mix".

Souths - Lewis Dodd just acquired with the Veteran Cody Walker at 6. Yes they will be interested, however they do already have Wighton at centre who made a good fist of stand off last year in replacement of Cody. Cody Walker turned 35 on Jan 10 2025 and Wighton turns 32 on Feb 4 2025. I think it is highly likely they will be in the mixer. Probability 90%
Roosters - Walker at 7 and Sandon Smith at 6. Smith has played 2 80 minute games in 2024 and 6 80 minute games in 2023 and didn't set the world alight. But before you go and mark the Rooster as a contender for Brown consider that this is the Sombrero club. They don't pay overs for anyone. And if they did pay $1.2M for Brown they have a raft of other star players who may then queue up to them for a salary renegotiation. I could be wrong but I think Roosters are too tight fisted to enter this raffle. Probability 50% as apparently they have a war chest at the moment.
Bulldogs - because they seem to be involved in every player pursuit - however they have Sexton and Burton so are unlikely but you never know. Probability 20%
Warriors - You would think they would be interested however Cam George the CEO has denied any interest whatsoever and says we place great stock on our current 4 halves and back them. So maybe that is that? Probability is 60% yes Warriors interested and Cam is running a smoke screen. However I have found usually Cam is a straight shooter and is overly honest and revealing with the media.

Conclusion - Souths definitely and one of Roosters/Warriors.

Not when he said we weren’t talk to Capewell and he signed pretty quickly after

 

[Wrighty]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/01/24/ranking-the-nrl-spines-serious-question-marks-for-souths-tigers-on-the-rise-and-panthers-rivals-take-top-spot/

Warriors spine rated second to last. Bullshit article as they list Lussick rather than Egan

I agree we are ranked second to last for our spine. Only rose coloured glasses make our spine look good.

 

[Noitall]

Overall, Aussie media have a basic knowledge of the Warriors but not in-depth like the Sydney clubs, Brisbane or Melbourne. Their knowledge is based off their contacts they’re close with and ranking the Warriors higher or more fairly doesn’t get clicks .

Interesting the eels one. Bit speculative about Brown? Lists him and Moses as arguably the best halves combo, so Brown is at least viewed as one half of that. Think storm deserves top spot, not sure about panthers with an untried Talagi? Probably would have broncos over them in terms of spine

 

[Noitall]

I agree we are ranked second to last for our spine. Only rose coloured glasses make our spine look good.

In saying that, you would think it’s totally wrong? Egan definitely over Lussick and can’t see Metcalf not amongst it

 

[Wrighty]

In saying that, you would think it’s totally wrong? Egan definitely over Lussick and can’t see Metcalf not amongst it

Doesn't matter if you put Egan and Metcalf in there instead of Lussick and CHT.
Titans one spot ahead of us were hard done by in their write up too as I didn't see their best player Campbell listed. They also didn't list Brimson who they have as depth for the spine. Souths who are behind us in 17h according to the article have Cody Walker who has more runs on the board in the halves than any of our guys do and although he is inconsistent and often doesn't turn up they have Latrell. We deserve to be listed 16th

 

[Wrighty]

It's not all doom and gloom - our spine may be 16th but our pack is close to top 4 in my view.

 

[Wrighty]

Also if RTS plays wing our wings will be top 4 as well.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Doesn't matter if you put Egan and Metcalf in there instead of Lussick and CHT.

Absolutely it does. Egan's arguably a top 5 hooker in the game, super weird they didn't even mention him in the article. Miles ahead of Lussick. And Metcalf, a young Aussie half who was expected to explode on to the scene, only for injury to impact on him. Again, miles better than CHT and both of them make our team much better.

Imo there's a bunch of teams - us, Raiders, Dragons, Bulldogs, Titans and Souths that are largely on par with us. Some players are older and slowing down, some young players making a fist of it, and some returning from injury so we don't know how it's all going to turn out.

