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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[Dannevegas]

Id rather the stains on my jocks play wing before Staines from the Tigpies.

ye true I take that back.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Fxxg pussy
Too scared to write Marks surname

Nangatuasi

 

[sballer7]

TBF to Ponga, it sounds as though he has been playing injured for a while now.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

he's also not a magician. Hard to create anything when your pack is getting dominated every week.

TBF to Ponga, it sounds as though he has been playing injured for a while now.

 

[The Undertaker]

he's also not a magician. Hard to create anything when your pack is getting dominated every week.

Who would you rather have in 2027 - Haas or Ponga? Both sound like they are going to market.

Both won’t be chasing dollars as much as titles. We in the hunt for both?

I think so…

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Who would you rather have in 2027 - Haas or Ponga? Both sound like they are going to market.

Both won’t be chasing dollars as much as titles. We in the hunt for both?

I think so…

I would rather Haas all day!

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Who would you rather have in 2027 - Haas or Ponga? Both sound like they are going to market.

Both won’t be chasing dollars as much as titles. We in the hunt for both?

I think so…

Ponga would singlehandedly change our attack, an area where we are currently struggling.

Haas would give us even more go forward and dominance up the middle, something we are currently one of the better teams at in the NRL.

Either would be one of the best signings in the Warriors history, but I'd prefer Ponga. Especially if he turns his back on State of Origin, that's at least 3 more games we'd have him each year over Haas

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Who would you rather have in 2027 - Haas or Ponga? Both sound like they are going to market.

Both won’t be chasing dollars as much as titles. We in the hunt for both?

I think so…

I back our pack. I actually think we have one of the best packs in the comp: we have a nice balance between youthful explosiveness, mongrel and experience. We also have (probably) the best nursery of young forwards coming through development pathways. So I wouldn't be investing in a forward. Our real issue is the lack of pace in our backline. I think we are one or two star outside backs short of a genuine shot at the title. Not sure that KP is the answer though.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

How come Fletcher Sharpe doesnt need all these extra things that Ponga does?

 

[sup42]

Ponga would singlehandedly change our attack, an area where we are currently struggling.

Haas would give us even more go forward and dominance up the middle, something we are currently one of the better teams at in the NRL.

Either would be one of the best signings in the Warriors history, but I'd prefer Ponga. Especially if he turns his back on State of Origin, that's at least 3 more games we'd have him each year over Haas

Summed it up how it is.

Haas would be a poor option in our system vs Ponga. We have a bunch of Xfactor young forwards coming through and no ball playing, side stepping, quick outside backs.

 

[Damo]

How come Fletcher Sharpe doesnt need all these extra things that Ponga does?

What do you mean? He does?
Sharpe had a terrible game this week as he didn't get to play a reserve grade Panthers team like last week.
Knights were dominated, the spine (including Sharpe) struggled as a result. Whoever is the Knights fullback will struggle when the forward pack gets dominated like they did

 

[MrFrankWhite]

What do you mean? He does?
Sharpe had a terrible game this week as he didn't get to play a reserve grade Panthers team like last week.
Knights were dominated, the spine (including Sharpe) struggled as a result. Whoever is the Knights fullback will struggle when the forward pack gets dominated like they did

17 runs for 192m, 59pcm, even got a tackle bust in, and thats "terrible"? I agree the knights are in all sorts, but Ponga is part of the problem. He ran for 105m vs the Titans...

Hence why I don't think we should recruit him (added so I dont get banned)

 

[Damo]

17 runs for 192m, 59pcm, even got a tackle bust in, and thats "terrible"? I agree the knights are in all sorts, but Ponga is part of the problem. He ran for 105m vs the Titans...

Hence why I don't think we should recruit him (added so I dont get banned)

Did you watch the game as well? He played terribly, that isn't always reflected in the stats. We all know that

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Did you watch the game as well? He played terribly, that isn't always reflected in the stats. We all know that

On and off. It was on in the background. He didnt seem that much worse than the Knights as a collective.

 

[hornbybrown]

Given the Roosters success with Wallaby Mark, I'm wondering whether we need to have a closer look at possible converts from union. Surely there are established ABs playing in super rugby who might be interested in a new challenge. This is one area where I would think that we have the natural advantage over Aussie NRL sides given that ABs>>>>>>>>Wallabies.

I think if you are going that route you aim for fringe AB’s. They are on less but probably still as good as most starting Wallabies.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

To play devils advocate with KP, part of the problem is that he is playing under a pack that is getting dominated every week. Add on top of that a useless spine of Cogger, Gamble, etc, the pressure is on him to create everything and when he doesn't produce magic, he always gets all the blame. Finally, he's playing under a useless coach who looks and sounds clueless. Playing under that environment wears you thin.

His talents would be better utilized in a system where i) the pack is going forward and ii) he isn't the main conductor but one of many. I think there's an argument that he'd thrive under webby. But in my own mind, our structures require a CNK/Edwards/Tracey style defensive FB as opposed to a flashy one like Walsh or KP.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

To play devils advocate with KP, part of the problem is that he is playing under a pack that is getting dominated every week. Add on top of that a useless spine of Cogger, Gamble, etc, the pressure is on him to create everything and when he doesn't produce magic, he always gets all the blame. Finally, he's playing under a useless coach who looks and sounds clueless. Playing under that environment wears you thin.

His talents would be better utilized in a system where i) the pack is going forward and ii) he isn't the main conductor but one of many. I think there's an argument that he'd thrive under webby. But in my own mind, our structures require a CNK/Edwards/Tracey style defensive FB as opposed to a flashy one like Walsh or KP.

And the final and most important issue is he looks and plays like he doesn't give a fuck. Lots of good players in shit teams. The good ones stand out.

 

[CWC]

Are EIT and the Faxxxxuz kid the next Leka (generational) or Katoa/Papalii, or journeyman fill ins?

 

[sydneywarrior92]

And the final and most important issue is he looks and plays like he doesn't give a fuck. Lots of good players in shit teams. The good ones stand out.

sort of like SJ from 2012-2018 I would say. His career trajectory looks the same in the sense that he needs a reboot somewhere else. Same as Tino at Gold Coast. It's criminal that he's wasting away his best years at that joint.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

sort of like SJ from 2012-2018 I would say. His career trajectory looks the same in the sense that he needs a reboot somewhere else.

He definitely has the talent. Not trying to deny that.