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: 25/30
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, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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This thread is solely for Warriors recruitment and retention discussion. Any posts not related to the above will be deleted.

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Please be mindful of what you are posting in this thread before clicking the reply button. Zero Tolerance to offtopic chat.

 

[Get them onside ref!]

Create your own team formation

Enjoyed reading that.

I was having the same thought experiment in the doldrums of Bye week.....how do we avoid another 2024 where aged legends were kept on too long?

The unavoidable conclusion is that it falls on the coaches shoulders to make the tough calls and not select the 2024 SJs or Tohus.....to take a gamble and go with Metcalf at seven last year next to CHT as an example, imagine where we would be this year had that call been made?

I am not blaming Webster, none of us have a crystal ball, how do you tell if SJs slow down is gonner stay a thing for the whole of 2024 or whether next week he rediscovers past form? you can't, no one knows when that moment comes.

And imagine parking SJ in favor of the efforts we have seen from 2025 Metcalf at half last season....sorry but that would be a PR disaster since Metcalf was not as fluid in attack as 2024 SJ and Metcalf was not gonna kick that drop goal that wins the clincher.

But hey, look at Metcalf now, he is flying and arguably surpassing 2024 SJ, but lets not forget it took several rounds of risk to find out he could do it, props to Webster for believing.

So who is looking like the next legend that may be getting too old?

I would say attention has to go on Barnett, while in career best form pre ACL there is no guarantee he comes back the same player, there is a reason there is a user on this site that is called Tohus Knees.

A brave call by Webster would be to give Barnett a capped time limit when he returns to prove he can recapture his past form....look you don't have to sack the guy....an example of succession planning in this sample would be keeping Barnett even if his knee is shot, while having the courage to demote him to back up forward behind someone like Crosby....the next prop youngun star (calm down you Barnett lovers this is a succession discussion and I am making a narrative purely to make a point over what actually might be).

Always difficult decision
But ya can’t keep everyone
All the time
Someone moves on
Another era begins
Enjoy what’s happening right now in 2025
The rest will take care of itself
Out of our control

 

[mrblonde]

I would back that up. The Warriors are certainly well liked by league fans where I live in Queensland.

Liked because we give a tough game and liked because we give up an easy 2 points are quite different, though!

Warriors Recruitment will certainly be enhanced by proof that coming here doesn't cruel S o O Selection chances. Indeed, it may enchance those chances.

I think it's actually significant that Luke's become a new daddy here, rather than coming here from Sydney, his wife/partner becomes pregnant and Luke or his agent then uttering the words " released on compassionate grounds" in Cameron's office, which has been the typical scenario.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Enjoyed reading that.

I was having the same thought experiment in the doldrums of Bye week.....how do we avoid another 2024 where aged legends were kept on too long?

The unavoidable conclusion is that it falls on the coaches shoulders to make the tough calls and not select the 2024 SJs or Tohus.....to take a gamble and go with Metcalf at seven last year next to CHT as an example, imagine where we would be this year had that call been made?

I am not blaming Webster, none of us have a crystal ball, how do you tell if SJs slow down is gonner stay a thing for the whole of 2024 or whether next week he rediscovers past form? you can't, no one knows when that moment comes.

And imagine parking SJ in favor of the efforts we have seen from 2025 Metcalf at half last season....sorry but that would be a PR disaster since Metcalf was not as fluid in attack as 2024 SJ and Metcalf was not gonna kick that drop goal that wins the clincher.

But hey, look at Metcalf now, he is flying and arguably surpassing 2024 SJ, but lets not forget it took several rounds of risk to find out he could do it, props to Webster for believing.

So who is looking like the next legend that may be getting too old?

I would say attention has to go on Barnett, while in career best form pre ACL there is no guarantee he comes back the same player, there is a reason there is a user on this site that is called Tohus Knees.

A brave call by Webster would be to give Barnett a capped time limit when he returns to prove he can recapture his past form....look you don't have to sack the guy....an example of succession planning in this sample would be keeping Barnett even if his knee is shot, while having the courage to demote him to back up forward behind someone like Crosby....the next prop youngun star (calm down you Barnett lovers this is a succession discussion and I am making a narrative purely to make a point over what actually might be).

Well now is the perfect time to see what life without Barnett looks like.

Yes you bring him back into the fold next year. But this will be a great test for the youngsters.

But Barnett gets to fight his way back into this team, he's a legend.

