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: 20/30
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

 

[JaggedJ]

I posted a couple weeks asking questions around Hansen leaving. Hansen's partner worked as a teacher aide with my wife. The school farewelled Hansen's partner at the end of last term as she was moving back to Aussie to "set up their home". I am not sure where in Aussie that was. My wife told me Luke staying here in NZ until April, but that April doesn't make sense to me as that is near the start of the season. I know for his fact his partner has gone back. I was asking if there was any news around him, but haven't heard anything.

Maybe Mmmbop has a train and trial deal for the offseason to see where he fits in our logjam of halves pecking order?

He won't have an issue finding a NSW Cup side to play for, but for the offseason, training with us might be his best option.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Looks like reguardless we won't be hearing much as he goes on his honeymoon for a while (just wanna nip in the bud any rumors that he is flying to aus to talk to other clubs). View attachment 14742

I mean, it would be a MASSIVE dick move if he's planning on leaving, to go on holiday with his Wahs kit and boots (surely to continue running/rehabbing) to come back and announce he's leaving us. I'm sure it's not the case.

These next three years are quite important for us - not only do we have a good chance at going deep into the finals, it also bridges the gap between now and when our exciting half prospects come through.

Even if its costing us 200k more a year than we want it to, that's far and away a better outcome (to be paying overs for a good player) as opposed to having money, but no one to spend it on and not having a marquee half.

If we were to be fortunate with injuries over the next few years, and don't have key players like Metcalf, Barney and Rocco missing huge chunks of the year I think we're doing better than 6th moving forward.

What a time to be alive!

 

[Canonball]

Metcalf’s general kicking game is on par with Boyd or better imo

it was better ... and i'm getting a bit bored of this speculation on him too, there's no way he's signing somewhere else, eat my hat if it turns out differently

 

[roguei]

Looks like it's offical, the warrior's now have an extra inch! https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2025/10/17/top-prospect-inch-signs-with-warriors-for-two-years/

"Inch will join the One New Zealand Warriors’ Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) squad when pre-season training starts next month.

Among the other new faces in the squad will be hooker Braelan Marsh – son of former Warrior PJ Marsh – who was signed last month."

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DP5JtIcEyqy/?igsh=Mzh3ZHdkZnp4d3k=

 

[3rdstriker]

Looks like it's offical, the warrior's now have an extra inch! https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2025/10/17/top-prospect-inch-signs-with-warriors-for-two-years/

"Inch will join the One New Zealand Warriors’ Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) squad when pre-season training starts next month.

Among the other new faces in the squad will be hooker Braelan Marsh – son of former Warrior PJ Marsh – who was signed last month."

So good

 

[3rdstriker]

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DP5JtIcEyqy/?igsh=Mzh3ZHdkZnp4d3k=

Looks like when he fills out he's gonna be solid as

 

[Boston Boy]

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DP5JtIcEyqy/?igsh=Mzh3ZHdkZnp4d3k=

I don't think it's a bad move for him. By the time he gets to 2027 he would have toughened up a heap, trained like he's never trained before and have had a hardened mind set. He will be able to go back to RU or stay with the NRL.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Awesome news.

The halves logjam gets even tighter!

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Looks like when he fills out he's gonna be solid as

Add an inch of muscle to those thighs?

 

[Naynay]

Apparently Metcalf is gonna test the market on nov 1

 

[Dannevegas]

Metcalf’s kicking game isn’t at the level of a NRL 7. It is Boyd best part of his game. But there is no one with Metcalf’s running game in the NRL which get’s him and the Warriors out of trouble rather than his kicking game.

Metcalf’s general kicking game is actually decent, definitely above average.
Different topic but didn’t realise we had only lost 4 games out of the 17 we played with Metcalf, and they were against Raiders twice, Penrith and Sform

 

[Canonball]

Looks like it's offical, the warrior's now have an extra inch! https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2025/10/17/top-prospect-inch-signs-with-warriors-for-two-years/

"Inch will join the One New Zealand Warriors’ Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) squad when pre-season training starts next month.

Among the other new faces in the squad will be hooker Braelan Marsh – son of former Warrior PJ Marsh – who was signed last month."

let the puns begin!

No particular connection but I really like this film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedwig_and_the_Angry_Inch_(film)

 

[Canonball]

Apparently Metcalf is gonna test the market on nov 1

ugh, this hat tastes sour

 

[Horriors2013]

The real question is if Metcalf doesn’t resign.
Do we just release him early and commit elsewhere?

Be it TMM or Boyd.
The young guys.

Metcalf leaving is a big part in which I wanted to pick and stick with CHT. I’m happy to concede his limitations. (Which really aren’t as bad as many on this forum make out).

I’ve seen all I need of Boyd, who can still leave btw.
And frankly, if Metcalf leaves and Boyd isn’t seen as the future. There’s no point in playing him outside of injury cover.

Personally, if Metcalf doesn’t extend. I’d release him and start 6. CHT 7 TMM with and eye on transitioning Jett or another young half into that starting half role.

We need a (semi) settled halves combo by 2027/28 when the expansion happens and pressure for halves increases.

Agreed. That's the best plan we can muster from where I'm sitting. Losing Hansen AND Metcalfe is a huge blow. How many setbacks can this club endure?

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

two years, when the first year will be spent in the junior grades isn't exactly a big commitment from this young fulla. if he picks the code up quickly they'll need to extend him promptly.

 

[Wah's Up]

let the puns begin!

No particular connection but I really like this film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedwig_and_the_Angry_Inch_(film)

OK challenge accepted. If he becomes a Half we can call him Half Inch

 

[Horriors2013]

Dudes rocking his Warriors backpack like a kid on his first day of school. I doubt he's signed with anyone else just yet

Hope you're right. I don't know how many more re-builds I can take. Yeah, looks like he's pretty motivated to do extras while on holiday. Agent probably the one doing the usuals: drive up the client's price.

 

[Leon Black]

Where Metcalf benefited from playing with a fairly healthy roster. Boyd didn’t get the same luxury.

Agree to disagree, Boyd is not the answer as along term prospect half at NRL, unless you don’t mind finishing outside the 8

 

[Leon Black]

Metcalf’s kicking game isn’t at the level of a NRL 7. It is Boyd best part of his game. But there is no one with Metcalf’s running game in the NRL which get’s him and the Warriors out of trouble rather than his kicking game.

Boyd’s kicking game in his step up to 1st grade was levels below his quality in Cup, ditto his goal kicking.