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	✔​	✔​	✔​
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	✔​	✔​
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: 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

 

[Defence]

Smart move by Nas imho.
I still believe he can contribute in the nrl- could’ve squeezed out another couple of years but the way the games gone his marquee days are long gone and switching to boxing will prolong his shelf life as a professional athlete- he could box into his late 30s (if he goes alright).

 

[Hitro]

He never ended up signing? Did someone get their nose put out joint because they were interested? Moale was apparently a target before that. I still think we’re missing a big middle forward

Sorry I meant if he did. Not that I know of. Could just imagine someone who's fringe 1st grade who might have got his spot taken by NAS for 2-3 years wanting to look elsewhere i.e. EIT, TSS etc.

 

[Noitall]

Sorry I meant if he did. Not that I know of. Could just imagine someone who's fringe 1st grade who might have got his spot taken by NAS for 2-3 years wanting to look elsewhere i.e. EIT, TSS etc.

Wonder if we look elsewhere or settle with who we’ve got?

 

[Canonball]

Wonder if we look elsewhere or settle with who we’ve got?

I don't know eh, reckon we're in a much better state than 'settling' - we're going to see massive years from Demetric, and another one from Clark - TSS looks bigger and tougher in preseason shots - alongside our two killers in the front row, we're pretty pretty good up front - I'd have been more than irritated if NAS had come on board, he's way past his best and really would have been blocking development.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I don't know eh, reckon we're in a much better state than 'settling' - we're going to see massive years from Demetric, and another one from Clark - TSS looks bigger and tougher in preseason shots - alongside our two killers in the front row, we're pretty pretty good up front - I'd have been more than irritated if NAS had come on board, he's way past his best and really would have been blocking development.

I felt we were missing something in the forwards this year - that player who will bend the line with a heavy hit up. Most of our props - Barney, Fish, Ford and Demi are more mobile, agile forwards used to control the speed of the ruck.

Hopefully with Laban and Barney back, and Gannon in the squad for next year we see a few more tangible improvements.
Contract year for Marata too, so we could see him fold some c*nts!

 

[Noitall]

I don't know eh, reckon we're in a much better state than 'settling' - we're going to see massive years from Demetric, and another one from Clark - TSS looks bigger and tougher in preseason shots - alongside our two killers in the front row, we're pretty pretty good up front - I'd have been more than irritated if NAS had come on board, he's way past his best and really would have been blocking development.

I think the hope was always that Webster could get NAS back to some form like players like Barnett came over and went to another level, but not to be. That hard to handle forward is what I feel we’re missing to bend the line

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

So counting down the 10-day cooling period for Drinky or Ponga now

Ponga must have a clause in the contract for a 12 month cooling period and options in his favor for for another year cooling off.

 

[Teets]

Good result to lock in Lemana, but Byford looked a good middles prospect. Quite fitting, I guess, that he is going to the Broncs - he is that Carrigan type of player.

Yeah i really like Byford's game, really smart player who seemed to have the knack of knowing when to pass and when to have a run. Even showed he can kick at nationals. Personally liked him as a propsect more than Sikuvea.

I also liked Jackson Stewart as a centre prospect more than Putoko and Waitai-Haenga so I seem to be way off.

 

[SJ2k]

If this is it, I can easily see us falling out of the 8. Pretty disappointing, and I'll be very happy to be wrong. I think this season is more likely to be similar to the second half of last season, rather than the first. Our backs are just not it, with CNK/RTS/DWZ especially another year older. Barney/Metcalf coming off serious injuries. Very, very light on the reinforcements compared to almost every other club this off season. Tigers, Titans etc all getting their shit together.

I really hope we'll be blooding several young backs who show as much potential as our young forwards.

 

[Damo]

I really hope we'll be blooding several young backs who show as much potential as our young forwards.

Like who? I don't see much blooding other than AKP coming in when one of our outside backs inevitably get injured. Those 3 are still our best options until proven otherwise

 

[WAH MAN]

I felt we were missing something in the forwards this year - that player who will bend the line with a heavy hit up. Most of our props - Barney, Fish, Ford and Demi are more mobile, agile forwards used to control the speed of the ruck.

Hopefully with Laban and Barney back, and Gannon in the squad for next year we see a few more tangible improvements.
Contract year for Marata too, so we could see him fold some c*nts!

