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: 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

 

[Dannevegas]

Not to mention he looked more like a stunned mullet by the end of the season. His confidence was shot as he had no idea on what to do in defence. It looked like if he had two options, he would choose the worst/high risk, low reward option.

Credit for his awesome 23 season but he’s living off that reputation atm. He’s been pretty average outside of 23. 20 year old Tamale making him look like a little boy was the final straw for me. Ive said this a few times but we need a few young arrogant pricks in the backline lol, Leiataua and Kali are good candidates as long as they can get fit.
Players like Dwz, Berry, Pompey and Charnze tend to start moping around when they’ve been showed up.

 

[Five&Last]

Maybe should spend more time working on things that will help him out on the field.

Don't you know that everyone who power lifts becomes as good as Isaiah Papalii

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

There isn't a defensive policy in the world that involves taking no one. You have to take someone. Even if that someone is just staying on your opposite despite your opposite never actually receiving the ball.

Dallin's issue is that 90% of the time he's taking no one. He half jams in and half tries to recover. But ends up on an island by himself taking no one.

Or he's just way too late at committing to jamming in.

You might be half correct in that maybe it is the fault of the coaching staff for giving someone, who doesn't process the game at a high enough speed, the licence to be able fly off his wing whenever he wants.

Regardless, its was honestly one of the worst defensive displays I've seen from a winger over a whole season.

If you go back to when DWZ was a fullback, he was moved to the wing because his decision making wasn’t up to it. He was fearless and fast but has always had this issue.

It’s only going to get worse as he gets older…

 

[Noitall]

Don't you know that everyone who power lifts becomes as good as Isaiah Papalii

Marty Taupau was another from that world. Power lifting is different to a bench press that Crosby has achieved the weight in reportedly. Lifting weights is part of the gym work every team does so at least seems relevant to the strength of the individual if nothing else

 

[Noitall]

(@tobycrosby_athlete) • Instagram photos and videos

1,901 Followers, 12 Following, 114 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from (@tobycrosby_athlete)

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Crosby’s second instagram account and this one is all about his personal trainer aspect and gym work, most recent is his 200kg attempt. I reckon he needs to get into body building or something like that? Will be interesting to see how far he gets in league, panthers fans are frothing

 

[JaggedJ]

Don't you know that everyone who power lifts becomes as good as Isaiah Papalii

So that's where I went wrong...My noodle arms never got the memo.

 

[SouthernWorrier]

So that's where I went wrong...My noodle arms never got the memo.

check in with crosby & see wtf he did between 13 + 14 lol.

...of course, that may involve going through puberty again. Luck w that


View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOz-UZdEn9g/?hl=en

 

[Noitall]

Credit for his awesome 23 season but he’s living off that reputation atm. He’s been pretty average outside of 23. 20 year old Tamale making him look like a little boy was the final straw for me. Ive said this a few times but we need a few young arrogant pricks in the backline lol, Leiataua and Kali are good candidates as long as they can get fit.
Players like Dwz, Berry, Pompey and Charnze tend to start moping around when they’ve been showed up.

Kali and Berry potentially not here past 2026 at this point?

 

[3rdstriker]

Problem with DWZ isn't our jamming in policy. It's when the centre has his man covered comfortably and DWZ decides to jam in anyway because reasons.

That's what gets fans more annoyed than anything else.

It's as noticeable as when the same thing happened to Manu, big bodies are very slow to turn, but even Vatuvei wasn't exposed on D as much as Dal it was just Manus hands that let him down.

 

[3rdstriker]

Dallin. Just has to figure it out.

Meanwhile. The middles have to slow the opposition ruck speed down.

Edges, halves and centres need to number up under pressure.

Somebody with a big enough mouth needs to be intelligent and fast enough to read the plays and direct the defence. I know this to my bones but at that level it seems that margins are very fine between tackle and missed tackle.

Dallins best spot is now in super league!

 

[Inruin]

It's as noticeable as when the same thing happened to Manu, big bodies are very slow to turn, but even Vatuvei wasn't exposed on D as much as Dal it was just Manus hands that let him down.

Id argue they were both as braindead as each other when it came to defence

 

[Tragic]

(@tobycrosby_athlete) • Instagram photos and videos

1,901 Followers, 12 Following, 114 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from (@tobycrosby_athlete)

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Crosby’s second instagram account and this one is all about his personal trainer aspect and gym work, most recent is his 200kg attempt. I reckon he needs to get into body building or something like that? Will be interesting to see how far he gets in league, panthers fans are frothing

Jeez these young fellas like looking at themselves.

 

[Playdaball]

Kali and Berry potentially not here past 2026 at this point?

Add TT, Capewell, Boyd(?), Nikoure ( expecting a big season from him) ..

 

[Playdaball]

Precious McKenzie was a great weightlifter but never saw him on rugby league field .

 

[Noitall]

Add TT, Capewell, Boyd(?), Nikoure ( expecting a big season from him) ..

TMM likely gone? CHT will be interesting? Huge amount able to negotiate for 2028 in November too

 

[Noitall]

Precious McKenzie was a great weightlifter but never saw him on rugby league field .

Laurel Hubbard too but never played nrlw

 

[Playdaball]

Laurel Hubbard too but never played nrlw

Gavin ….
Dick’s son and then daughter

 

[3rdstriker]

Id argue they were both as braindead as each other when it came to defence

Dallin just really sticks out with his slow movement nowadays

 

[sup42]

Dallin looked good in one game on defence, the finals game vs the Panthers.

Part of that is that the whole squad was switched on and Leka was pairing well with him.

It is annoying that it took a whole regular season before we got out positioning right in the finals, which to my mind speaks of the aged old problems with attention and focus in our young lads.

They're almost ADHD about their lack of focus, the glazed over eyed look of the beaten defender....probably a bit of that in the mix..

I think the thing that we did best in that game was our spacing, we closed the gaps on the right edge which meant that the whole line slid to compress that right corridor.

And it starts with us playing ten meters in from the sideline on the left to allow for a tighter right side.

We should of course run that next season, but the Warriors never fail to forget something new....like they never heard of it even though it worked for them....sounds a bit ADH.....never mind.

 

[Noitall]

Dallin looked good in one game on defence, the finals game vs the Panthers.

Part of that is that the whole squad was switched on and Leka was pairing well with him.

It is annoying that it took a whole regular season before we got out positioning right in the finals, which to my mind speaks of the aged old problems with attention and focus in our young lads.

They're almost ADHD about their lack of focus, the glazed over eyed look of the beaten defender....probably a bit of that in the mix..

I think the thing that we did best in that game was our spacing, we closed the gaps on the right edge which meant that the whole line slid to compress that right corridor.

And it starts with us playing ten meters in from the sideline on the left to allow for a tighter right side.

We should of course run that next season, but the Warriors never fail to forget something new....like they never heard of it even though it worked for them....sounds a bit ADH.....never mind.

It is an interesting thought, could Halasima be a strike centre? When you look at that bulldogs game on his debut, it was there that he almost won the game and that knights game was a barnstorming run wide? Could his being shifted there against panthers a sign of things to come? We seem to have an abundance of second rowers and it would be a huge move to shift our most promising. Some see Fatialofa as the one that could shift, really need Leiataua to recognise his potential