Recruitment Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment and Retention Discussion​

Player	2026​	2027​	2028​	2029​	2030​
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	✔​	✔​	✔​
Freddy Lussick	✔​
Te Maire Martin	✔​
Haizyn Mellars	✔​	✔​	✔​
Luke Metcalf	✔​	✔​	✔​
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔​	✔​
Marata Niukore	✔​
Adam Pompey	✔​	✔​
Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔​	✔​	✔​
Taine Tuaupiki	✔​
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔​
Demitric Vaimauga	✔​	✔​	✔​
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔​	✔​
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: 30/30
2026 Supplementary: 1/6

2027 Top 30: 21/30
2027 Supplementary: 0/6

2027 Gains: Nil
2027 Losses: Nil

Off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2027: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Will be off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2028 from November 1st, 2026: Mitchell Barnett, Erin Clark, 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

 

[WAH MAN]

If we need Nelson, would it just be cover until Barney is fully ready?

 

[sup42]

How the fuck do the Storm get away with “his departure opens up a significant portion of salary cap space to utilise elsewhere.”

Every man and his dog come to Melbourne for less to play under Bellyache, FFS, we aren’t all wearing tin foil hats

Probably downgraded from Boats to Jetskis in the garage, one per every family member, whilst all we can offer is free Wendy’s!!!

Yet some weirdos on here get really upset if you point out that the Cap system is not fair

 

[CWC]

If we need Nelson, would it just be cover until Barney is fully ready?

Barney will be ready R1, he can cover for Metcalf for a month, world’s biggest halfback

 

[Five&Last]

That's the way I read it. The storm have not paid him out. He has "voluntarily" asked for a release with air quotes around voluntarily

The only way that works is if he’s walked out on his contract to go R360.

If he intends to stay in the NRL, the bottom line is Storm will be on the hook for majority of that 850k and it will count against their cap.

There is absolutely zero chance NAS (who is clearly being pushed out, not the other way around) has gone; hey forget about my 850k salary I’m happy to just leave that on the table, unless he’s got a bigger contract lined up (I.e R360)

 

[Hitro]

• Today at 7:15 PM
• 
  
• #7,589

Rumour is he will go to the wahs for a season then aim to join Perth Bears.

Other rumour is he will join r360 on a 2 year deal.






Saw this on sharks forum

I’m generally not for this potential signing, but a one year deal I could get on board with

 

[Blain]

NAS: Nah homie im going chill in rehab with a long term injury while you pay me my $1.7m. Also here's the NRLPA on the phone, they want to have a chat.

Bro you need to understand leverage. Storm have zero unless they have dirt on him and are willing to blackmail him.

That or the Storm are back into paper bags, which is always a potential..

The press release is done by Storms PR team people. Heaps of players get released with huge payouts, but they never say that, and actually cant say that.

 

[SJ2k]

That or the Storm are back into paper bags, which is always a potential..

The press release is done by Storms PR team people. Heaps of players get released with huge payouts, but they never say that, and actually cant say that.

100% this is paper bags and makes a mockery of the salary cap. There's literally no scenario where NAS just leaves close a million dollars on the table and goes to get paid less at super league because he's such a nice guy.

 

[VB89]

Our team needs more punch and more dynamic players. If we got good NAS for just 20-30 mins a game it'd be a godsend. Currently the only players I see doing anything from nothing are Halasima, Metcalf and RTS

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Our team needs more punch and more dynamic players. If we got good NAS for just 20-30 mins a game it'd be a godsend. Currently the only players I see doing anything from nothing are Halasima, Metcalf and RTS

Agreed. Our pack turned to shit as soon as Barney went down injured. I wouldn’t say NAS is what we need, but I feel we need another experienced forward signing for depth.

 

[Noitall]

Our team needs more punch and more dynamic players. If we got good NAS for just 20-30 mins a game it'd be a godsend. Currently the only players I see doing anything from nothing are Halasima, Metcalf and RTS

We used to have AFB who was near impossible to stop close to the line and I think we’ve lacked that player since he’s been gone. Vaimauga showed it a couple of times but doesn’t have the size these guys have

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Nobody "walks away" from money on the table unless they have the same or more waiting for them elsewhere.

Considering no NRL club wanted him at his Storm pricetag it feels like R360 $$$$.

 

[Noitall]

I’m generally not for this potential signing, but a one year deal I could get on board with

That’s an interesting proposition whether there’s any truth to it. Could be that we offer a season to prove he’s worth the risk? That would be a risk if it turns a success but if he’s looking to bounce straight to bears, I think that’s where he’d probably get his best payday?

 

[SJ2k]

We had to pay Lodge's salary against our cap. Should have just offered him a paper bag apparently and he could just request a release.

 

[Noitall]

We had to pay Lodge's salary against our cap. Should have just offered him a paper bag apparently and he could just request a release.

It’ll probably all come out in the wash when his next move is announced?

 

[Hitro]

That’s an interesting proposition whether there’s any truth to it. Could be that we offer a season to prove he’s worth the risk? That would be a risk if it turns a success but if he’s looking to bounce straight to bears, I think that’s where he’d probably get his best payday?

I don’t know if it’s just a yarn but there is some logic to it. He has a relationship with Stacey Jones and could work for both parties to do a year then either recommit or go get paid in Perth.

He obviously got offered to us which means he was interested in coming back?

 

[juju]

NAS is named in the R360 contracts that were leaked... so probably the likely destination.

But lots of intrigue to come as with all the major international's blacklisting R360 players from international selection some pundits are saying R360 is teetering...

 

[ajofbrisbane]

Could NAS be going to St Helens for a year to replace JWH, then to R360?

 

[Leon Black]

That or the Storm are back into paper bags, which is always a potential..

The press release is done by Storms PR team people. Heaps of players get released with huge payouts, but they never say that, and actually cant say that.

Boats and Hoes is their go, Uncle Nick and the Steggles mob deal in ‘paper bags’ and other ‘bags’ after the Victor ordeal

 

[Noitall]

NAS is named in the R360 contracts that were leaked... so probably the likely destination.

But lots of intrigue to come as with all the major international's blacklisting R360 players from international selection some pundits are saying R360 is teetering...

Think any player that’s potentially likely to get a longer contract than a season who are only extending or signing for a season likely have R360 or new nrl franchises in mind

 

[CWC]

TBH very smart for Storm to shove their players to 360 for clean house

Why aren't we pushing Marata over there, he'd get more and we save the cap