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	✔	✔	✔
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
-	Jye Linnane	-	✔	✔	✔
-	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: 25/30
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, Tanner Stowers-Smith
Off Contract from 01/11/25: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Jacob Laban, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Stalefish540]

That's not to detract from what CNK does at all either.

I just think if Metcalf and CHT are to be our halves going forward if it works out, we will really need a link man.

 

[Playdaball]

I forgot that Pasikala is in the top squad next as is EIT. Pasikala has not developed as they would have hoped for but possibly no worse than Harper, 1 in and 1 out.

Some big calls coming up soon with Ale and Bunty.

I assume that TSS will be resigned very soon too given his progress and likley that he may play 1ast grade at some stage this year?

 

[sup42]

Not sure how I feel.
Feel a bit for Taine, thought he would get a crack at the FB jersey.

I don't think this signing needs to be seen as blocking Taine. I get the feeling the more time Webster has at the wheel the more secure he becomes in moving around people like CNK for players like Taine.
Already he is using a lot of young guys this season and taking gambles on players like Metcalf at half.

I could easily see Webster playing CNK somewhere else to bring Taine on like he has with RTS.

 

[Cces]

I forgot that Pasikala is in the top squad next

Where have you read this? Would be a surprise to see him jump the usual Development contract process considering he is yet to get a run in Cup this season & no Flegg for a month.

There's a lot of guys I'd potentially put the "future of the club" label on, and none of them are Taine.

Agreed. What other club would he be a starter at in the next 2 seasons? I can't categorically state one

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Where have you read this? Would be a surprise to see him jump the usual Development contract process considering he is yet to get a run in Cup this season & no Flegg for a month.

For the longest time, the pinned post had a question mark on Pasikala since the article released was a bit vague.

"Going and Stowers-Smith have been secured on development contracts for 2025 while Pasikala has signed a three-year deal to the end of the 2027 season."

Niche Cache has him listed as a train & trial for this year, but, for what little it is worth, NRL.com has him listed as a 2025 gain as "upgraded" on the boring signing tracker but not in the list, while the fancy signing tracker does have him in the top 30 this year

Warriors article
TNC article
OG tracker
Fancy tracker

I was over having the q-mark in there so just mushed the little information out there together.

 

[sup42]

Where have you read this? Would be a surprise to see him jump the usual Development contract process considering he is yet to get a run in Cup this season & no Flegg for a month.

Agreed. What other club would he be a starter at in the next 2 seasons? I can't categorically state one

Respectfully Taine would get starts at other clubs, perhaps not top clubs but he would get a gig in the fashion Jayden Campbell and Hazer Perham got gigs.

Not saying that is great just saying players like him can and do get fullback runs, thing is though, we do not know his ceiling, what we do know is he keeps getting better and is part of the reason we have won games this year.

He is a conundrum, I agree about that, but too good not to play NRL imo.

 

[roguei]

At the very least, even if you don't rate him as a player. I think CNK helps quite a bit with warriors culture in the club. He does not back down when hurt, will play in any position given to him, encourges the boys on there acheviments, doesn't sulk and trains his heart out every week. Which overall should impact all of the players around him to play better, to train better. As well as having an amplfying effect on fish's.

Small plus is that he keeps repping us to the fellow kiwis every internatinal game.

 

[sup42]

At the very least, even if you don't rate him as a player. I think CNK helps quite a bit with warriors culture in the club. He does not back down when hurt, will play in any position given to him, encourges the boys on there acheviments, doesn't sulk and trains his heart out every week. Which overall should impact all of the players around him to play better, to train better. As well as having an amplfying effect on fish's.

Small plus is that he keeps repping us to the fellow kiwis every internatinal game.

Personality wise he reminds me a lot of Elijah Taylor. Club man types.

Webster is all about club and culture, he is a good fit under Webster. I suspect we will see him tried in new positions now...I suspect the drawn out negotiations over his signing were about signalling a change in the relationship between club and players wants.

 

[CWC]

Taine is not that young he needs to play, an aging CNK would be good to share game time for players with niggles or injuries, though you could argue RTS can cover FB, but he's pulling his hammy annually now

 

[roguei]

Taine is not that young he needs to play, an aging CNK would be good to share game time for players with niggles or injuries, though you could argue RTS can cover FB, but he's pulling his hammy annually now

The last thing i think we want is RTS to cover FB instead of just playing wing. Plenty of people can play FB (CNK, TT, even TMM). Our wing coverage on the other hand...

 

[Cces]

Respectfully Taine would get starts at other clubs, perhaps not top clubs but he would get a gig in the fashion Jayden Campbell and Hazer Perham got gigs.

