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​
Luke Hanson	S​
Motu Pasikala	S​	U​
Caelys-Paul Putoko	S​
Jason Salalilo	S​	U​	U​
Makaia Taufa	S​	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: 6/6

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

 

[UpTheWahs]

From Eels I would ask for Brian Kelly

WHAT?
H
A
T
?

 

[tajhay]

WHAT?
H
A
T
?

No interest in a centre who will be 31 in 2027??

 

[Wrighty]

Ponga, Te Kura, or Kelly. Too difficult to choose!

I know you mean this humorously and i had a chuckle. But on a serious note, the Knights and Broncos have some trade bait they can offer. When I went through the Eels roster the cupboard is pretty bare of what would fit into the Warriors / is a good player. Everyone is expecting a big year from them but when I poured over their roster just now it is a pretty decrypted 30 man squad. They are going to be bottom 4 unless Ryles is a master mind.

 

[Wrighty]

No interest in a centre who will be 31 in 2027??

He would be a fan favourite here in no time. Another Montoya signing.

 

[John Nick]

I know you mean this humorously and i had a chuckle. But on a serious note, the Knights and Broncos have some trade bait they can offer. When I went through the Eels roster the cupboard is pretty bare of what would fit into the Warriors / is a good player. Everyone is expecting a big year from them but when I poured over their roster just now it is a pretty decrypted 30 man squad. They are going to be bottom 4 unless Ryles is a master mind.

You wouldn't be interested in Penisini ?

 

[WAH MAN]

Cam George is Whistling Dixee. He has no bargaining leverage. He can't hold Barnett back unless a player is given in compensation as Barnett is refusing to play here next year. We have no bargaining position. We have tried before to get compensation given to us for players and failed eg we tried with Reece Walsh (don't ask me for an article to prove that I just remember it, if you don't remember that then let's go with your memory I don't care).

I still see leverage. Like:

Warriors own the rights to his next contract year. They have simply said yes he can go. Turned around to have a drink then turned back and said that the compassionate grounds request will be granted upon a sufficient return from the signing team. Either that or take the loss and whip up another signing from somewhere else which I agree holds no leverage.

 

[jonesy101]

He would be a fan favourite here in no time. Another Montoya signing.

Montoya had come off some serious injuries but was only in his mid-twenties when he joined us so still had his best years ahead of him. Kelly is known for some freakishly good play mixed with some crazy play as well and I'm not sure if he would be the right answer to our center predicament.

 

[hornbybrown]

Trade him to the panthers for Leota and reunite the bash brothers

 

[Wrighty]

Montoya had come off some serious injuries but was only in his mid-twenties when he joined us so still had his best years ahead of him. Kelly is known for some freakishly good play mixed with some crazy play as well and I'm not sure if he would be the right answer to our center predicament.

Our centre depth is pourous (spelling ???) he would be a huge win for us. A NRL standard centre. Joey Manu he is not. But in all these trade offers in these situations it is not going to a like for like or someone of Barnett's quality coming back to us. Ponga is the exception as I can see the Knights wanting to salary dump him and a trade for Barnett is a great way of selling it to their Rabid fan base and yes fan perception matters. I am very serious when I say I can see Ponga being on the table. From Eels and Broncos they have to "make" on the deal or they will not do it so it will be a lesser player. So we are talking about prospects with mediocre cielings like Te Kura or journeymen like Kelly. Is he a journey man? Absolutely he is. 31 in 2027 is not too old for a centre. It might be for wing but at centre you don't need electric speed. Two year deal 2027 and 2028 then he retires in 2029. Everyone wins.

