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

 

[Theking267]

A few different people are adamant that Kali is Top 30 for 2026. If so, that puts us at x30 2026 NRL contracts plus Cleary the only publicly know Development one.
If Kali is Top 30 then we have him, RTS, DWZ, Mellars and Tuaupiki as genuine Wing options plus the smoke surrounding AKP. Who out of those spends time in the offseason also training at Centre? Or will that responsibility fall to CNK & Fatialofa?

That would be Kali

 

[Ever Hopeful]

I know exactly what you mean - dilutes the soul and traditions from competitions.

Ironically the concept will be doomed without the soul and tradition so will likely just be a case of the NRL trying to weather it all.

I'm pretty sure that's what people thought with franchise T20 cricket too. Remember the pisstake NZ and Aus took out of it in the inaugural game.

The IPL is 18 seasons in now, and new tournaments are being added all of the time that are permanent fixtures in the calendar.

I think the NRL will lose its glitzy players, which will turn the kids off and could lead to a slow but vicious deterioration of the sport. But then I'm basing that off cricket and the oval ball doesn't have that same fanatical base.

Football and golf have been changed by Saudi money.

 

[JaggedJ]

Too many key differences between IPL and 360 to draw too much of a comparison imo. It might alter the landscape for a bit but won't reshape it entirely.

Union should feel more threatened than us tbh.

 

[juju]

I'm pretty sure that's what people thought with franchise T20 cricket too. Remember the pisstake NZ and Aus took out of it in the inaugural game.

The IPL is 18 seasons in now, and new tournaments are being added all of the time that are permanent fixtures in the calendar.

I think the NRL will lose its glitzy players, which will turn the kids off and could lead to a slow but vicious deterioration of the sport. But then I'm basing that off cricket and the oval ball doesn't have that same fanatical base.

Football and golf have been changed by Saudi money.

I think the R360 will find it much trickier to get the people to follow & invested emotionally, the tradition and history is so ingrained in the NRL fans they will follow no matter who the players are.
The super league war was a scarier proposition than RL360.

Totally get that T20 has diluted NZ Cricket but that equally could be because how powerful & cashed up the big three cricket nations are Australia, England, India and how they dictate the schedule.

If Rl360 go after Leka I'll cry though.

 

[CWC]

It's gonna be like Messi or Beckham playing in the US, nobody cares

 

[PhilsySH35]

Two wrongs don’t make it Wright.

partial to fine young cannibals.

 

[PhilsySH35]

I would also personally forgo the expense, extra top thirty spot, drama etc and just put Taine back at Fullback. However Webby does not really rate Taine as he can't pump out the PCMS like Charnze can. A massive part of our game plan is the kick returns and hit ups by our back three. Dallin RTS and CNK (on a good day) are elite at it and must even be the best in the comp at it.

question: I notice that we as a team don't do much dummy half runs any more, good way to make some easy meters, or has the game changed so much?

 

[Wrighty]

question: I notice that we as a team don't do much dummy half runs any more, good way to make some easy meters, or has the game changed so much?

From CHAT GPT total running metres of the elite hookers 2020 to 2024

 

[Rick O’Shay]

question: I notice that we as a team don't do much dummy half runs any more, good way to make some easy meters, or has the game changed so much?

Healey looks to be a runner. I guess the coach would have input into that rather than just blast out of DH every set.

Reminds me of offloads. For a team full of athletes and backyard ball players we don't seem to do much off loading and therefore generate some 2nd phase play. Would like to see it used as a point of difference every now and again

 

[Cces]

question: I notice that we as a team don't do much dummy half runs any more, good way to make some easy meters, or has the game changed so much?

It really is a lost art for all players except #9's. Justin Hodges was incredible at it. Everyone knew it was coming too but it continued to be effective. I think Kata managed to get everyone's license revoked at our club

 

[CWC]

Healey looks to be a runner. I guess the coach would have input into that rather than just blast out of DH every set.

