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	✔​	✔​
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​
Kayliss Fatialofa	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: 28/30
2026 Supplementary: 2/6

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

 

[Tragic]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heFdnQSy3uE&t=191s

Was playing centre in 2024 NSW Cup, maybe heading back there with MGT leaving. Walker referred to him as a centre below

Dylan Walker names four players to watch in 2025

How far will the New Zealand Warriors go this season?

www.zerotackle.com

Watching that I prefer him at Centre, he likes traffic and can bust or break; at winger he defaults to always taking the outside option which will get figured out in 1st grade (still got to stop him though). When I seen him live he is always one of the most threatening wherever he played.

 

[Defence]

I can see a bit of a young David fusitua in kali.
I remember the first time I seen fus play live in a trial here on the gc- I think he was 18 at the time and he absolutely killed them.
He was a great talent and another one they tried to convert to center.

 

[sup42]

I can see a bit of a young David fusitua in kali.
I remember the first time I seen fus play live in a trial here on the gc- I think he was 18 at the time and he absolutely killed them.
He was a great talent and another one they tried to convert to center.

They even stride the same, a number of those corner finishes look like Fus minus the full on acrobatics.

They both have a very distinctive glide when they run....surprisingly Laban has that too.

All are guys that like to get up on their toes when they hit go,, other guys do that but put to much energy into the upward direction when they levitate to sprint (the Matulino skip) rather than a glide in a forward trajectory across the ground.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

They even stride the same, a number of those corner finishes look like Fus minus the full on acrobatics.

They both have a very distinctive glide when they run....surprisingly Laban has that too.

All are guys that like to get up on their toes when they hit go,, other guys do that but put to much energy into the upward direction when they levitate to sprint (the Matulino skip) rather than a glide in a forward trajectory across the ground.

hope he is more driven than Fus though. Wonderful athlete he was who could have been anything. But Fus really lacked the drive to be anything more than a solid first grade winger.

 

[sup42]

hope he is more driven than Fus though. Wonderful athlete he was who could have been anything. But Fus really lacked the drive to be anything more than a solid first grade winger.

It seems we have really learned our lesson with these ne'er do well attacking players.

Look at Ali, cannot break fg even though we badly need his attacking skills.

AKP will find the same if he tries to stay in his rut, he won't hold down a fg spot.

Not when you have the work rates of our current back three.

 

[Noitall]

Seems we’ve got 28 in our top 30, do people see us promoting one of these guys to one of the open spaces?







WARRIORS
Highly-regarded rugby union prospect Harry Inch gets an NRL start. The 19-year-old joined the Warriors on a two year deal. Otherwise the Warriors will give their local products some NRL exposure including Cook Islands international Caelys-Paul Putoko.

TRAIN AND TRIAL SQUAD: Caelys-Paul Putoko, Bishop Neal, Harry Inch, Ngana Vake, Geronimo Doyle, Brandon Norris.

 

[cock_o]

Seems we’ve got 28 in our top 30, do people see us promoting one of these guys to one of the open spaces?







WARRIORS
Highly-regarded rugby union prospect Harry Inch gets an NRL start. The 19-year-old joined the Warriors on a two year deal. Otherwise the Warriors will give their local products some NRL exposure including Cook Islands international Caelys-Paul Putoko.

TRAIN AND TRIAL SQUAD: Caelys-Paul Putoko, Bishop Neal, Harry Inch, Ngana Vake, Geronimo Doyle, Brandon Norris.

If that's the Train and Trail lads then I recon the development contract will be:
Jett Cleary
Luke Hanson
Sio Kali
Jason Salalilo
Makaia Tafua
Rodney Tuipulotu Vea

 

[Cces]

If that's the Train and Trail lads then I recon the development contract will be:
Jett Cleary
Luke Hanson
Sio Kali
Jason Salalilo
Makaia Tafua
Rodney Tuipulotu Vea

That looks right until you factor in Cameron George mudding the waters by suggesting one of EIT/Fatialofa wasn't in top 30

 

[Noitall]

If that's the Train and Trail lads then I recon the development contract will be:
Jett Cleary
Luke Hanson
Sio Kali
Jason Salalilo
Makaia Tafua
Rodney Tuipulotu Vea

Could we see Tafua promoted? Many squads carry 3 dummy halves and the loss of Lussick could be a factor? Pretty impressive young lad judging by that article, could also use TMM or CHT at a pinch too if the injury gods were mean? Depending on where they see Harry Inch, a majority of train and trail players are outside backs. Does that indicate that’s what they’re looking to add?

 

[Noitall]

That looks right until you factor in Cameron George mudding the waters by suggesting one of EIT/Fatialofa wasn't in top 30

You have to consider he’s got that wrong? Depending on what Fatialofa was offered by panthers, you’d think it would he required a top 30 spot to stick around? Perhaps development 2026 and top 30 2027? EIT looked like that was the case for him on a development contract last year to top 30 2026? I think Caelys Putoko would be on a development contract at the least and wouldn’t be surprised to see him promoted to top 30 to join the centre ranks

 

[Billyspleen75]

Could we see Tafua promoted? Many squads carry 3 dummy halves and the loss of Lussick could be a factor? Pretty impressive young lad judging by that article, could also use TMM or CHT at a pinch too if the injury gods were mean?

Yeah you're right that 3 is the normal # of hookers.
4 is also the normal # of halves in a squad.

Looks like we are running with a 5 half 2 hooker split and relying on TMM to be a hybrid half/hooker

 

[Noitall]

Yeah you're right that 3 is the normal # of hookers.
4 is also the normal # of halves in a squad.

Looks like we are running with a 5 half 2 hooker split and relying on TMM to be a hybrid half/hooker

If we were to use Healey on the bench, that would up the risk of a worst case scenario that both he and Egan pick up an injury at the same time? TMM adequate cover and Tafua as a development player could see him used if that scenario played out?

 

[Hitro]

That looks right until you factor in Cameron George mudding the waters by suggesting one of EIT/Fatialofa wasn't in top 30

Yeah which just doesn’t seem to be true

Promising prospect Ieremia-Toeava extends contract

Eddie Ieremia-Toeava has One New Zealand Warriors contract extended by two years to 2026.

www.warriors.kiwi

Although the below one for Kayliss doesn’t clearly say he’s on an NRL contract

Fatialofa secured on two-year deal until end of 2027 season

Kayliss Fatialofa has been signed on a two-year deal until the end of the 2027 NRL season.

www.warriors.kiwi

 

[cock_o]

Yeah which just doesn’t seem to be true

Promising prospect Ieremia-Toeava extends contract

Eddie Ieremia-Toeava has One New Zealand Warriors contract extended by two years to 2026.

www.warriors.kiwi

Although the below one for Kayliss doesn’t clearly say he’s on an NRL contract

Fatialofa secured on two-year deal until end of 2027 season

Kayliss Fatialofa has been signed on a two-year deal until the end of the 2027 NRL season.

www.warriors.kiwi

Maybe Fatialofa is on a Development Contract for 2026.

 

[Canonball]

Are the NRL using a slightly different model for Train and Trial now? It kinda used to mean comp for a spot in the roster but most of our guys (in any case) aren't at any risk of being cut from the club - mostly they'll end up in flegg or ressies

 

[Neo]

Are the NRL using a slightly different model for Train and Trial now? It kinda used to mean comp for a spot in the roster but most of our guys (in any case) aren't at any risk of being cut from the club - mostly they'll end up in flegg or ressies

It means they get paid a weekly amount during the pre season and can train full time. I think it’s just over $1k a week