Recruitment Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2026/2027 Recruitment and Retention Discussion​

Player	2026​	2027​	2028​	2029​	2030​
Grant Anderson	-​	✔​	✔​	✔​
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	✔​	✔​	✔​
William Warbrick	-​	✔​	✔​	✔​
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔​	M​
Connor Bowden	U​	U​	✔​
Jett Cleary	S​	U​
Luke Hanson	S​
Motu Pasikala	S​	U​
Caelys-Paul Putoko	S​
Jason Salalilo	S​	U​	U​
Makaia Taufa	S​	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: 6/6

2027 Top 30: 22/30
2027 Supplementary: 0/6

2027 Gains: Grant Anderson (Brisbane Broncos), William Warbrick (Melbourne Storm)
2027 Losses: Mitchell Barnett (Brisbane Broncos), Marata Niukore (Newcastle Knights), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Wakefield Trinity)

Off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2027: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Te Maire Martin
Will be off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2028 from November 1st, 2026: 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

 

[Billyspleen75]

Don't mind if it's Brisbane.

1 hr domestic flight from Taree to Brisbane vs 8 - 10 hr + when it's Auckland to Taree

 

[WAH MAN]

Not a pisstake at all, Brisbane isn't far from NSW North Coast where Mitches family is.

5 hours from Coffs to Brizzy driving.

Taree is south of Coffs, Kempsey and Port Macquarie

 

[WAH MAN]

Anyway. If he goes to Brisbane. I'll have to salt until we unveil our next signing coup

 

[Damo]

5 hours from Coffs to Brizzy driving.

Taree is south of Coffs, Kempsey and Port Macquarie

Who said he's driving?

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Who said he's driving?

Yeah, If its for the medical needs of his child. He'll just move there. His family are still a short flight , Short enough drive away if he needs help looking after his other child/ whanau support.

 

[WAH MAN]

Who said he's driving?

Who said I said he's driving?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Nothing like a departure to spike the recruitment thread up! All the best to Barney!!! I love how Barnett turned himself around while he was here, will be missed for sure.

Do we put Jacob Laban up front or Erin Clark or Toeava?

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Nothing like a departure to spike the recruitment thread up! All the best to Barney!!! I love how Barnett turned himself around while he was here, will be missed for sure.

Do we put Jacob Laban up front or Erin Clark or Toeava?

Well Mr Gannon, imo its up to you over the next 6 months or so.

He showed a few nice touches in the 2nd trial. If he goes really well over the first 15 or so rounds maybe we don't replace Barny with a forward and move Erin to prop, and Gannon to 13.

700k or what ever Barny is on gets you one hell of a back. Should be close to Origin/international quality

 

[sballer7]

Some reports said that his child needs hospital support that does not exist in Auckland. Wonder what that is. If it doesnt exist in Auckland, good chance it wont exist in Newcastle either, so Brisbane would seem a likely option as they have very good children's hospital (outside of Sydney Metro areas).

Genuinely best wishes for him and his whanau. He came here as an OK signing and leaves here as one of our best. Will be sorely missed.

If that's the case then fair enough. But one question...if he needs medical attention that Auckland does not provide, why not leave now? Seems odd.

 

[WAH MAN]

Nothing like a departure to spike the recruitment thread up! All the best to Barney!!! I love how Barnett turned himself around while he was here, will be missed for sure.

Do we put Jacob Laban up front or Erin Clark or Toeava?

I'd put Demi up front and rotate with Marata and Eddie Ieremia Toeava

 

[WAH MAN]

If that's the case then fair enough. But one question...if he needs medical attention that Auckland does not provide, why not leave now? Seems odd.

Might need time to get set back up Aussie side and they may have pulled an Addin and said finish this year first etc

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I'm also a little worried re our spine. IMO we play our best footy when we have a settled spine.

Currently, end of 2026 we have these guys off contract:
Tuaupiki
CHT
TMM
Boyd

And then end of 2027 off contract:
CNK
Cleary Jnr
Egan
Healey

On top of Metcalf and Linanne, who at this point you would have to say are prone to the odd season ending injury.

There's a lot of water to go under the bridge but I hope that this is being given some serious thought.

 

[sballer7]

Might need time to get set back up Aussie side and they may have pulled an Addin and said finish this year first etc

Yea I get that...just thought if his child wasn't receiving the required care in NZ, he would be gone already.

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Yea I get that...just thought if his child wasn't receiving the required care in NZ, he would be gone already.

Would assume wife and kids have already moved home? Hopefully it dosent effect his form this season

 

[WAH MAN]

Would assume wife and kids have already moved home? Hopefully it dosent effect his form this season

If they've moved, he'll probably leave before season's end.

 

[CWC]

If he’s off to the broncos I wouldn’t mind swapping their fullback

 

[CWC]

Can Cape play prop next year lol, wouldn’t mind extending his desired 2-year deal and be a co-cap with his experience

Otherwise we lose Barney, Cape and keep Marata…yikes

 

[Naynay]

tangentially connected to Wahs recruitment, Setu tu to debut for the dragons in vegas

 

[The Warrior Waka]

tangentially

Oooweeee! I can't even pronounce this word!? Flash alright Nay! Lol

 

[Billyspleen75]

Griffin Neame missed the starting lineup and is 18th man for the Cowboys this week.

Bro needs a compassionate release