 

[Barty]

Our centre depth is pourous (spelling ???) he would be a huge win for us. A NRL standard centre. Joey Manu he is not. But in all these trade offers in these situations it is not going to a like for like or someone of Barnett's quality coming back to us. Ponga is the exception as I can see the Knights wanting to salary dump him and a trade for Barnett is a great way of selling it to their Rabid fan base and yes fan perception matters. I am very serious when I say I can see Ponga being on the table. From Eels and Broncos they have to "make" on the deal or they will not do it so it will be a lesser player. So we are talking about prospects with mediocre cielings like Te Kura or journeymen like Kelly. Is he a journey man? Absolutely he is. 31 in 2027 is not too old for a centre. It might be for wing but at centre you don't need electric speed. Two year deal 2027 and 2028 then he retires in 2029. Everyone wins.

Man oh man. The Warriors don’t win if we end up with Brian Kelly!!!!

 

[Wrighty]

Brian Kelly is the answer people. Please accept this information.

(this is a light hearted post)

 

[The Warrior Waka]

From Eels I would ask for Brian Kelly

Might as well get Pita Hiku back if we're targeting old folk.

 

[kos]

He would be a fan favourite here in no time. Another Montoya signing.

BK is the answer
I ve seen a lot of BK
Good attacking player
But Des at Manly and Hannay didn’t rate his defence and moved him on
No BK is not the answer

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

Burger King is always the answer

 

[JaggedJ]

I thought the compensation talk was based around any club that wanted him this season?

That I would understand. If you can't find a person to spend cap space on for 2027 then watch doin bruh?

 

[Makasene]

I thought the compensation talk was based around any club that wanted him this season?

That I would understand. If you can't find a person to spend cap space on for 2027 then watch doin bruh?

It goes both ways.

There are teams that will want him for 2027 that can't fit him in at the moment.

Now everyone has time to get it sorted, and hopefully we get a suitable player back.

 

[Five&Last]

I like the hard nosed approach. Not sure how much leverage we have in all this.

Are we saying to him the he should be prepared to sit out the 2027 season if we can't find a deal that we like in return?

Sounds cut throat but I like it. We will allow you to break your contract and return to Australia but you might not be playing NRL if other teams don't come to the party.

Ultimately I think we'll find a use that cap space somehow (calling burner phones of contracted players JFH/AFB style) and just release him, otherwise that cap space will just be tied up in Mitch chilling in Aus.

 

[jonesy101]

Burger King is always the answer

There's always one who says a double whopper in our pack is the answer.

 

[Billyspleen75]

Cam George is going to go out to the media and other clubs and exaggerate, embellish, schmooze and negotiate by saying whatever it is that he thinks will get the best outcome for the Warriors.

He will then get one of the below outcomes..

1. Barnett swap for a star in 26 or 27 (Ponga)
2. Barnett swap for a low/mid tier player in 26 or 27 (e.g Mariner/Kelly)
3. Barnett swap for no one (and gone in 27 with blessings)

It doesn't really matter if he only gets #3.
But it's his job to try his best for #1 and #2.

 

[tajhay]

Cam George is going to go out to the media and other clubs and exaggerate, embellish, schmooze and negotiate by saying whatever it is that he thinks will get the best outcome for the Warriors.

He will then get one of the below outcomes..

1. Barnett swap for a star in 26 or 27 (Ponga)
2. Barnett swap for a low/mid tier player in 26 or 27 (e.g Mariner/Kelly)
3. Barnett swap for no one (and gone in 27 with blessings)

It doesn't really matter if he only gets #3.
But it's his job to try his best for #1 and #2.

Re: Ponga, would the warriors have an extra 600k to cover the difference in salary between the two players? (800k v 1.4m)

I can somehow see Knights be willing to let Ponga walk towards the deal especially if they plan to put Fletcher Sharpe in at fullback and rearrange their salary cap mess with the Brown signing.

Lets not forget that Barnett will be 32 in 6 odd weeks. Coming off an ACL. Distraction of kids medical issues. I love that he is playing for us, and deserves all the plaudits that have come his way, but is he that much of a bargaining chip anyway? From Warriors perspective, would we have re-signed him past 2027? Maybe a 1 year deal at most i would say.