Recruitment Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment and Retention Discussion​

Player	2026​	2027​	2028​	2029​	2030​
Grant Anderson	-​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Mitchell Barnett	✔​	​
Rocco Berry	✔​
Tanah Boyd	✔​
Kurt Capewell	✔​
Erin Clark	✔​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Wayde Egan	✔​	✔​
Kayliss Fatialofa	✔​	✔​
James Fisher-Harris	✔​	✔​	✔​
Jackson Ford	✔​	✔​
Morgan Gannon	✔​	✔​	✔​
Leka Halasima	✔​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔​
Sam Healey	✔​	✔​
Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	✔​	✔​	✔​
Alofiana Khan-Pereira	✔​	✔​	✔​
Jacob Laban	✔​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Ali Leiataua	✔​	✔​
Jye Linnane	✔​	✔​	✔​
Te Maire Martin	✔​
Haizyn Mellars	✔​	✔​	✔​
Luke Metcalf	✔​	✔​	✔​
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔​	✔​
Marata Niukore	✔​
Adam Pompey	✔​	✔​
Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔​	✔​	✔​
Taine Tuaupiki	✔​	✔​	✔​
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔​
Demitric Vaimauga	✔​	✔​	✔​
William Warbrick	-​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔​	M​
Connor Bowden	U​	U​	✔​
Jett Cleary	S​	U​
Sio Kali	U​
Braelan Marsh	U​	U​	U​
Motu Pasikala	U​	U​

✔ = Signed to Top 30, C = Club option, M = Mutual Option, P = Player option, S = Signed to supplementary list, U = Unclear

2026 Top 30: 29/30
2026 Supplementary: 2/6

2027 Top 30: 22/30
2027 Supplementary: 0/6

2027 Gains: Grant Anderson (Brisbane Broncos), William Warbrick (Melbourne Storm)
2027 Losses: Mitchell Barnett (Brisbane Broncos), Marata Niukore (Newcastle Knights), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Wakefield Trinity)

Off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2027: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Te Maire Martin
Will be off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2028 from November 1st, 2026: Jett Cleary, Wayde Egan, Kayliss Fatialofa, Jackson Ford, Sam Healey, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Ali Leiataua, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Motu Pasikala, Adam Pompey, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak

 

[juju]

Broncos I expect

If it's money Perth.

If it's personal - NSW?

 

[Noitall]

Broncos I expect

I reckon it would be a matter of Warriors said he wouldn’t be extended past 2027, must be a mutual decision for Warriors not to hold him to his contract ending 2027?

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Shit news. He was the one player I was expecting to retire at the club after turning his career around here. Another player better be coming our way in return

 

[1995warriorsfan]

This is what the club says.

One New Zealand Warriors co-captain Mitchell Barnett will return to Australia at the end of the season for personal reasons.

Warriors CEO Cameron George today announced the 31-year-old Kangaroos and New South Wales front rower will be released from the final year of his contract.

“We’re very sad to see this happen but Mitch and his family need to be back home,” he said.
“He has become such a big part of our club. We love having him here and we know how much he loves it, too, but it’s important he, Clare and their boys are back around their family support network.

After recovering from knee surgery in 2025, the State of Origin and Kangaroos representative has two career milestones in sight as he eyes the 2026 season. His first game of the campaign will be his 50th for the One New Zealand Warriors while he’s 23 games away from his 200th career appearance.

 

[Noitall]

Shit news. He was the one player I was expecting to retire at the club after turning his career around here. Another player better be coming our way in return

Shit for us as fans but I think the club is doing the right thing in letting players go for compassionate reasons. Obviously needed in Barnett’s situation but no good having an unhappy player and can only bode well for recruitment that we aren’t a stubborn club to deal with

 

[juju]

Shit for us as fans but I think the club is doing the right thing in letting players go for compassionate reasons. Obviously needed in Barnett’s situation but no good having an unhappy player and can only bode well for recruitment that we aren’t a stubborn club to deal with

Still brutal though.

 

[Noitall]

This is what the club says.

One New Zealand Warriors co-captain Mitchell Barnett will return to Australia at the end of the season for personal reasons.

Warriors CEO Cameron George today announced the 31-year-old Kangaroos and New South Wales front rower will be released from the final year of his contract.

“We’re very sad to see this happen but Mitch and his family need to be back home,” he said.
“He has become such a big part of our club. We love having him here and we know how much he loves it, too, but it’s important he, Clare and their boys are back around their family support network.

After recovering from knee surgery in 2025, the State of Origin and Kangaroos representative has two career milestones in sight as he eyes the 2026 season. His first game of the campaign will be his 50th for the One New Zealand Warriors while he’s 23 games away from his 200th career appearance.

Good on the club doing the right thing. Hope we can send him out on a high

 

[juju]

Let's go get Jospeh Tapine.

 

[Damo]

Niukore, Capewell and now Barnett frees up a decent chuck of money if all are released. Think we would need at least one very good forward to replace that experience but hopefully we look at the Fullback options around too.

 

[Damo]

Let's go get Jospeh Tapine.

Dreaming. But I never thought we would get Fish either

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Niukore, Capewell and now Barnett frees up a decent chuck of money if all are released. Think we would need at least one very good forward to replace that experience but hopefully we look at the Fullback options around too.

I don’t see us getting rid of Marata now that Barnett is leaving.

 

[Playdaball]

I heard Whyte really misses his family in West Auckland ?????I don't think Aussie clubs give compassionate releases as easy as the Wahs

 

[Billyspleen75]

Fair.

 

[Matiunz]

Hmm same time as Hass leaving Broncs….

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Awkward with him only having a year to run in terms of bringing anyone in his place..

Probably wind up that Clark & Ford get an extension for 28/beyond and a top-up for 2027 to match it. Maybe a decent one year deal for Tuaupiki or someone in there too.

 

[SouthernWorrier]

Shit for us as fans but I think the club is doing the right thing in letting players go for compassionate reasons. Obviously needed in Barnett’s situation but no good having an unhappy player and can only bode well for recruitment that we aren’t a stubborn club to deal with

Agree. I don't know, or want to know, what the child's illness is, if the club have deemed it valid and they are exercising a duty of care to a loyal player then hats off to them. And I expect he'll remain a strong endorsement for other players wanting to take their chance over here.

AFB on the other hand was a toxic charade.

Replacing quality front rowers is never going to be easy. it would be nice to rustle up another experienced, quality Prop but at least our production line is lessening the impact of that. I always think of Barney as being our 'bigger body' so was surprised to read Demi is +1cm (188) and +9kg and they've done well to build Ford into a legit prop (sorry haters, he ain't going anywhere!)

 

[Playdaball]

I'll try and be positive about Barnett's release :
He is getting older?
He does have a history of injuries?
Leaves the door open for more $$ in our cap??
Could be an incentive for other younger props at the club to lift their game?

Who am I kidding , its a blow to lose your captain.

On another note , who will be skipper(s) next year??? JFH looks to be the cultural leader but Barnett was more of the onfield leader - Egan? Metcalf?

 

[Bevosa]

I'm heartbroken about Mitch leaving, thought he personified what our club was all about.
It's a rough list of off contract props to start 2027, Molo, Uele maybe Webby finally gets his man.
We will likely need all his cap to resign Boyd after he has a career year in 2026

 

[defensivebomb]

Wow, he’s a difficult one to replace. Good on him for doing what’s best for his child. He has been great for us

Surely you exit Niukore as well and have big bucks to spend. Not only would we be able to buy quality, but minutes-wise we should be able to squeeze out more

 

[Damo]

32 years old, coming off an ACL, could be a blessing in disguise. (This is copium )