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	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

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

Top 30 2025: 30/30
Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Top 30 2026: 27/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
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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[snake77]

All of these rumours and we get a signing announced and it is one that we kind of knew about but all forgot about. What I mean by that is the report about CNK rejecting the clubs offer & TMM potentially moving on did list we had signed or were potentially signing Linnane.

And then to stoke the flames for the other rumours the time the above was first brought up there was the response "That explains why the Warriors are after a fullback". If that is to eventuate hopefully it gets announced soon. Then we can move onto the next rumour.

I don't know much about him. Let's hope he comes over stays injury free, trains hard and preforms in the jersey.

 

[miket12]

CG's phone must be at breaking point.... Manu, KP, Thompson

 

[Riz]

Someone more knowledgeable may be able to answer this - Did we sign Jack Thompson from Newy as well? Is jack a half or a FB? And is he still with the club ?

I believe he's still with the club but has stayed in Aus this year to finish school.

 

[Canadian_Warriors_Fan]

I believe he's still with the club but has stayed in Aus this year to finish school.

Might be an injury as well.

 

[Five&Last]

Curtains for TMM with that move. Would also probably mean Hanson is likely to be shown the door as well, as I thought TMM/Hanson would be battling out for one spot in the top 30 next year.

Cleary probably replaces Boyd in 2027.

 

[Leon Black]

Teddy can certainly hog a ball, but geez I’d struggle to think of a fullback that held onto the ball more than Manu when he played that position.

I don’t agree, remember some epic flick passes and more skilled than Teddy who runs 60 metres and sometimes makes 20 at best.

 

[Leon Black]

So a guy who wants to reportedly be closer to his GF in the UK moves further away from her by playing in NZ ??
Hmmmmm

Yeah but NZ is more like UK hence Mary visits more often, join the dots

 

[Leon Black]

If Manu comes to NZ Rugby it will be for the NPC this season. Super Rugby next season.

No way is he walking into a Super Rugby team at this point in the season.

He will get a full season presumably for Waikato.

This is what majorly messed up RTS development, Auckland did not play the Covid NPC season (or most of it) - he lost pretty much a full season of development. SBW got a full NPC and so will Manu if he wants it.

The All Blacks are nowhere near the side that won back-to-back World Cups. $BW timed his move to perfection.

Maybe Manu realises he might make the squad, but he’s also aware of the current coach’s tendency to favour Cantabrians.

At best, he’ll be a glorified water boy—even if he were to set the rugby world on fire, in my opinion. Honestly, the fact that Sevu Reece still gets starts for the ABs is beyond me.

 

[Leon Black]

One of either Matty or Andrew Johns annoited Jye Linnane as the next big thing and long term half at the Knights, floated between 6 & 7.

He linked well with Fletcher Sharpe as a 17 yr old playing Under 21’s. Worth a punt in my opinion., even with ACL injuries.

 

[Inruin]

One of either Matty or Andrew Johns annoited Jye Linnane as the next big thing and long term half at the Knights, floated between 6 & 7.

He linked well with Fletcher Sharpe as a 17 yr old playing Under 21’s. Worth a punt in my opinion., even with ACL injuries.

He's on a development contract so not breaking the bank or in the way of others getting a top 30 contract. ACLs are a worry particularly with both knees in close succession but if we can get him recovered and injury free for three years could be a masterstroke given the lack of halves coming through for us

 

[Stgeorgenz]

One potential signing no one is talking about is Jahrome Hughes. Can chat with clubs Nov 1st and surely he looks to cash in after being on big unders at the Storm. Titans would likely make a big play with his links to the coast but we’d surely have enough cash to pay well over a mill and he could provide a deadly combo with Metcalf/or CHT.

 

[roguei]

One potential signing no one is talking about is Jahrome Hughes. Can chat with clubs Nov 1st and surely he looks to cash in after being on big unders at the Storm. Titans would likely make a big play with his links to the coast but we’d surely have enough cash to pay well over a mill and he could provide a deadly combo with Metcalf/or CHT.

