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

 

[Mr Drag]

Refer to the last line for each screenshot

CNK Last year at FB
View attachment 15939

TT Last year at FB
View attachment 15940

CNK gets a bit of hate but he put pretty decent numbers last year (consistently over 200m a game and over 300m in 4 games last year). He plays the game exactly as how Webster wants him to play.

Whilst i also would like to see some attacking flair into the team, im not sure if Webster would be reshuffling the spine to gain that, especially early into the season.

The other thing is that Tuaupiki has started at fullback 15 times at The Warriors, and on 4 occassions has failed to finish the game. He is small similiar to Kini etc but his durability could perhaps be questioned, unless we plan on utilising a bench spot for a reserve fullback.

I got him in my supercoach at FB and only 500 grand!

 

[Brightman]

Interesting. He is signed till end of 2027.

and he'll get an early release based on homesickness??

 

[Cces]

As long as he wants it, CNK is our FB under Webby.

CNK will 32 years old before his contract ends. I very much doubt he'll be our starting Fullback at 32. If he is, something has gone wrong in our development pathway

 

[Noitall]

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I wouldn't be totally against the idea, but if we could get something that we need more - a decent center - I'd way prefer that.

If its Loko or nothing you'd be loko not to take that deal ($$ dependant).

For me - I'd take one of the Broncos backs off their hands. Karapani, Anderson, Mariner, Shibbi, are all players that would improve our backline and wouldn't break the bank

 

[Wrighty]

If Barnett goes in the next month - does this push us out of the playoffs? We started losing after he was injured last year. I guess we would really would be hoping for a player back to keep our chances alive.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

no forwards. Only backs if any club wants Barney. Period. That should be CG's position in these negotiations.

 

[Noitall]

I wouldn't be totally against the idea, but if we could get something that we need more - a decent center - I'd way prefer that.

If its Loko or nothing you'd be loko not to take that deal ($$ dependant).

For me - I'd take one of the Broncos backs off their hands. Karapani, Anderson, Mariner, Shibbi, are all players that would improve our backline and wouldn't break the bank

160K views · 1K reactions | Loko Pasifiki Tonga on the charge! 😤 #NRLDragonsKnights | NRL

Loko Pasifiki Tonga on the charge! 😤 #NRLDragonsKnights

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We love this power game that we used to great effect with AFB close to the line but I haven’t thought we we’ve had that body since and some that are are a while away. I really like RTV but he reminds of a build perhaps a bit bigger than Vaimauga, and I thought the glimpses of us trying to use him in the play didn’t work with him just a bit too small. I was quite encouraged by our outside backs in the trials, I prattled on about Putoko, and he didn’t scream pick me, but they seem to rate him highly. Pasikala I thought has progressed nicely and Dannevegas’s man Kali has talent. Five&Last mentions Norris a potential fullback talent, we could have all we need if we’re patient? To be willing to let Barnett go, this obviously isn’t the group they see as one that needs to stay together for our hopes of a premiership

 

[WAH MAN]

View attachment 15941

I remember he had a bit of an attitude issue. Can't recall if it was lazy training or wants to be the hero. Think he couldn't make his high school team and he was about that size then.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

No way I would pick up Lomax. He left the dragons and now the eels. Always with a bit of drama and seemed unsettled, not worth it at all. Also as if Barney would want to go to the eels, why not go to Penrith rather than the eels?

not only that, I'd prefer that the replacement be a kiwi who is actually compassionate release-proof.

 

[WAH MAN]

If Barnett goes in the next month - does this push us out of the playoffs? We started losing after he was injured last year. I guess we would really would be hoping for a player back to keep our chances alive.

We know what it takes to function without him now. We've faced that adversity once and it's not an unknown.

I think though he may go earlier than announced, we seem more resilient entering this season.

 

[WAH MAN]

not only that, I'd prefer that the replacement be a kiwi who is actually compassionate release-proof.

That might actually be Peta Hiku.

 

[Cces]

I remember he had a bit of an attitude issue. Can't recall if it was lazy training or wants to be the hero. Think he couldn't make his high school team and he was about that size then.

You might be thinking of someone else as he was an Australian Schoolboy

 

[Noitall]

We know what it takes to function without him now. We've faced that adversity once and it's not an unknown.

I think though he may go earlier than announced, we seem more resilient entering this season.

Hope not. The young guys sound like they’re up for it

 

[Cces]

If Barnett goes in the next month - does this push us out of the playoffs? We started losing after he was injured last year. I guess we would really would be hoping for a player back to keep our chances alive.

We won 7 of 12 without him in '23, got pump 6-66 in the only game he was absent in '24 and went 5W-9L without him in 2025.
Personally, I think it's hard to overstate how important he is to the team

 

[Noitall]

You might be thinking of someone else as he was an Australian Schoolboy
View attachment 15942

Really think this is a body type we’re interested in and perhaps an admission we don’t have one close when you consider recruitment targets have been players like Seyfarth, Hazelton and NAS. They all share the same thing in that they’re big

 

[WAH MAN]

You might be thinking of someone else as he was an Australian Schoolboy
View attachment 15942

NRL 2025: Loko Pasifiki Tonga to make NRL debut for St George Illawarra Dragons after once failing to make his school footy team https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/dr...-s-set-for-his-nrl-debut-20250507-p5lx5m.html

 

[WAH MAN]

View attachment 15943


Hope not. The young guys sound like they’re up for it

Those young bucks are the future. And a lot of the now. And when they have a reason to destroy other teams........they will.

 

[Noitall]

We won 7 of 12 without him in '23, got pump 6-66 in the only game he was absent in '24 and went 5W-9L without him in 2025.
Personally, I think it's hard to overstate how important he is to the team

I think Capewell would be handy to keep around and there was a feeling at broncos he was let go too early. It really only cost them one season though with a poor one after he left and they won the comp a couple of years later, and who knows he was a factor anyway for a dip? Obviously an admission centre is past him if needed with Halasima getting time there? Potentially could stay on the field more than we had with Barnett and 6 man benches could be handy to carry someone like him who could cope with the middle, play an edge or last resort centre

 

[Noitall]

Those young bucks are the future. And a lot of the now. And when they have a reason to destroy other teams........they will.

Bringing a young LPT could be beneficial to join the young crew being rather young himself. Couple of years of JFH to mould the work ethic and the confidence of our zesty boys, he could be next level if he has the drive