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
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	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: 26/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Jye Linnane (Newcastle Knights), Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
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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[Worried2Death]

Hazelton has a huge motor on him, big work rate and moves really well for a big man, hence the praise over the past couple years. Neame is not that guy, different type of player.

Very different, like comparing apples and a sack of spuds

 

[Noitall]

This is 100% a no brainer of a signing - SURELY!

Look at DWZ pre signing to us at his last year at the bulldogs, he was arguably worse than what Young is now before the mid season signing

Sounds like knights want him and aren’t keen for another club for the rest of the year scenario. Sounds likely he’s heading back there, they just digging their toes in to see how much roosters will chip in to get rid of him. Could see another team come in while knights are trying to hold out though?

 

[Worried2Death]

BTM
BTY

Kick to Young
Bomb to Dom
High to the corner
Long to the pom

-Sam Huntwah

 

[Ferdie]

Patrick Moi Moi, Sio Kali, Daeon Amituanai, Tobias Crosby, Luke Hansen would be up there?

I thought Pasikala was signed for next year already?

You could be right about Pasikala, I might have missed that one...or sub-consciously ignored it because of our lack of wingers coming through

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Apologies, this is more about retention than recruitment.
But who would be our best 13 players (as in a starting lineup) of players that should be our highest priority to retain?
From the conversations here, I'll have a crack, but other opinions are welcome.
Note: This lineup excludes anyone in the top 30 or who have played NRL before.

1. Jeremiah Lemana
2. Raphael Sio
3. Kahu Capper
4. Caelys Putoko
5. Motu Pasikala
6. Jack Thompson
7. Jett Cleary
8. Jason Salalilo
9. Makaia Tafua
10. Rodney Tuipulotu Vea
11. Bishop Neal
12. Kayliss Fatialofa
13. Lennox Tuiloma

Eddie Ieremia-Toeava I think should be pretty close to top of the list if he continues to progress, he can fill in multiple positions having played centre, prop and backrow, he's a bit of a mix of workhorse but also has a bit of strike power in attack too. He's also pretty good with the 1% effort areas, kind of similar to a Capewell sort of player.

 

[Get them onside ref!]

Opinion on Dom Young to us.

He has issues but so do we. If his issues are personal and un coachable I'd leave him. But we are short a winger who knows his craft and on the end of our backline he might pull finger and buy in here. Whatever is going on with him seems like my deal breaker

*Edit. Plus he'll have Gannon to relate to. And we have better pies and fish and chips so.....

Yeah bruv
Good idea innit

 

[Adamnz support]

Are the roosters clearing the salary cap for Manu to come back? Seems strange what’s going on.

1. CNK was going to leave
2. We have a lot of cap left & there were rumours of a big signing
3. Nothing happens & we resign CNK
4. Don young gets put up for sale

This is completely speculative but just my thoughts…..seems very weird

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Are the roosters clearing the salary cap for Manu to come back? Seems strange what’s going on.

1. CNK was going to leave
2. We have a lot of cap left & there were rumours of a big signing
3. Nothing happens & we resign CNK
4. Don young gets put up for sale

This is completely speculative but just my thoughts…..seems very weird

Rumour is they're clearing cap space for DCE next season which sounds basically like a done deal.

 

[Boston Boy]

Is Barber a fullback or winger?

He played wing very effectively for the māori 18/u20s I think, but is better at the 1.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Wouldn't touch him with a bar of soap if my cell mate said your turn.

They might not touch you or your pube covered soap. I feel a ban coming on.

Disclaimer. I'm just sticking up for the sign Dom Young cohort. Not pubey soaps.

 

[Kav1]

Could it be the guy from St Bedes coming home?

The Speaker of the House? Would need to lose a few stone and age is against him

 

[Kav1]

Cowboys forum would give us Neame for a kick in the nuts at the moment. Not very popular there at present

Probably looking for scapegoats. Clifford who threw the pass to Pompey also receiving much criticism.

 

[Five&Last]

19 I think

Only since start of this year as well. Could've played SG ball this year

Very young for the shifts he's putting in at prop in NSW cup atm

 

[Kav1]

I would like Dom Young I wanted him when he was off contract a few years ago has obvious deficiencies but would fix a speed issue we've had for a long time I trust webby would help him but from what it sounds like he's going back to Newy

I heard that Newcastle are looking at a contract from 2026 ie free for remainder of 2025 (wing cover?)

 

[Makasene]

Latest on Dom Young is he is attracting interest from 'European Rugby'.

I'm guessing probably French Rugby but could be Eng too although they are a bit cash strapped.

Zero chance he ends up here it seems.

 

[miket12]

Latest on Dom Young is he is attracting interest from 'European Rugby'.

I'm guessing probably French Rugby but could be Eng too although they are a bit cash strapped.

Zero chance he ends up here it seems.

Not that I’m saying we want Young but, if the Roosters want rid of him now, sign him for the rest of the NRL season (with the Roosters paying half his pay) and then send him back to Europe at the end of our season (after we’ve played in the GF) as England and French Union runs from late September/early October through to May.

 

[Tonbridge(aka Swanley)]

Did they name every player in the comp in that article!?

And their extended families...

 

[Billyspleen75]

Good interview with Cappy on Sport Nation.
Heavily paraphrasing.. "Gannon is ready to go once he gets here. Different kind of player to what we have. Tough rangy ball playing back rower, will eventually end up in the middle. It's pretty obvious how it'll all play out, we've got some pretty handy backrowers, so you add in a ball playing lock.."

 

[Noitall]

Parramatta Eels forward offered to several teams

He is off-contract at the end of 2025.

www.zerotackle.com

Real shame that Wiremu Greig can’t get a look in anywhere. Got some good size to work with but must be lazy