Which current clubs? I'm sure Tuaupiki is good enough to crack the 2023 version of the Bulldogs like Perham did but that's not the current market.
The Eels currently have a 21 year old rookie Fullback who is 4 years younger than Tuaupiki, has more Reserve grade experience, just 2 less NRL starts at #1 and twice as many tries despite a total of 10 fewer games overall.
Taine's a back up at all 17 clubs for mine and the re-signing to CNK is a way to continue to hunt for a long term replacement.
Maybe the guy kiwi, Mason Barber, who is yet to be seen in 2025 despite aligning himself with the Cowboys, is CNK successor?

https://www.news.com.au/sport/mason-barber-semifinal-try/video/9acd223901b9d68e00e49f6a4868f55f

 

[Kestrel84]

I don't see this blocking Taine at all. I feel like Taine will be the starting FB by the end of the year and CNK will be Mr.Fix-it across the backline.

 

[Lance155]

For me Charnze can be the right or wrong player depending on the line up. A team with minimal x factor having him as a solid fullback is an issue. If we have multiple threats across backrow, halves, centre, wing then he is the perfect inclusion. As your big threats will also cost $$$ so you can't have one in every position.

 

[Get them onside ref!]

I love CNK, can not fault him on effort whatsoever but he's essentially doing what Roger did without the footwork.

Are we just destined to be a team that doesn't want a fullback with some attack in them.

Constant hit ups when you should be in position to chase a kick or be link man in attack. It's exactly frustrated me about RTS.

I just wonder whether it was more about cover as well
We all know we let players go then have no back up

 

[sup42]

Which current clubs? I'm sure Tuaupiki is good enough to crack the 2023 version of the Bulldogs like Perham did but that's not the current market.
The Eels currently have a 21 year old rookie Fullback who is 4 years younger than Tuaupiki, has more Reserve grade experience, just 2 less NRL starts at #1 and twice as many tries despite a total of 10 fewer games overall.
Taine's a back up at all 17 clubs for mine and the re-signing to CNK is a way to continue to hunt for a long term replacement.
Maybe the guy kiwi, Mason Barber, who is yet to be seen in 2025 despite aligning himself with the Cowboys, is CNK successor?

https://www.news.com.au/sport/mason-barber-semifinal-try/video/9acd223901b9d68e00e49f6a4868f55f

We are kinda arguing over how many angels you can fit on a pin head.

I dunno about you but Taine is one of the few sparks in our attack that is creating try scoring moments.

He certainly needs to play as a starter for this Warriors team with his angled English Super league style side ways runs that cut back across the NRLs predictable defensive template.

People keep focussing on his limitations like they know these are going to be permanent in a young player, that is what gets me about the limited view fans take of his game.

Fans tend to see too small, and everything they argue after that is cemented in the stature of the player, when there are always exception to that rule, he is good enough to deserve a shot at whether he can overcome the size issue.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Does anyone know the last time an NRL team had their first-choice starting back-three all be in their 30's...?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I'm hopeful this is more of an insurance blanket for us.

Charnz is 30 this year in August, so will be 32 at the end of his contract, and last I checked there's not many 32 year old fullbacks running around the NRL atm.

We all saw how hard it was to pick up even a half decent outside back this year when we really needed it, this should help us not get to that level over the next few years.

I'm okay with the signing as long as it doesn't block any potential big signings

I think we've quickly learned our lesson after letting Monty go. We are incredibly thin at outside back. If we let CNK go and Taine gets injured we are fucked. Taine is getting plenty of game time and his place in the 17 is pretty safe. My guess his transition to fb will start next year.

Will give TT more time to bulk up too.

 

[Theking267]

The reality is neither Joey Manu or Kalyn Ponga are coming which gave them some extra money to keep CNK probably go in for another dip at Ponga for 2028 otherwise Taine’s the guy from 28

 

[Lance155]

The reality is neither Joey Manu or Kalyn Ponga are coming which gave them some extra money to keep CNK probably go in for another dip at Ponga for 2028 otherwise Taine’s the guy from 28

Can't see Taine waiting that long. If he isn't starting or getting good game time he will leave (even if it is for reserve grade elsewhere). Only way he stays is if the plan is for CNK to transition to another position

 

[Cces]

People keep focussing on his limitations like they know these are going to be permanent in a young player, that is what gets me about the limited view fans take of his game.

He's 26 in August.
Let's not forget you put a line through Halasima as an 18 year old...
Anyways, CNK's re-signing and the clubs interest in the likes of Joey Manu doesn't appear to be a vote of confidence in Tuaupiki, who I think will now test himself on the open market come 'Nov 1st