Reminds me of offloads. For a team full of athletes and backyard ball players we don't seem to do much off loading and therefore generate some 2nd phase play. Would like to see it used as a point of difference every now and again

An off load is like getting a 7+ tackle set so I don’t know why we don’t do more often even with back against the defenders type hit ups

 

[enterthewarrior]

It really is a lost art for all players except #9's. Justin Hodges was incredible at it. Everyone new it was coming too but it continued to be effective. I think Kata managed to get everyone's license revoked at our club

Sam Perrett was another prolific dummy half runner.

 

[Fizurg]

An off load is like getting a 7+ tackle set so I don’t know why we don’t do more often even with back against the defenders type hit ups

Not only that. You get four points.

 

[Leon Black]

I'd love to see Hanson be given a Crack in FG. Cup was stacked with FGers this year, so it's hard to gage where some players are. Boyd was a mixed bag, but he was dropped in the deep end. Hanson gives me Blake Green vibes - decent distributor, but pace is capped, a bit like Boyd.

Hanson is quick, not sure now many games you watched.

 

[Leon Black]

To be honest, I don't rate him.

We have much better options in Jersey Flegg.

Agree Kali, Norris, a few others probably missed. Connor Bowden had potential too

 

[Leon Black]

An off load is like getting a 7+ tackle set so I don’t know why we don’t do more often even with back against the defenders type hit ups

Remember Demetric copped a spray for too many offloads when we pumped the Sharks?

Annoyed me no end we never played like that again and defaulted back to the conservative express

 

[Five&Last]

That's a relief, but how much more?

A lot. The comparison is way off

 

[Five&Last]

Agree Kali, Norris, a few others probably missed. Connor Bowden had potential too

Do you know if Connor Bowden is still signed for next year? Saw he made Blues U18 this year. Didn't realise he was U18 this year and still eligible to play SG ball next year, pretty potent addition to last years champion Harold Matts line up

Side note, Elijah Solomona (prop) is still eligible to play SG ball next year (U18 this year) which would mean he will play 3 years of SG ball (first player to achieve that with us). He was playing SG ball in 2024 when he should've been playing Harold Matts.

 

[roguei]

Remember Demetric copped a spray for too many offloads when we pumped the Sharks?

Annoyed me no end we never played like that again and defaulted back to the conservative express

When did he cop a spray for too many offloads? Last i remember was his interview with SJ which came out about a month after that game.

SJ - "So what's the licensing around offloading?"
Vaimaunga - "Rich is in charge of that, and he said he isn't gonna stop us from offloading. Like it's gotta be measured obivously. There was one stuff up during the bunnies game. And they said i've just gotta pick the right time and place. But nah, they've just given me the free license"
Source.

I don't get the vibe that the coaching staff are laying into em for playing attacking footy. But i can sorta see that it feels like it isn't exactly encourged.

 

[Horriors2013]

Agree Kali, Norris, a few others probably missed. Connor Bowden had potential too

I been watching Haize Mellars. He's a lot better than I first thought. Great in the air. Big, fast and athletic. More importantly has much better hands than Kosi. He will be in cup next year for sure pushing FG. I wouldn't mind seeing him come up during the year. He looks like a cross between a young Daniel Tupou and Will Warbrick, with a splash of Xavier Coates (without Coates' wily chip kicking ability and aerial put downs in the corner). An interesting addition to his skillset, he played predominantly right wing in Flegg, then after two years of injury he played left wing. Looked great on both sides too. He says in one interview he wanted to work on his 1-on-1 defence. So he's aware of his work-ons. He's not wearing strapping. Looks fit and ready to go. I'd love to see him and Kali end up our wingers by the end of next year or start of 27. I'd be very happy and satisfied with that combo. RTS and DWZ have to be last year next year. I'm expecting RTS to rugby before season start and DWZ to call it quits mid season or just be back up.


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