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	Jye Linnane	✔	✔	✔	✔
19	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
20	Te Maire Martin	✔
21	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
22	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
23	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
24	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
25	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔	✔	✔
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
29	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: 29/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 26/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin
Can negotiate with others clubs from 01/11/25 (final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

---

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

Repeat offenders will have their access to this page limited.

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

 

[Leon Black]

Apologies if this has been posted or if I have dropped into wrong thread…


View: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fy5WRNwbw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

[Leon Black]

Ali appeared to get injured again in NSW Cup today… we seriously need a top-quality centre. Between him and Rocco, we just can’t rely on either to stay fit or be available when it matters.

They’re starting to remind me of those dodgy old Russian cars from 15–20 years ago — Ladas, or whatever they were called. Always breaking down, never dependable.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Ali appeared to get injured again in NSW Cup today… we seriously need a top-quality centre. Between him and Rocco, we just can’t rely on either to stay fit or be available when it matters.

They’re starting to remind me of those dodgy old Russian cars from 15–20 years ago — Ladas, or whatever they were called. Always breaking down, never dependable.

I'm a huge Berry fan, but if he comes back before finals and doesn't last til the end of the year, we surely have to move on from him.
He'd get a better offer elsewhere, but I think we offer him a minimum contract and go to market for a more reliable, high end option.
If he ends up getting his body right we can upgrade and extend etc, but moving forward you couldn't pay him more than chump change, just too unreliable

 

[Leon Black]

I'm a huge Berry fan, but if he comes back before finals and doesn't last til the end of the year, we surely have to move on from him.
He'd get a better offer elsewhere, but I think we offer him a minimum contract and go to market for a more reliable, high end option.
If he ends up getting his body right we can upgrade and extend etc, but moving forward you couldn't pay him more than chump change, just too unreliable

I agree, always rated him but can’t keep key position players made of glass year on end

 

[WA Warrior]

Apologies if this has been posted or if I have dropped into wrong thread…


View: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Fy5WRNwbw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Fuck I’m pumped after that!

 

[CWC]

Mariner, Stewart, Shiba, Wilson, anyone, that backline on the right looks like golden oldies right now with slow or injured players

 

[Playdaball]

They’re starting to remind me of those dodgy old Russian cars from 15–20 years ago — Ladas, or whatever they were called. Always breaking down, never dependable.

I do like that analogy.

Ladas came about in Nz as the Russian Govt owned NZ $$$ as a result of not being able to pay for us selling them butter .

Based on butter prices now , imagine how many Russian lada cars you would see on the streets of Nz !!

 

[Playdaball]

I stand by my earlier comments in that I’d welcome any of the Titans outside backs to the Warriors !!!!

 

[Noitall]

I’m really liking our squad and feel like this season has shown a couple of areas that we could potentially use some recruitment. Barnett has been a loss and feel like another middle forward could be handy with our stalwarts ageing. Vaimauga has potential of filling that void and Gannon is arriving, but hard to say how he will be used at this point. We’ve supposedly been after an outside back and feel like an experienced centre could be handy until Leiataua and Berry can hopefully overcome their injury concerns of recent times. There’s also what’s happening with DWZ to consider. I like Kali but feel he’s at least another season away, perhaps more before becoming a regular first grade consistent player?

 

[CWC]

I’m really liking our squad and feel like this season has shown a couple of areas that we could potentially use some recruitment. Barnett has been a loss and feel like another middle forward could be handy with our stalwarts ageing. Vaimauga has potential of filling that void and Gannon is arriving, but hard to say how he will be used at this point. We’ve supposedly been after an outside back and feel like an experienced centre could be handy until Leiataua and Berry can hopefully overcome their injury concerns of recent times. There’s also what’s happening with DWZ to consider. I like Kali but feel he’s at least another season away, perhaps more before becoming a regular first grade consistent player?

Our young local outside backs seem to be made of glass for some reason

 

[Noitall]

Our young local outside backs seem to be made of glass for some reason

Even Robert Toia had constant serious injuries for a bit but now is flying when he was always highly rated. Hopefully our guys fortunes change too

 

[Falcon]

Outside of my pie in the sky request for a Herbie Farnworth signing for 27, I’d like the club to have a squiz at Cronulla pair Sam Stonestreet to fill a wing spot and Tuku Hau Tapua for extra front row stocks for next season.
I’m liking that he’s 1.96m and 114kg, Auckland born and only 23 years old and stuck behind a plethora of front rowers at the Sharks.
Our exciting young guys like Salalilo are at least a couple of seasons away, Bunty and Ale dont seem to be favoured, Barnett will be coming back from an ACL.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Outside of my pie in the sky request for a Herbie Farnworth signing for 27, I’d like the club to have a squiz at Cronulla pair Sam Stonestreet to fill a wing spot and Tuku Hau Tapua for extra front row stocks for next season.
I’m liking that he’s 1.96m and 114kg, Auckland born and only 23 years old and stuck behind a plethora of front rowers at the Sharks.
Our exciting young guys like Salalilo are at least a couple of seasons away, Bunty and Ale dont seem to be favoured, Barnett will be coming back from an ACL.

Does Webster want a 110kg+ front rower? I would argue it’s not part of Webby ball.

He wants 105kg, mobile, energetic, heavy set second rowers.

 

[Boston Boy]

Create your own team formation

Does Webster want a 110kg+ front rower? I would argue it’s not part of Webby ball.

He wants 105kg, mobile, energetic, heavy set second rowers.

I think you are right, he wants rugged, agile and very fit defensive forwards that can pin other teams in their own halves and severely limit there metres. He also wants a back 3 who can compensate for the energy expended on defense and make good metres out of their own half. A big oaf who is not intense defensively and agile is not a high priority. One strike second rower who is powerful on the edge is perhaps a possibility but not a huge prop who is poor on D.

 

[Fowardpass]

I stand by my earlier comments in that I’d welcome any of the Titans outside backs to the Warriors !!!!

Why change teams
They keep beating us

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Why change teams
They keep beating us

Umm, one team is in the top 4 and one is fighting for the spoon....

Pretty good reason to change teams

 

[Falcon]

I think you are right, he wants rugged, agile and very fit defensive forwards that can pin other teams in their own halves and severely limit there metres. He also wants a back 3 who can compensate for the energy expended on defense and make good metres out of their own half. A big oaf who is not intense defensively and agile is not a high priority. One strike second rower who is powerful on the edge is perhaps a possibility but not a huge prop who is poor on D.

While I’m not going to disagree, that’s why you have a 17 man squad, so you can offer up something different when or if needed.

 

[Boston Boy]

While I’m not going to disagree, that’s why you have a 17 man squad, so you can offer up something different when or if needed.

I agree, I like a power second rower and a beastly prop in the 17, the rest can be rugged defensive guys. Webbys formula seems to work though so who am I?

 

[Pop Dukez]

Does Webster want a 110kg+ front rower? I would argue it’s not part of Webby ball.

He wants 105kg, mobile, energetic, heavy set second rowers.

100%

The speed of the game has increased significantly, lighter and more mobile front rowers are now and the future, we’re heading in the right direction

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Dallin needs somebody to challenge him for his spot, the unfortunate thing is, Ed Kosi is crap and the others aren't there just yet. So we will keep seeing DWZ being picked.

The only one at the club that could challenge him is Tuaupiki, but his best position is fullback.

They must go to the market for an NRL ready winger, particularly a right sided winger.