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: 26/30
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 other clubs from Nov 1, 2025 (Entering final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Boats n Hoes]

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.

In the modern game with the 2nd man plays, decoys and stacking sides with numbers means man on man is rarely the case and an edge defender has to jam in pending on the shift. I think also what people need to realize if your an edge defender and the ball is on the opposite side of the field your never standing opposite your winger or centre to start with. Your inside shoulder or probably even further infield to compress the defensive line which closes that space up around the ruck. Always get a chuckle when i hear "why wasnt he on his man"

Dals issue seems he doesnt let the play unfold as to wether his insides can actually recover before he makes that decision to jam and presents that outside oppertunity when if held out a little longer there was none.

In saying that tho against the Titans u couldnt fault Dal for the tries being scored on his edge. Capewell was the one jamming in early and Dallin just followed him. Any good winger knows when your centre jams in u follow him. He followed policy. Week before he was diabolical thoi.

 

[Cces]

Cameron George says there's only 1-2 spots on the roster next year then clarifies it's one. NRL website currently lists 26. "Lots of kids coming through". When pressed on external recruits he mentions looking for someone fast but states that could be an outside back or a forward. On that, on Facebook today I've read someone reckon that they saw AKP at Auckland Airport last week, prior to the Titans team flying in.
Recruitment chat from 8:30 onwards.

View: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qkWmf2rQsnLILCWP68YfD?si=lBn0fKLDRK-kwPqIJJbNVw

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Cameron George says there's only 1-2 spots on the roster next year then clarifies it's one. NRL website currently lists 26. "Lots of kids coming through". When pressed on external recruits he mentions looking for someone fast but states that could be an outside back or a forward. On that, on Facebook today I've read someone reckon that they saw AKP at Auckland Airport last week, prior to the Titans team flying in.
Recruitment chat from 8:30 onwards.

View: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qkWmf2rQsnLILCWP68YfD?si=lBn0fKLDRK-kwPqIJJbNVw

Strange as we have 5 players off contract at the end of the season.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

God it drives me nuts when he and Cappy go on radio and says this shit..

WHOOOOOO????!!!!

Most of them would be upgrades to young players already at the club, so why do we have to keep guessing

 

[Ferdie]

Cameron George says there's only 1-2 spots on the roster next year then clarifies it's one. NRL website currently lists 26. "Lots of kids coming through". When pressed on external recruits he mentions looking for someone fast but states that could be an outside back or a forward. On that, on Facebook today I've read someone reckon that they saw AKP at Auckland Airport last week, prior to the Titans team flying in.
Recruitment chat from 8:30 onwards.

View: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qkWmf2rQsnLILCWP68YfD?si=lBn0fKLDRK-kwPqIJJbNVw

I interpreted when he said 28/29 he was referring to the years 2028 and 2029. As in how far out they're looking at their roster. Not how many are signed for next year.

 

[Cces]

I interpreted when he said 28/29 he was referring to the years 2028 and 2029. As in how far out they're looking at their roster. Not how many are signed for next year.

He mentions next year's 1 roster spot to be filled before going on to talk about forward planning for '28/'29

 

[Dippa]

Sounds about right. Get him, put him in our system, train him, unleash him!

 

[John Nick]

View attachment 13988

Sounds about right. Get him, put him in our system, train him, unleash him!

Sus on D apparently. Oh well the opposition can't score many tries when they are standing on their own try line waiting for the conversion.
Simplistic but posters are continually moaning about our lack of attacking ability

 

[Bevosa]

I would prefer a tall winger over fast, our bombs to the corners this year have been elite from CHT LM and TB. A real area we could score more points if we actually had tall threats.

Not nocking AKP he would be a great get. He is a Left side winger from memory? means we would have to move Roger if correct.

 

[UpDaWahsAucks]

I would prefer a tall winger over fast, our bombs to the corners this year have been elite from CHT LM and TB. A real area we could score more points if we actually had tall threats.

Not nocking AKP he would be a great get. He is a Left side winger from memory? means we would have to move Roger if correct.

I hear Saudi Arabia is nice this time of the year

 

[Wah's Up]

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.

Correct Philsys, Shaun Johnson said that in one of his podcasts a couple of months back also, have you noticed how many bandages he has?
Him CHT and Capewell are playing busted, our team has taken a hammering of late with so many injuries.
If we had our first choice team out there I'm certain the Webby would be giving youngsters a run.

 

[Ref]

AKP is as electric as Hammer and not afraid of contact.
Defensive reads sometimes not the best but I’d be keen and we could improve that.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Keen.

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Sus on D apparently. Oh well the opposition can't score many tries when they are standing on their own try line waiting for the conversion.
Simplistic but posters are continually moaning about our lack of attacking ability

Leading try scorer and dally m winger of the year last season to being dropped completely this season. Would welcome him with open arms

 

[John Nick]

Leading try scorer and dally m winger of the year last season to being dropped completely this season. Would welcome him with open arms

Yeah mate
We are so missing in the speed department. Imagine this guy cruising up alongside a Leka break
Would be put down the glasses every time

 

[Cces]

dally m winger of the year last season

To'o and Lomax shared that award

 

[sup42]

God it drives me nuts when he and Cappy go on radio and says this shit..

WHOOOOOO????!!!!

Most of them would be upgrades to young players already at the club, so why do we have to keep guessing

If they announce that they plan on upgrading local player X to the NRL like you wish, then player X goes off an signs elsewhere, it leaves egg on the clubs face and give the media and cynics something to make a fuss about.

Same is true for overseas targets. We have seen that back fire a fair bit even after the ink has dried on the contract.

I do not blame them for keeping their cards close to their chest.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Move Roger, sign AKP.

Pompey babysits AKP, Roger babysits Ali.

 

[Noitall]

If they announce that they plan on upgrading local player X to the NRL like you wish, then player X goes off an signs elsewhere, it leaves egg on the clubs face and give the media and cynics something to make a fuss about.

Same is true for overseas targets. We have seen that back fire a fair bit even after the ink has dried on the contract.

I do not blame them for keeping their cards close to their chest.

When I look at our current recruitment and even rumours, it all looks very deliberate in identifying the particular players and their skill, size, speed or whatever the attraction is to the player. Gannon seems a mix of size and ball playing, Linnane a highly rated running halve coming through and if there’s any truth to pursuing Chevy Stewart, it would seem we’re looking to transition to an attacking fullback? Same with if there’s any truth to interest in Gagai, potentially looking for an experienced centre?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

View attachment 13988

Sounds about right. Get him, put him in our system, train him, unleash him!

Ive only ever seen him play left wing, would Roger mover to the right?

I would be keen to see him here though.