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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[Neo]

I hear Jono Wright is available.

AW can make big offseason moves, we saw it this year. I think the only person 100% guaranteed to be in his position rnd1 next year (in the backs) and thats CNK. Id say RTS too but theres a chance he takes up the overseas gig.

Isn’t that rugby comp only coming into existence in 2027?

 

[Leon Black]

Size and speed the next "Will Warbrick" style player ... If only Rocco wasn't made of glass I'm sure he would have been one of our stars ...so gutted for the guy coming from someone that has a he fair share of injuries like most of the time as I age LOL

Agree—if he’s fit, he’d make a quality centre. Warbrick’s handling was all over the place last night. That Fijian we had four or more years ago was absolute fire for the Drua—what a player! Think his name was Ravutaumada, aka ‘Pre-season Sand Dune God’? Could be wrong, but he looked unstoppable. Signed to French Rugby now

 

[JaggedJ]

Great effort, but ultimately our limited creativity/talent is going to cost us like it has all year.

With the breeze Cleary will grind us down.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Great effort, but ultimately our limited creativity/talent is going to cost us like it has all year.

With the breeze Cleary will grind us down.

We need set plays that involve Leka & Pompey and isolatiing there opponents with one on one opportunities. We know what Leka can do. Pompey has it in him too.

 

[JaggedJ]

We need set plays that involve Leka & Pompey and isolatiing there opponents with one on one opportunities. We know what Leka can do. Pompey has it in him too.

Agree, but hard against riff at the best of time. These conditions make it harder.

Feel like kicks or Egan creating something from short range are our best hope which unfortunately brings us back to our breeze/Cleary issue.

 

[JaggedJ]

Dummy half scoot!!!

So effective, not used often enough.

 

[Ever Hopeful]

This is the recruitment thread fellas.

 

[JaggedJ]

This is the recruitment thread fellas.

We need to recruit dummy half scooters.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Bring Sam on!!

 

[Five&Last]

Agree, Leroy Carter, Caleb Clarke would be nice, but plenty of quality in NPC too!

Have you seen much of Harry Tauafiafi-Iutoi in our Jersey Flegg?

The last 3 or 4 games of the season he looked unbelievable after being pretty quiet prior to that. Size, speed and power for a wing.

We poached him from the Auckland Club Rugby scene, he's 21 I believe. But he looks like he might have a future in first grade.

After dropping Rapheal Sio for him, Brandon Norris and him were just terrorising teams on each wing.

Give it two years and we will have some really strong wing stocks (age in two years time) -
Sio Kali (22)
Haizyn Mellars (23)
Ezekiel Davidson Faaiuaso (20)
Brandon Norris (22)
Motu Pasikala (22)
Harry Tauafiafi-Iutoi (23)

 

[Playdaball]

I believe the club needs to have a mini overhaul of their roster .
Loyalty has played a big part with the coach but it is time to look at options for some of the older players.
Can they off load some of the talent and build on areas where they are weak e.g. speed? Finding or developing a world class centre? A back up front rower? An assistant coach ?
I wouldn’t have confidence that they’ll do this but if not , even with Metcalf and Barney returning , we’ll still be short of ‘cattle’.
Pathways is working well but being let down by the experienced players .

 

[Dannevegas]

Agree—if he’s fit, he’d make a quality centre. Warbrick’s handling was all over the place last night. That Fijian we had four or more years ago was absolute fire for the Drua—what a player! Think his name was Ravutaumada, aka ‘Pre-season Sand Dune God’? Could be wrong, but he looked unstoppable. Signed to French Rugby now

Ye Ravutaumada was shocking on defence for us. Then seen him carving up in a World Cup against England with Fiji. Would’ve been good to keep him.
What happened to Junior Ratuva?

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I believe the club needs to have a mini overhaul of their roster .
Loyalty has played a big part with the coach but it is time to look at options for some of the older players.
Can they off load some of the talent and build on areas where they are weak e.g. speed? Finding or developing a world class centre? A back up front rower? An assistant coach ?
I wouldn’t have confidence that they’ll do this but if not , even with Metcalf and Barney returning , we’ll still be short of ‘cattle’.
Pathways is working well but being let down by the experienced players .

I respectfully disagree sir.

Cattle wise - we had our 2 best players out for half the comp, and essentially our preferred centres lasted about 20% of the season. With a bit of luck next year, we have these guys back and maybe a slightly different point of attack with an AKP or a young fulla like Kali, Mellors or Fatialofa pushing for a spot in FG, I would expect us to stay around that top 4-6 teams fairly comfortably

 

[sydneywarrior92]

I'm late to the LKP chat as I've just caught up on the news. But I'm in favor of bringing him here. If we know one thing about webby is that he has an uncanny ability of taking mid players to the next level. LKP for sure has as many rocks as diamonds at this stage. But give him an off-season with webby and I think we can work on those rocks. Those diamonds though are valuable: he's got something we desperately need: speed.

 

[JaggedJ]

I believe the club needs to have a mini overhaul of their roster .
Loyalty has played a big part with the coach but it is time to look at options for some of the older players.
Can they off load some of the talent and build on areas where they are weak e.g. speed? Finding or developing a world class centre? A back up front rower? An assistant coach ?
I wouldn’t have confidence that they’ll do this but if not , even with Metcalf and Barney returning , we’ll still be short of ‘cattle’.
Pathways is working well but being let down by the experienced players .

It's already happening. We'll start to see it next year.

Our off contract list. * are for guys who are top 17 this year.

RTS*
Capewah*
Niukore*
CHT*
Berry*
Metcalf*
Boyd
Lussick
TMM
TT
EIT

From that lot I would only consider Metcalf and EIT as must re-sign with a wait and see approach on the others.

3 second rowers, 4 halves, 3 outside backs and Lussick.

We know Lussick won't be kept.

Our young second row stocks are Laban, Leka, Fatialofa and I'm assuming EIT.

We signed Mellars, looking at AKP and have Kali/Norris approaching quickly in the outside backs.

Linnane is top 30 next year along with Jett in 2027 so next year is the last year for at least 2 halves (TMM and Boyd odds on).

The balancing act next year will be winning games while getting experience into the younger guys so they're ready to take over fully in 2027.

 

[Wellington Warrior]

What happened to Junior Ratuva?

Also plays for Fiji in union..
He couldn’t even make the Dolphins Q Cup side when he was contracted for the warriors.. his defence was non existent.

 

[Five&Last]

What happened to Junior Ratuva?

Deer in headlights at every single level. I don't think he actually knew how to play the game.

 

[jumpman5xl]

Come November 1st. 2 names Jayden Campbell and Herbie Farnworth.
Would elevate us to contenders straight away.

 

[Sukhdev]

Come November 1st. 2 names Jayden Campbell and Herbie Farnworth.
Would elevate us to contenders straight away.

Herbie would be amazing for us but I don't know he would want to move to NZ. Jayden I'm still on the fence cause he has moments of lack of concentration.

 

[jumpman5xl]

Herbie would be amazing for us but I don't know he would want to move to NZ. Jayden I'm still on the fence cause he has moments of lack of concentration.

I think Jayden's best position is Fullback. Under Webby. Could go to new levels. Money talks for both of them.