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

 

[Falcon]

I haven't watched Te Kura all that much, but Arthars seems like he's got a pretty good ceiling on him, no?

Part of the player trade is we take a player this year, but Mitch joins them next year.

 

[Falcon]

Will Warbrick signed for 2027????
Where does that leave RtS (Japan) or DWZ?
I was hoping for a strike centre.

Will Warbrick signed for 2027????
Where does that leave RtS (Japan) or DWZ?
I was hoping for a strike centre.

Joey Manu in June.

 

[WAH MAN]

Last year, when there was speculation about a big signing. Someone mentioned Walbrick wanted to return to NZ. Maybe there were some discussions last year.

He was out a long time last year with concussion issues. That is a concern. Hopefully, after returning and a full off-season, he plays a lot of games this season. He is still learning league, so the more games he has under his belt before arriving, the better.

If one or both of our current wingers are not here in 2027. He would help to get our sets started. The little of Khan-Pereira that is something he'd need to work on.

We have gone out and signed a few wingers for 2025. That would partly be due to the injuries last year and wanting depth. Also with an eye for the future.

Wow our aerial tries will be epic. Just high bombs all the time

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Wow our aerial tries will be epic. Just high bombs all the time

'Bomb to Manu' was only the beginning...

 

[Billyspleen75]

Joey Manu in June.

2027 is gonna be craaazy

1. Ponga
2. Warbrick
3. Manu
4. Pompey
5. Mariner

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

‘but the cap space’ takes are dumb, taking at face value that every deal is a ‘monster offer’ or ‘huge play’ or whatever agent fed nonsense makes into the ‘masthead’, it just has to be either more money or more years than what the storm are offering, which probably isn’t much given their roster.

McFadden is very tight fisted with the cheque book, everything seems to go to internal resigning’s and then near minimum deals for depth, the Capewell / RTS signings were the last big external outlay, and now those contracts are ending, Fish-AFB was pretty much a swap, cap-wise

In-demand players who want to live in Auckland are still few and far between, holding on to a war chest for players who aren’t interested would be pointless.

Does the player help the team? In this case, yes, assuming one of the incumbents is leaving.

 

[Blain]

I would be surprised if Warbrick was offered more than our current wingers. In the scheme of things RTS and DWZ are on "big" winger contracts. Big can also be referenced in the length of the contract don't forget.

I think we are quite a balanced salary cap. That's how we can afford AKP as a project winger in our squad. With Barney going we have a lot of cash available, and would be surprised if we signed a replacement. And if we do sign another prop, they wouldn't be close to the same contract value wise.

 

[chrisnz]

Idk why everyone dislikes the brick deal he has transitioned so well to the nrl and is still early stages in the grand scheme he will walk in as one of our best wing options and beats any current ones we have also I could see him pulling Moses Leo over with him at some stage also

 

[3rdstriker]

Idk why everyone dislikes the brick deal he has transitioned so well to the nrl and is still early stages in the grand scheme he will walk in as one of our best wing options and beats any current ones we have also I could see him pulling Moses Leo over with him at some stage also

I don't think Mr Brownstone is everyone, alot of us are super stoked.

 

[sup42]

There’s something a little off about the brick, a bit too unco, these last two GF losses for the storm, he’s had a key fumble or two. Maybe another year with them he tidies it up.

Bigger and younger than our current wingers so a theoretical upgrade over what they’d be in 2027.

He has a bit of a Rocco Berry type frame.

I love this signing if it is confirmed, he has something Dal Lacks as in he is a smart Winger both sides of the ball. He is sound in reads and can turn momentum with intercepts (be interesting to see if that holds up in a Warriors three quarter line - probably if they paired him with Pomps).

He is solid eh, not flashy, just what suits our team if we end up with AKP on the other wing, you cannot have two shakey Wingers.

 

[sup42]

I don't think Mr Brownstone is everyone, alot of us are super stoked.

He does that. Part of the go, spoil the party.

 

[Horriors2013]

Idk why everyone dislikes the brick deal he has transitioned so well to the nrl and is still early stages in the grand scheme he will walk in as one of our best wing options and beats any current ones we have also I could see him pulling Moses Leo over with him at some stage also

Really? Is he an influence on him?

 

[Jerome06]

Really? Is he an influence on him?

Both played for the All Blacks 7s team

 

[WHB]

Still finding his feet as an NRL player.

Had a couple long term injuries halting his progress from AB 7's.

Prone to the occasional mistake.

Think the best is yet to come when it all clicks for The Brick.

 

[WAH MAN]

Just shows that our recruitment team are always working. Behind the scenes and all that.

 

[shuffle]

this forum is hilarious sometimes... touting AKP as an elite winger despite playing reserves for the titans, claiming gannon will usurp our dally m lock of the year, anointed mellars the next manu vatuvei but then nearly collectively shitting on warbrick who is comfortably a top 10 winger in the league.

warbrick is a top signing imo, we have the oldest wing pairing in the league and he comes from a top system

I know right! We are becoming a Facebook comment section!

 

[watcher]

Like young players developing, older players decline differently. Any issue I have with DWZ is solely his positioning and decision making on D. His running the ball back and willingness to take the hard runs are so valuable.

Players have to fit in to a team. My view is that Warbrick is a more natural fit than AKP. Both can be valuable, just that Warbrick is ahead for me.

Mellars is also a work on. AKP and Mellars have had one competitive game here. It is hard to judge Wingers in a near 50 point loss.

Now to the oft mentioned words on here that drives me nutds X factor. Any rugby is based on fitness and hard work. Skills and natural skills are great, but to use those skills effectively you have to be physically snd mentally prepared. As Kip Keino said, the will to win is nothing without the will to prepare.

 

[Hitro]

Not sure, but unfortunately for Warbrick 2024 is a long way from what he delivered last season.

But still good enough for Melbourne to pick him for round 1?

 

[Neo]

Queensland Cup prop Page-Wilson joins Warriors

Australian forward Cooper Page-Wilson joins One New Zealand Warriors on two-year contract.

www.warriors.kiwi

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

2027 is gonna be craaazy

1. Ponga
2. Warbrick
3. Manu
4. Pompey
5. Mariner

Be more realistic and put arthars on the left wing!