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

 

[Noitall]

On Nanai, I have heard he has some very serious problems with the shoulder. Before he injured it in the PAC Champs there were real concerns about the stability of it and that it doesn’t sit right. Now he has injured it again. It may explain some of the defensive issues he was having, with a lack of trust in it

That’s a shame to hear because I thought he was in for a big season after what he turned out for Samoa. They lost Luki last year to a serious injury ruling him out for last season and Payten needs a decent season to survive

 

[Piltdown Man]

Starting to think Ali is a bit of a show pony. This could be one of the many that never reach thier potential.

Worst case … another one that gets off-loaded and comes back and shits all over us for the next 5 years… (I still think the potential is there but sooner or later you gotta show up)

 

[Canonball]

Cmon bro, that emote was fire haha. We have enough quiet, humble dudes

Yeah, also i think we're forgetting how excited a lot of us were when he first turned up too ... he's got some skills, and the aggression is there - i really wnt to see him succeed

 

[Neo]

That’s a shame to hear because I thought he was in for a big season after what he turned out for Samoa. They lost Luki last year to a serious injury ruling him out for last season and Payten needs a decent season to survive

Yeah it shows how tough cap management is too. He looked like the future for them (may well still be), but injuries can adjust a players value by so much

 

[Naynay]

I don't see what he brings that EIT/Fats/Gannon won't bring to an edge row. Conversely, his size and aggression (based on his games this year before injury) is something that the other young forwards we have can't match. I'd be using him as a bench middle. If Capewah retires, give it to one of the others.

The talk is hes the most athletic. They had bigger wraps on him then anyone else. EIT seems to be the work horse of the group so probably would see him play a middle bench role

Also if any of them was going to be ready to take over the 80 min second rower position tomorrow it would appear to be laban

 

[SJ2k]

We need Ali to come out guns blazing this year and become our standout back or we're cooked. So I refuse to believe he's fizzling out

 

[Brightman]

We need Ali to come out guns blazing this year and become our standout back or we're cooked. So I refuse to believe he's fizzling out

FFS we we're a top 4 team for most of last season and finished top 8 without Ali, but if he makes a centre jersey his own it does sound promising..

 

[WAH MAN]

FFS we we're a top 4 team for most of last season and finished top 8 without Ali, but if he makes a centre jersey his own it does sound promising..

1. Stay injury free
2. Be busy and active during the game

He's alright. Still part of the young crop so time is on his side.

 

[Noitall]

FFS we we're a top 4 team for most of last season and finished top 8 without Ali, but if he makes a centre jersey his own it does sound promising..

I had a look at our line ups from game to game last year and it’s easy to forget the adversity we faced right from the get go around the backline initially, but then overall. Right from the start we had DWZ out replaced by Tuaupiki and by round 3 we’d lost both wingers and going between playing Kosi there and shifting Pompey from centre and playing Berry and Leiataua at centre. Then Berry injured saw MGT given a go and Capewell playing more than you’d like at centre. By the time we played the bulldogs whether it be deemed Capewell more valuable in the forwards or it not working, CNK got time at centre. The fact that everyone expected Capewell to be centre against panthers and opting for Halasima after Capewell not played there again makes me think that role is past him no matter the necessity in the clubs eyes? A couple of things stood out to me that the last game against manly that we lost was probably our strongest lineup of who you’d think would be Webster’s top team without Metcalf and Barnett and it wasn’t enough to beat a team who’s season was over and we going into finals. Las Vegas looked like a shit season was ahead, but I think it’s our continuing inability to turn up in big or hyped games. Round 2 against manly was grounds for optimism because manly had a big round 1 win and roosters following was a good win. We still had Walker at that point and managed to keep winning when he departed so those early wins highlight the value of Metcalf and Barnett to me early on to then be playing what would be considered our strongest lineup apart from those two missing later on. Recruiting some wingers in AKP and Mellars looks the right thing to have done, but centre could be an issue too with that being an area injuries are occurring?

 

[Brightman]

I had a look at our line ups from game to game last year and it’s easy to forget the adversity we faced right from the get go around the backline initially, but then overall. Right from the start we had DWZ out replaced by Tuaupiki and by round 3 we’d lost both wingers and going between playing Kosi there and shifting Pompey from centre and playing Berry and Leiataua at centre. Then Berry injured saw MGT given a go and Capewell playing more than you’d like at centre. By the time we played the bulldogs whether it be deemed Capewell more valuable in the forwards or it not working, CNK got time at centre. The fact that everyone expected Capewell to be centre against panthers and opting for Halasima after Capewell not played there again makes me think that role is past him no matter the necessity in the clubs eyes? A couple of things stood out to me that the last game against manly that we lost was probably our strongest lineup of who you’d think would be Webster’s top team without Metcalf and Barnett and it wasn’t enough to beat a team who’s season was over and we going into finals. Las Vegas looked like a shit season was ahead, but I think it’s our continuing inability to turn up in big or hyped games. Round 2 against manly was grounds for optimism because manly had a big round 1 win and roosters following was a good win. We still had Walker at that point and managed to keep winning when he departed so those early wins highlight the value of Metcalf and Barnett to me early on to then be playing what would be considered our strongest lineup apart from those two missing later on. Recruiting some wingers in AKP and Mellars looks the right thing to have done, but centre could be an issue too with that being an area injuries are occurring?

100% that's why I say the young guys really stepped up and kept us in the hunt, they really excelled and developed faster than projected. Like @WAH MAN said about Ali, they're young and still have plenty of time to round off as players while pushing the club forward.

The next couple of seasons will be so interesting as the development and transition of young reserves to established 1st graders takes place and the seniors who have helped set the standards are usurped by the future talent..