Just a question for everyone regarding Brown, where do we think a spine of:

CNK/Tuaupiki
Brown
Metcalf/TMM
Egan

Stacks up against the rest? Imo Brown moves us out of that lower category and probably has us sitting 6th-9th on the list

 

[Wrighty]

8 JFH
9 Egan
10 Barnett
11 Niukore
12 Capewell
13 Clark

14 Walker
15 Vaimauga
16 Halasema
17 Healy

This Pack will take on anybody and not back down to anybody. They will march us into the red zone repeatedly for try scoring chances. Just up to our backs to score off them. We will be dominant up front. Whether we make the top 8 is based on whether we can cross the stripe.

 

[Wrighty]

Absolutely it does. Egan's arguably a top 5 hooker in the game, super weird they didn't even mention him in the article. Miles ahead of Lussick. And Metcalf, a young Aussie half who was expected to explode on to the scene, only for injury to impact on him. Again, miles better than CHT and both of them make our team much better.

Imo there's a bunch of teams - us, Raiders, Dragons, Bulldogs, Titans and Souths that are largely on par with us. Some players are older and slowing down, some young players making a fist of it, and some returning from injury so we don't know how it's all going to turn out.

Just a question for everyone regarding Brown, where do we think a spine of:

CNK/Tuaupiki
Brown
Metcalf/TMM
Egan

Stacks up against the rest? Imo Brown moves us out of that lower category and probably has us sitting 6th-9th on the list

Depends on whether you list Tuapiki or CNK. With Tuapiki 6th to 9th like you say - with CNK it is a lottery. Has he worked through his form issues from last year in pre-season and shaken off what ever was bothering him. In the form CNK was ln last year he looked like he did not even belong as a NSW cup fullback. So I would say if he is anywhere in our spine and still in that form than even with Brown put us in the bottom 4.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Warriors spine rated second to last. Bullshit article as they list Lussick rather than Egan

tbf we dont have a confirmed spine really..

 

[MrFrankWhite]

last game of the year our spine was

1. Taine
6. Metcalf
7. SJ
9. Lussick
14. Egan

 

[Noitall]

Absolutely it does. Egan's arguably a top 5 hooker in the game, super weird they didn't even mention him in the article. Miles ahead of Lussick. And Metcalf, a young Aussie half who was expected to explode on to the scene, only for injury to impact on him. Again, miles better than CHT and both of them make our team much better.

Imo there's a bunch of teams - us, Raiders, Dragons, Bulldogs, Titans and Souths that are largely on par with us. Some players are older and slowing down, some young players making a fist of it, and some returning from injury so we don't know how it's all going to turn out.

Just a question for everyone regarding Brown, where do we think a spine of:

CNK/Tuaupiki
Brown
Metcalf/TMM
Egan

Stacks up against the rest? Imo Brown moves us out of that lower category and probably has us sitting 6th-9th on the list

Yeah I like that spine, and put it behind a top 4 pack and I think it could be successful

 

[Noitall]

Anymore gossip on who the manly prop could be?

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

For something to talk about. Sorry if its wasting your precious time to have to come and say everything’s a shit idea

Interesting reply for what was a valid comment. Sorry his comment wasted your precious time..........

 

[Jonesy69]

Nothing new with the Aussie media in regards to our spine ranking. Won’t be long until they start releasing there annual warriors to win the spoon articles.

 

[Noitall]

Interesting reply for what was a valid comment. Sorry his comment wasted your precious time..........

Na all good, I had spare moment. Seen a few trades that clubs let players go early, so not the nba alone. Hope it didn’t waste your time to have to apologise for my wasted time

 

[Canonball]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/01/24/ranking-the-nrl-spines-serious-question-marks-for-souths-tigers-on-the-rise-and-panthers-rivals-take-top-spot/

Warriors spine rated second to last. Bullshit article as they list Lussick rather than Egan

lol - going out of their way to make the wahs irrelevant - things aren't great but come on they're not that bad, the knights for example? one generational player, sure, but that does not make a serviceable spine

 

[Boats n Hoes]

Nothing new with the Aussie media in regards to our spine ranking. Won’t be long until they start releasing there annual warriors to win the spoon articles.

We once made back to back finals series with a large part of our spine consisting of Rovelli, Witt, Ian Henderson and Georgie Gatis!....it can be done.....don't think you'd progress much further, but play smart enough we can still be in the mix.....that's the best I'm hoping for this year.