 

[Dannevegas]

Just looking at our stocks in the forwards, this list is all from homegrown talent. And would give teams a real crack starting next year even now. Our depth is crazy atm


Niukore/Stowers-smith
Auloa
Vaimauga/Salalilo
Halasima
Laban/Eiemia toeava
Clark

Tafua
Ale/Afoa
Crosby
Fatialofa

 

[Makasene]

I know that the "Up the Wahs" movement has seen a huge increase in support of league but this surprised me.
Hope our recruiters were out there talent spotting.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-L7LuDUZH0

What surprised you?

Was it the crowd?

This isn't typical of first 15 rugby. This is a 100+ year rivalry between Kings College & Auckland Grammar.

As a former pupil of one of these schools it was mandatory to attend haha but we wanted to anyway.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Most of our forward depth is in the back row though. There's still room for some more middle depth. I wouldn't mind looking at bringing Tof Sipley back home. He might welcome a chance of scenery from the unhappiness that is Manly at present.

 

[Dannevegas]

Most of our forward depth is in the back row though. There's still room for some more middle depth. I wouldn't mind looking at bringing Tof Sipley back home. He might welcome a chance of scenery from the unhappiness that is Manly at present.

Ale and Afoa can’t even make grade, even when we were without Barnett. Crosby, TSS and Salalilo are certain quality first grade props in the making imo.
We need backs if anything. Hopefully Amituanai and Kali can be them

 

[UpDaWahsAucks]

I know that the "Up the Wahs" movement has seen a huge increase in support of league but this surprised me.
Hope our recruiters were out there talent spotting.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-L7LuDUZH0

Too be fair this is the biggest 1st XV rivalry in the nation. As a former student, any loss to kings was the most painful part of the year. Thankfully we didn't do that very often

 

[UpTheWahs]

Too be fair this is the biggest 1st XV rivalry in the nation. As a former student, any loss to kings was the most painful part of the year. Thankfully we didn't do that very often

Fellow Grammar Soldier

 

[Te Mana-wah]

To be fair the Broncos fans are right, everybody hates them including me.
They are a good example of the Tribalism in the NRL, the QLD team vs the rest yadda yadda.

Also when they were under Bennett their Salary cap looked smelly (basically the Origin side). Their fans are reknowned for being arrogant.

We (you and Mr Brownstain) are talking across purposes.

I agree that the Warriors enjoy neutral fan support. Unlike the Broncos fans. That accusation of behaving like them is not me.

Also I said I did not agree with everything the original poster said.

My point and the original posters point was in regards to the Australian coverage of the Warriors.

You and Mr Brownstain are talking about fan perceptions.

The Original poster who Mr Brownstain called a victim was talking about the tone of the Australian media.

You yourself have posted many times that the Australian medias job is to concentrate on Australian perspectives and that Kiwis need to deal with it.

I said that they do this and I said "Rightly".

Which is why I also said I do not agree with everything the Original poster said.

However Mr Brownstain has a history of calling people victims when their opinions do not align with his own world view....which in this case was frankly wrong.

As the Original poster claimed the media over there will talk about our achievements with an Australian spin on them. This is no different say to the New Zealand habit in Union our more successful code of saying our coaches overseas are why those countries have done well.

This is a fact, they do say RTS brought his Roosters standards to the Warriors (a point the original poster 'victim'lol made)

The Aussie Media do talk about the Warriors benefiting from the Penrith influences here.

This attitude is as old as the competition itself....as Rabs Warren said back in 2002 during the intro for the Sharks vs Warriors semifinal "has there ever been a more despised finalists in the history of the competition".

Personally I like the rhetoric, I like all their tribal "Origin is the highest form of the sport" bullshit coz like Blockers "the big Warriors forwards are tiring " or like (insert random Fox Sports expert) will say when the Warriors win "Their big pack is hard to contain and that unpredictable style they play throwing offloads is a winner" .

Bottom line, their fans over the ditch like us, their Experts in their media talk about us through an Aussie lense fact.

No posters should be called out as victims by Mr Brownstain for an opinion about the tone of the Aussie media, because that is un called for.

Let me be very clear here, I do not think the Aussie media hate us either....I think they are indifferent and apathetic because we have been so poor for so long, that it is beyond them to take us too seriously....apart from those pockets where we are flavor of the month.

And I am cool with that, does that make me a victim?

Anywho on matters of recruitment, I am finding it really hard to get any Superleague coverage of our guy over there.

To be fair the Broncos fans are right, everybody hates them including me.
They are a good example of the Tribalism in the NRL, the QLD team vs the rest yadda yadda.

Also when they were under Bennett their Salary cap looked smelly (basically the Origin side). Their fans are reknowned for being arrogant.

We (you and Mr Brownstain) are talking across purposes.