Our best line bending happened when we went edge to edge. As in Laban on his edge. Over to Leka on his.

It was a great strategy bending them at those link points. Can't remember if it was when we spanked the sharks or another game. Another line bending strategy involves mobility getting fast play the ball as in ruck speed. Get that and the defence bends because it can't reset at the speed of attack.

Long story short. Play faster

 

[3rdstriker]

If this is it, I can easily see us falling out of the 8. Pretty disappointing, and I'll be very happy to be wrong. I think this season is more likely to be similar to the second half of last season, rather than the first. Our backs are just not it, with CNK/RTS/DWZ especially another year older. Barney/Metcalf coming off serious injuries. Very, very light on the reinforcements compared to almost every other club this off season. Tigers, Titans etc all getting their shit together.

I really hope we'll be blooding several young backs who show as much potential as our young forwards.

Yeah we needed definite replacements for those player's while they recover, otherwise its just a continuation of last season's ending.
Hopefully juniors can fill some spots.

 

[Riz]

Yeah i really like Byford's game, really smart player who seemed to have the knack of knowing when to pass and when to have a run. Even showed he can kick at nationals. Personally liked him as a propsect more than Sikuvea.

I also liked Jackson Stewart as a centre prospect more than Putoko and Waitai-Haenga so I seem to be way off.

I really do believe Jackson Stewart will be 'the one that got away'.

 

[Muddogz]

If this is it, I can easily see us falling out of the 8. Pretty disappointing, and I'll be very happy to be wrong. I think this season is more likely to be similar to the second half of last season, rather than the first. Our backs are just not it, with CNK/RTS/DWZ especially another year older. Barney/Metcalf coming off serious injuries. Very, very light on the reinforcements compared to almost every other club this off season. Tigers, Titans etc all getting their shit together.

I really hope we'll be blooding several young backs who show as much potential as our young forwards.

We’ve lost no one of note for this season. AKP could be great or he could be a flop but he’s a very intriguing signing. There’s a lot of young forwards that got some good game time last year who should improve this season. Top end backs are thin but we are well coached and have good depth in a lot of positions.

Our floor is high, less confident in our ceiling but there’s not too many teams that have upgraded this year on paper. I would be surprised if we missed the 8 if injuries don’t cripple us.

 

[Five&Last]

Good result to lock in Lemana, but Byford looked a good middles prospect. Quite fitting, I guess, that he is going to the Broncs - he is that Carrigan type of player.

In what sense? - Carrigan is 6'3, Byford is like 5'10?

EIT reminds me a lot of Carrigan actually.

 

[kos]

Eit impressed last year with his Fg performances
What’s his best position though?

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Eit impressed last year with his Fg performances
What’s his best position though?

I like him on an Edge personally, but could be a great lock if develops a passing game. Defensively he’s fantastic

 

[ndp26]

In what sense? - Carrigan is 6'3, Byford is like 5'10?

EIT reminds me a lot of Carrigan actually.

More the way he plays the game - can play that ball-playing lock role or lay the platform as a prop kind of middle.

In terms of the height - looks like he was 5'10 two-three years ago. You'd hope he has grown / will grow taller since then.

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxFLebrLolc/
Also interesting that we let him go a year early too, so clearly not in the club's plans.

 

[Noitall]

I like him on an Edge personally, but could be a great lock if develops a passing game. Defensively he’s fantastic

His size seems like he’d be handy in the middle and keep Fatialofa on an edge? Could you have Laban and Halasima edges with Fatialofa off the bench and EIT middle forward? EIT and Fatialofa’s stats are really similar in nsw cup but Fatialofa seems like he has some strike scoring a heap of tries

 

[Worried2Death]

We’ve lost no one of note for this season. AKP could be great or he could be a flop but he’s a very intriguing signing. There’s a lot of young forwards that got some good game time last year who should improve this season. Top end backs are thin but we are well coached and have good depth in a lot of positions.

Our floor is high, less confident in our ceiling but there’s not too many teams that have upgraded this year on paper. I would be surprised if we missed the 8 if injuries don’t cripple us.

Looks like Linnane is the only wild card in our deck next year then, never played NSW cup so no one knows if he's reserve grade level or the next Papenhuyzen