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	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Haizyn Mellars	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Top 30 2026: 29/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos), Haizyn Mellars (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
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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[BangBro's (still banging)]

That clubs a mess

And they lost to them

 

[Cces]

Jett’s contract has been upgraded from train and trial to top 30, making him eligible to make his first grade debut this season.

Jett Cleary earns contract upgrade, eyes NRL debut

He is the younger brother of Nathan Cleary.

www.zerotackle.com

I don't think this was required to make him eligible. MGT has already played this year despite not being in Top 30. Roache & Going did the same in 2023

 

[kos]

Okay. Do you think he would improve here under Webster?
DWZ hasn't

Apparently it’s all a long term plan and we will win the comp in 3/5 years

I don’t know

Can you teach a poor defender to defend well?

 

[John Nick]

Apparently it’s all a long term plan and we will win the comp in 3/5 years

I don’t know

Can you teach a poor defender to defend well?

Depending upon the players attitude but probably yes

Who's leading the local comp there

 

[Boats n Hoes]

I don’t know

Can you teach a poor defender to defend well?

Shaun Johnson.

Couldnt tackle for shit when he came to the club.

Reuben Wiki took him under his wing, ran at him every practice until eventually he was putting the likes of Sam Burgess on his arse.

Darren Lockyer another. Was a shit defender so every team targetted him until through probably sheer repetition he became competent,

Dallins issue isnt tackling, its reading the play.

 

[Cces]

Jett Cleary earns contract upgrade, eyes NRL debut

He is the younger brother of Nathan Cleary.

www.zerotackle.com

Jett Cleary into the top 30 for rest of the season in a contract upgrade

This story has now disappeared & just goes to his bio. Has a tick for this year but the write up is gone

 

[John Nick]

Shaun Johnson.

Couldnt tackle for shit when he came to the club.

Reuben Wiki took him under his wing, ran at him every practice until eventually he was putting the likes of Sam Burgess on his arse.

Darren Lockyer another. Was a shit defender so every team targetted him until through probably sheer repetition he became competent,

Dallins issue isnt tackling, its reading the play.

Matthew Ridge was a genius at Manly for organizing the defensive line. Shouting to guys to fill in gaps or slide or whatever
Dallin does make bad decisions

 

[Noitall]

This story has now disappeared & just goes to his bio. Has a tick for this year but the write up is gone

Has a tick on all 3 years? Nothing from the club officially

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Matthew Ridge was a genius at Manly for organizing the defensive line. Shouting to guys to fill in gaps or slide or whatever
Dallin does make bad decisions

He player watches. He never checks where the ball is. Ever!

 

[kos]

Matthew Ridge was a genius at Manly for organizing the defensive line. Shouting to guys to fill in gaps or slide or whatever
Dallin does make bad decisions

Penrith and Canterbury moved him on
We however just keep selecting him every week

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Gagai signed w knights on 1 year extension

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Okay. Do you think he would improve here under Webster?
DWZ hasn't

There are some guys who just don't improve. Was at a game where it was workplace vs workplace. One guy had a union background and whenever he got the ball he would try and chip the ball over the top of his opposition player. Every fucking time. Got to the point that the hooker tried to punch him in the face. Had the whole team scream at him not to kick the ball. Guess what he did next time he got the ball. Yep he kicked it. DWZ reminds me of that guy. Just will always do the same no matter what.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

There are some guys who just don't improve. Was at a game where it was workplace vs workplace. One guy had a union background and whenever he got the ball he would try and chip the ball over the top of his opposition player. Every fucking time. Got to the point that the hooker tried to punch him in the face. Had the whole team scream at him not to kick the ball. Guess what he did next time he got the ball. Yep he kicked it. DWZ reminds me of that guy. Just will always do the same no matter what.

Great story, had me laughing

 

[Boats n Hoes]

There are some guys who just don't improve. Was at a game where it was workplace vs workplace. One guy had a union background and whenever he got the ball he would try and chip the ball over the top of his opposition player. Every fucking time. Got to the point that the hooker tried to punch him in the face. Had the whole team scream at him not to kick the ball. Guess what he did next time he got the ball. Yep he kicked it. DWZ reminds me of that guy. Just will always do the same no matter what.

Yeah played outside backs with a guy for years. Had a defensive policy depending on what sort of shape was thrown up against us would either jam in and shut or slide out and save. U could guarentee he would get it wrong and do the opposite. We'd have trainings where we'd specifically break down things for him but come game time just the same thing. Lost a few finals cause of him. Dude just couldnt read the cues. Frustrating as hell.