Storm look like a 12-8th side without Hughes. His impact is huge. Storm have the cap to pay him and there is no-one they have to replace him (wishart is a awful 7, below average 6 and a pretty good 9). He has no want to come back to NZ as he has stated many times before. Also I'm sure he has been talked about a few times before, people just think we are focused on a fullback or want to pipedream about clearly.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Storm look like a 12-8th side without Hughes. His impact is huge. Storm have the cap to pay him and there is no-one they have to replace him (wishart is a awful 7, below average 6 and a pretty good 9). He has no want to come back to NZ as he has stated many times before. Also I'm sure he has been talked about a few times before, people just think we are focused on a fullback or want to pipedream about clearly.

doesn't he hate the wahs?

 

[Stgeorgenz]

Storm look like a 12-8th side without Hughes. His impact is huge. Storm have the cap to pay him and there is no-one they have to replace him (wishart is an awful 7, below average 6 and a pretty good 9). He has no want to come back to NZ as he has stated many times before. Also I'm sure he has been talked about a few times before, people just think we are focused on a fullback or want to pipedream about clearly.

I haven’t heard him say that and I doubt Storm have the cap to pay him 1.2m + considering they’re paying Munster, Grant and Papi huge $$. Pezet is also contracted but if Hughes signs on he’s gone. It’s a bit of a long shot but you dangle that carrot of winning a prem in your home country on 1.2m+ a year he might be swayed.

 

[Stgeorgenz]

Very close to grabbing him before Covid hit. Can’t see why we wouldn’t approach him again, espeically now he’s won a comp and will prob get another this year.

 

[roguei]

I haven’t heard him say that and I doubt Storm have the cap to pay him 1.2m + considering they’re paying Munster, Grant and Papi huge $$. Pezet is also contracted but if Hughes signs on he’s gone. It’s a bit of a long shot but you dangle that carrot of winning a prem in your home country on 1.2m+ a year he might be swayed.

I thought they were in talks to drop paps recently. Considering his contract is coming up at the end of this year and they have not extended i think and how injury prone he is. Where as hughes has this year and next at 900k? So it looks like if anyone on that team is going to go it will be papi. They really fucked up sigining NAS for for 3 years at 900k reportedly.

But nah fair point after posting the pre covid stuff, had no idea. Does add a lot of creditablity and also some cool info to know so thanks for that.

 

[nzwarrior51]

On Jye Linnane, I watched him play for Kurri Kurri a couple of years ago and he killed it against a very strong The Entrance Tigers team stacked with NSW Cup and former NRL talent at the tender age of 17 and looked pretty good.

There’s a lot of people in the Newcastle and hunter area that rate him highly so it’s good we are giving him a chance.

We’ve gone after a few young Aussie halves so hopefully a few of them can kick on.

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

On Jye Linnane, I watched him play for Kurri Kurri a couple of years ago and he killed it against a very strong The Entrance Tigers team stacked with NSW Cup and former NRL talent at the tender age of 17 and looked pretty good.

There’s a lot of people in the Newcastle and hunter area that rate him highly so it’s good we are giving him a chance.

We’ve gone after a few young Aussie halves so hopefully a few of them can kick on.

Yep was rated higher than Fletcher Sharpe at one point but was overtaken due to his ACL injuries. For all we know he could have been in the NRL right now instead of Sharpe.

 

[Defence]

Hansen was an avid fan of the NRL and was familiar with the stars

Razor strikes me as a died in the wool cantabrian who knows “rugby is best” so I can’t imagine him being too keen to entertain an (albeit outstanding) league prospect like Manu, particularly if it involves making space from his precious players to make room.

So, with that in mind, welcome home manu and kayln

Robertson grew up in the bay of plenty and played league as a kid.

 

[defensivebomb]

Robertson grew up in the bay of plenty and played league as a kid.

I did not know that. Respect