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

 

[Noitall]

Niukore was floating between edge & middle back when he signed his deal with us. The year before he arrived he was predominantly a middle, even starting the GF at Lock. I just think he's lost some athleticism

It was the second row combo of him and Papali’i that really made an impact at eels

 

[JaggedJ]

Most people's issue with Niukore is that we paid him like a starting second rower when these days he's more a bench player.

We had to pay overs to get him to begin with and the value has only decreased since.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

With all the talk being around Niukore's role moving forward, and it sounds like most people are in agreeance that the issues are more around how much he's being paid compared to what he offers, what are peoples thoughts about keeping Niukore around but on a pay packet that reflects his current role in the team?

Is there still a place for him now that we have a lot of boom rookies coming through?
If we did keep him, what kind of money would you be happy for him to be on moving forward?

 

[sydneywarrior92]

With all the talk being around Niukore's role moving forward, and it sounds like most people are in agreeance that the issues are more around how much he's being paid compared to what he offers, what are peoples thoughts about keeping Niukore around but on a pay packet that reflects his current role in the team?

Is there still a place for him now that we have a lot of boom rookies coming through?
If we did keep him, what kind of money would you be happy for him to be on moving forward?

a lot of our boom rookies are backrowers, not middles. Marata still has a place in the middle rotation alongside Barney and JFH. At times he was our most physically damaging middle. The issue has been when injuries has forced him to move into the back row where his old legs and limited lateral movement gets exposed. Simplify his role to bench middle and he still has so much to offer.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

a lot of our boom rookies are backrowers, not middles. Marata still has a place in the middle rotation alongside Barney and JFH. At times he was our most physically damaging middle. The issue has been when injuries has forced him to move into the back row where his old legs and limited lateral movement gets exposed.

So you'd be open to keeping him in the middle? Or nah

 

[Cces]

It was the second row combo of him and Papali’i that really made an impact at eels

Shaun Lane & Papali'i is how I remember it with Niukore the fill in.
It'd be interesting to learn what his manager is currently doing behind the scenes

 

[sydneywarrior92]

So you'd be open to keeping him in the middle? Or nah

only in the middle. Barney and JFH start. Ford, Marata and Demi off the bench.

 

[cock_o]

So you'd be open to keeping him in the middle? Or nah

I think if he would stay for 2 more years for $350,000 per season, after his current deal expires, that would be a good option.
Use him as a bench middle. Not lose out to much if he gets injured.
Halasima, Laban, Fatialofa, EIT and Biship Neal cover the edges.
But him might get more at the Bears.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

I also wouldn't mind us trying Leka at center for an extended period. He is absolutely lethal in a one-on-one situation and in the limited situations where he's been given space as a backrower, he's destroyed teams. Doesn't really have a passing game but we've done well with powerful ball-running centers who can't pass before (ie Hurrell and Kata). I'd push Fatialofa or the young English boy to come into the back row in his place.