 

[PhilsySH35]

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.

but don't we have that now and look how its affected our forwards last couple of games, we got manhandled sigh...think we need to go back to the big boppas likes of sam backo, bring back Bunteee or tom ale yiiihhhaaa! suuiiiiii, suuuiii hillbillies lol love roast pork!

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Yeah played outside backs with a guy for years. Had a defensive policy depending on what sort of shape was thrown up against us would either jam in and shut or slide out and save. U could guarentee he would get it wrong and do the opposite. We'd have trainings where we'd specifically break down things for him but come game time just the same thing. Lost a few finals cause of him. Dude just couldnt read the cues. Frustrating as hell.

Decision making under pressure. Some guys just cant get it

 

[Boston Boy]

but don't we have that now and look how its affected our forwards last couple of games, we got manhandled sigh...think we need to go back to the big boppas likes of sam backo, bring back Bunteee or tom ale yiiihhhaaa! suuiiiiii, suuuiii hillbillies lol love roast pork!

I haven't really watched the whole game recently to form a good opinion. I do agree however like having a large pack, I love the way players like NAS can single handedly destroy teams but you do need a balance. I don't mind Bunty, and Ale seems to be a step above in cup. Not sure if I would bring both up or just one?

 

[PhilsySH35]

Yeah played outside backs with a guy for years. Had a defensive policy depending on what sort of shape was thrown up against us would either jam in and shut or slide out and save. U could guarentee he would get it wrong and do the opposite. We'd have trainings where we'd specifically break down things for him but come game time just the same thing. Lost a few finals cause of him. Dude just couldnt read the cues. Frustrating as hell.

unlucky bro, just listened to ash podcast about why dallin jams in, it is to help his center inside man force ball player into the risker option of the cutout pass to the winger, I never could understand that, you tackled your man, job done or and if you could then help your team mate, when I played it was pretty simple man on man defense, played openside prop so don't know the intricacies of the backs, back in the day it was simple tackle your man if the inside man needs help from the winger then he bloody useless, get someone in who can, one thing I would encourage dallin to do is to try what I call dummy tackle - make as if you're going in to help your center, feint in (just needs a half a step or sway in the direction and then smash your winger even if he doesn't get the ball, I did something similar in the forwards i.e. make out I was going for a legs tackle down low then I'd come up high targeting the ball area - caught the ball runner out a few times - gotta do the unexpected! - us props are not just pretty boys tho like the backs lol.

 

[Boston Boy]

unlucky bro, just listened to ash podcast about why dallin jams in, it is to help his center inside man force ball player into the risker option of the cutout pass to the winger, I never could understand that, you tackled your man, job done or and if you could then help your team mate, when I played it was pretty simple man on man defense, played openside prop so don't know the intricacies of the backs, back in the day it was simple tackle your man if the inside man needs help from the winger then he bloody useless, get someone in who can, one thing I would encourage dallin to do is to try what I call dummy tackle - make as if you're going in to help your center, feint in (just needs a half a step or sway in the direction and then smash your winger even if he doesn't get the ball, I did something similar in the forwards i.e. make out I was going for a legs tackle down low then I'd come up high targeting the ball area - caught the ball runner out a few times - gotta do the unexpected! - us props are not just pretty boys tho like the backs lol.

Well the risk reward of encouraging them to throw the cut out ball is not working out for us is it? The other teams are getting lots of rewards. Playing the Warriors you know you will score 2-3 trys on Dallins side each game. It's pretty poor excuse, everyone in the media are friends and don't want to call out the crap D in my opinion. I notice when TT was on that edge the defense improved, obviously TT struggled under the high ball but it seemed that other teams scored less tries when TT was on that wing (I don't have stats, so just anecdotal).

 

[MrFrankWhite]

unlucky bro, just listened to ash podcast about why dallin jams in, it is to help his center inside man force ball player into the risker option of the cutout pass to the winger, I never could understand that, you tackled your man, job done or and if you could then help your team mate, when I played it was pretty simple man on man defense, played openside prop so don't know the intricacies of the backs, back in the day it was simple tackle your man if the inside man needs help from the winger then he bloody useless, get someone in who can, one thing I would encourage dallin to do is to try what I call dummy tackle - make as if you're going in to help your center, feint in (just needs a half a step or sway in the direction and then smash your winger even if he doesn't get the ball, I did something similar in the forwards i.e. make out I was going for a legs tackle down low then I'd come up high targeting the ball area - caught the ball runner out a few times - gotta do the unexpected! - us props are not just pretty boys tho like the backs lol.

The jam works if you commit on the right play and your inside men can slide. None of that is occurring on that right edge