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	Morgan Harper	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
24	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
28	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
-	Jye Linnane	-	✔	✔	✔
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
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Motu Pasikala	T	✔	✔

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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 28/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 24/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Jye Linnane (Newcastle Knights)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tanner Stowers-Smith

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[Inruin]

This is the thing people forget when they say just offer them a low contract. People want to get paid what they think they are worth. With a limited job life being a league player they are going to do what's best for them. While there may be a value to playing at 'home' in NZ it's not as big of a draw card as some think. And the risk is you get a player you want to keep offside and look elsewhere.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Hopefully doesn't suggest our negotiations with a top tier player failed

Exactly what I thought.

 

[UpDaWahsAucks]

moley's a bit all over the place given he was reporting we'd reached out to Ponga's management earlier in the week (weekend?)

 

[Wrighty]

Exactly what I thought.

Me too. Pretty big sign.

 

[Hazza]

moley's a bit all over the place given he was reporting we'd reached out to Ponga's management earlier in the week (weekend?)

where is the link

 

[UpDaWahsAucks]

where is the link

https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/n...tract-signing-salary-cap-20250408-p5lqbq.html is what i found on a quick search but wasn't the twitter link I had read initially. Will definitely concede the point, as this isn't as strong as i remember reading it

 

[Ever Hopeful]

It will be interesting what he means by upgraded - extra cash, or the extra year? If it is a reduced contract with the extra year then that is great, as he is a utility player in the wider squad.

If this is saying "you are our fullback for the next 2 years" then we are in trouble.

It would be really interesting to see a list of who we have been rejected by in the last couple of years.

 

[Dannevegas]

From our friend the mole.

The Wahs have tabled an upgraded offer to star fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - he's not gone yet Kiwi friends! #NRL

Why? He’s not working at fullback.
And he’s 30 this year while we already have dallin and Roger around 30.
Ali, Berry, Pompey, Kali in the centres as well.

 

[Makasene]

It would be really interesting to see a list of who we have been rejected by in the last couple of years.

In the words of Greg Popovich - If you're shooting at 100% then you're not shooting enough!

I couldn't care less who has rejected us.

Especially when you consider it will be littered with names like BMH & Toby Rudolph.

 

[sup42]

So we keep signing these young Aussie halves.

Pretty obvious what Cappy and Webster are doing.

They're importing the Australian undergrad experience to ensure all our future stars are learning Aussie RL earlier. They've therefore accepted NZ doesn't have the junior halves to run Aussie structure.

It's a smart move, at least our forwards and backs don't have to leave here to find a platform that helps their game and makes them look good.

 

[Boston Boy]

Interesting that the All blacks wingers rarely last past 28 years old, they have cycles where they introduced young dynamic, explosive wingers. Like Rieko, Savea when they were young, or now they are looking at Tangitau.

Something we probably need, cycles of young dynamic and explosive wingers. I suppose it is a different game and our wingers are battering rams and need maturity and endurance? Be nice to see at least one dynamic young winger on the horizon every couple of years. Who can we say we have in that mold?

 

[Naumaifooty]

Hopefully doesn't suggest our negotiations with a top tier player failed

Keeping Charnze makes no sense. Too slow offers nothing in attack and we already have RTS and DWZ who are basically the same as CNK doing the same 1 dimensional shit and none of them are going to get any better. Same shit same results.

 

[Boston Boy]

Keeping Charnze makes no sense. Too slow offers nothing in attack and we already have RTS and DWZ who are basically the same as CNK doing the same 1 dimensional shit and none of them are going to get any better. Same shit same results.

He's got decent runs into the line and is big enough to be a 13 Ala Walker. He is virtually the same size. It's a bit of a stretch but it's possible, 100% effort but you wouldn't want to pay top dollar. He has enough ball skills. Just throwing it out there.

 

[Theking267]

McFadden and Webster are definitely hoarding halves they don’t even want to release TMM early

 

[Boston Boy]

McFadden and Webster are definitely hoarding halves they don’t even want to release TMM early

It doesn't look like Tanah Boyd will be around long. So there's one gone, and Jye Linnane can take his place.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I didn’t realise webby was managed by Issac Moses

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Yeah, the Webby thing confuses me.. I thought for sure that rumour was wrong when it first came up, but the fact that he has been named dropped again as being managed by him through this Galvin thing, I guess it is correct?

When he first came in, I recall Mohawk saying he didn't have a manager, and he liked that about him.

Feels very dickish of Webby to have not had a manager, and then after becoming coach of a team that had a public spat about not dealing with Moses, would sign with Moses?

Maybe Webby was always managed by him, but Moses just wasn't directly involved in negotiations? Just an advisor-ey thing?

 

[run_it_str8_again]

They did? Would love to read more about that as it was quite interesting hearing about how Tino's one went.

Tommy Turbo went I think and also added some info for Metcalf. It's about a year or two ago now. I remember seeing Tobias Crosby doing those Nordic exercises that he said were to strengthen his hamstrings.

 

[Rizzah]

I didn’t realise webby was managed by Issac Moses

He's not currently managed by Moses.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

IMO. Keeping CNK, let alone upgrading him. Suggests to me that there’s no big name players coming. And it also stunts the development of Taine.

The “Bye round” also suggested that the Tigers should go hard for Metcalf.