I agree that the Warriors enjoy neutral fan support. Unlike the Broncos fans. That accusation of behaving like them is not me.

Also I said I did not agree with everything the original poster said.

My point and the original posters point was in regards to the Australian coverage of the Warriors.

You and Mr Brownstain are talking about fan perceptions.

The Original poster who Mr Brownstain called a victim was talking about the tone of the Australian media.

You yourself have posted many times that the Australian medias job is to concentrate on Australian perspectives and that Kiwis need to deal with it.

I said that they do this and I said "Rightly".

Which is why I also said I do not agree with everything the Original poster said.

However Mr Brownstain has a history of calling people victims when their opinions do not align with his own world view....which in this case was frankly wrong.

As the Original poster claimed the media over there will talk about our achievements with an Australian spin on them. This is no different say to the New Zealand habit in Union our more successful code of saying our coaches overseas are why those countries have done well.

This is a fact, they do say RTS brought his Roosters standards to the Warriors (a point the original poster 'victim'lol made)

The Aussie Media do talk about the Warriors benefiting from the Penrith influences here.

This attitude is as old as the competition itself....as Rabs Warren said back in 2002 during the intro for the Sharks vs Warriors semifinal "has there ever been a more despised finalists in the history of the competition".

Personally I like the rhetoric, I like all their tribal "Origin is the highest form of the sport" bullshit coz like Blockers "the big Warriors forwards are tiring " or like (insert random Fox Sports expert) will say when the Warriors win "Their big pack is hard to contain and that unpredictable style they play throwing offloads is a winner" .

Bottom line, their fans over the ditch like us, their Experts in their media talk about us through an Aussie lense fact.

No posters should be called out as victims by Mr Brownstain for an opinion about the tone of the Aussie media, because that is un called for.

Let me be very clear here, I do not think the Aussie media hate us either....I think they are indifferent and apathetic because we have been so poor for so long, that it is beyond them to take us too seriously....apart from those pockets where we are flavor of the month.

And I am cool with that, does that make me a victim?

Anywho on matters of recruitment, I am finding it really hard to get any Superleague coverage of our guy over there.

First time I've watched Gannon play on the weekend. He scored a solo try one off the ruck (albeit against some pretty tired players in the 79th minute) showing a quick turn of foot and a step to beat a defender from about 15-20m out. For the first half of the game he was quite involved, ran well and broke a few tackles and got a few offloads away. Seemed to drift off a bit in the second stanza. His stats were - 109m gained, 1 LB assist, 3 offloads, 1 try, 5 tackle breaks. 29 tackles, 6 missed.

Small sample size but overall was impressed with his speed, ability to bend the line and break a tackle. Looked dangerous on most possessions he had.

Definitely see why he is being discussed as a ball playing lock. Nice passing game. Got a good offload away around the corner of a defender to get a LB assist.

6 Missed tackles 2 games in a row is a worry

 

[sup42]

First time I've watched Gannon play on the weekend. He scored a solo try one off the ruck (albeit against some pretty tired players in the 79th minute) showing a quick turn of foot and a step to beat a defender from about 15-20m out. For the first half of the game he was quite involved, ran well and broke a few tackles and got a few offloads away. Seemed to drift off a bit in the second stanza. His stats were - 109m gained, 1 LB assist, 3 offloads, 1 try, 5 tackle breaks. 29 tackles, 6 missed.

Small sample size but overall was impressed with his speed, ability to bend the line and break a tackle. Looked dangerous on most possessions he had.

Definitely see why he is being discussed as a ball playing lock. Nice passing game. Got a good offload away around the corner of a defender to get a LB assist.

6 Missed tackles 2 games in a row is a worry

Thanks for the run down that is great.

Sounds gun shy after head injuries. The club will help him with his tackling no two ways about it, otherwise sounds like a weapon on attack.

 

[Vancent]

6 Missed tackles 2 games in a row is a worry

…it is, and then you read about Capewahs growing tally…

 

[John Nick]

…it is, and then you read about Capewahs growing tally…

Depends on how they count the misses .Thats why defensive misses can be misleading.
EG Capes does a lot of kick chases & is first to the catcher but does tackle him but slows him down or makes him change direction & the second chasers/chaser grab him does that mean a missed tackle against Capewell.
Hence my theory of stats being misleading SOME of the time

 

[sup42]

View: https://youtu.be/2ptUhjVLv6g?si=ru9rjblCv8734vDj

I did a boring write up in the Gannon thread for anyone really bored. Gannon scores at the end of the clip after a fend, left foot step and slice through a tired and basically shot to bits Warrington defence.

 

[sup42]

Depends on how they count the misses .Thats why defensive misses can be misleading.
EG Capes does a lot of kick chases & is first to the catcher but does tackle him but slows him down or makes him change direction & the second chasers/chaser grab him does that mean a missed tackle against Capewell.
Hence my theory of stats being misleading SOME of the time

I posted a break down of the missed tackles in the Gannon thread.

Turns out they were nothing. Just statistical technicalities rather than any defensive weakness on his part.

 

[sup42]

For the first half of the game he was quite involved, ran well and broke a few tackles and got a few offloads away. Seemed to drift off a bit in the second stanza.

Excuse the quoting you multiple times but you make several good discussion points and I had a lazy three and a half hours to watch that game and rewind play by play where you didn't.

Noticed he was invisible after half time after a pretty awesome first half, then I realised that Brad Arthur uses a different game plan for Cameron Smith their starting ball playing lock who Gannon sometimes subs for as an impact player.

When Cameron Smith and Sam Lisone came on they stopped going to Gannons left edge and ball played through the middle third, Cameron Smith when he did shift left skipped Gannon out. Cameron Smith scored two Try's as well....so.....you can see why Gannon would be looking to go to a club with a ball playing forward opening.

I expect that is because at training Gannon wouldn't normally be on when Smith is running the play, a bit frustrating, Cameron Smith was a bit of a hog, Very good player but, threw that crazy cut out pass to a flying winger, can see why he is the incumbent and Kid Gannon is the young noob.

Overall you can see Gannon will bring something quite different to what we have had before as an edge ball player, like a second center out wide, I would find a way to put him near Metcalf and or Leka.

 

[roguei]

Excuse the quoting you multiple times but you make several good discussion points and I had a lazy three and a half hours to watch that game and rewind play by play where you didn't.

Noticed he was invisible after half time after a pretty awesome first half, then I realised that Brad Arthur uses a different game plan for Cameron Smith their starting ball playing lock who Gannon sometimes subs for as an impact player.

When Cameron Smith and Sam Lisone came on they stopped going to Gannons left edge and ball played through the middle third, Cameron Smith when he did shift left skipped Gannon out. Cameron Smith scored two Try's as well....so.....you can see why Gannon would be looking to go to a club with a ball playing forward opening.

I expect that is because at training Gannon wouldn't normally be on when Smith is running the play, a bit frustrating, Cameron Smith was a bit of a hog, Very good player but, threw that crazy cut out pass to a flying winger, can see why he is the incumbent and Kid Gannon is the young noob.

Overall you can see Gannon will bring something quite different to what we have had before as an edge ball player, like a second center out wide, I would find a way to put him near Metcalf and or Leka.

I honestly have no idea where you fit Gannon into the team at the moment.
Do you play him at lock? Which i assume would mean moving Demetric to prop, which i can see turning out quite well.
Do you play him at edge? Dropping one of Capes/Leka/Laban from the squad.
Or have we spent a fair chunk of change on injury cover?

 

[The Warrior Waka]

I honestly have no idea where you fit Gannon into the team at the moment.
Do you play him at lock? Which i assume would mean moving Demetric to prop, which i can see turning out quite well.
Do you play him at edge? Dropping one of Capes/Leka/Laban from the squad.
Or have we spent a fair chunk of change on injury cover?

Doesn’t Demetric already come on and play prop? There's also the small issue of Clark already killing it at 13 for us. He won't be moved. Leka will stay put also. Maybe its a toss up between Laban and Gannon. And I would personally have Laban. Unless they see Gannon as having the utility role , Covering several positions?

 

[sup42]

I honestly have no idea where you fit Gannon into the team at the moment.
Do you play him at lock? Which i assume would mean moving Demetric to prop, which i can see turning out quite well.
Do you play him at edge? Dropping one of Capes/Leka/Laban from the squad.
Or have we spent a fair chunk of change on injury cover?

He has to play.

He is a real threat in attack.

Gee you could honestly get away with playing him in Capewells Center role ahead of Berry, and Ali. His ball play and hitting a hole in support out wide is better than the lot of them.

I dunno where Webster plays him but he has said he wanted a ball playing fourteen type.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

He has to play.

He is a real threat in attack.

Gee you could honestly get away with playing him in Capewells Center role ahead of Berry, and Ali. His ball play and hitting a hole in support out wide is better than the lot of them.

I dunno where Webster plays him but he has said he wanted a ball playing fourteen type.

Have seen alot of this kid? I can't find fuck all footage of him. Even the Kayo games I have watched he has played limited minutes. Not enough game time to form an opinion of him, yet..