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​
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: 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

 

[WAH MAN]

Anyone keen on steroids mcsook xerri?

Personally I'm a definitely not but apparently Webby can fix Hannibal Lecter

 

[Defence]

This is the first time imo. No offence to the likes of Ben Henry, Elijah Taylor, Ikahihifo, Lisone but they weren't that talented to begin with.

We have some early dynasty building blocks coming through.

Bishop Neal just ran for 220m on the weekend as a 17 year old in an U21 competition.

Fai, matulino, packer…
Regardless, I do rate our juniors- Leka and bishop are rare talents but people tend to get carried away with potential. Verhoeven is the next Greg Inglis? Inglis was playing for Australia at his age… Ive been watching league 40 years and only seen one Greg Inglis in my time.
Tia is the ninth immortal according to this forum.
Both great prospects but people need to cool their jets a bit.
Not long ago mariner was the next steve renoff and now people don’t want him
I like how we’re bleeding them in slowly- they’re still learning and need cool heads around them.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Personally I'm a definitely not but apparently Webby can fix Hannibal Lecter

You dare doubt our glorious leader?

But no, I'd pass.

 

[Wah's Up]

Fai, matulino, packer…
Regardless, I do rate our juniors- Leka and bishop are rare talents but people tend to get carried away with potential. Verhoeven is the next Greg Inglis? Inglis was playing for Australia at his age… Ive been watching league 40 years and only seen one Greg Inglis in my time.
Tia is the ninth immortal according to this forum.
Both great prospects but people need to cool their jets a bit.
Not long ago mariner was the next steve renoff and now people don’t want him
I like how we’re bleeding them in slowly- they’re still learning and need cool heads around them.

I used to watch the Amoco Cup on telly back in 1975

 

[WAH MAN]

Fai, matulino, packer…
Regardless, I do rate our juniors- Leka and bishop are rare talents but people tend to get carried away with potential. Verhoeven is the next Greg Inglis? Inglis was playing for Australia at his age… Ive been watching league 40 years and only seen one Greg Inglis in my time.
Tia is the ninth immortal according to this forum.
Both great prospects but people need to cool their jets a bit.
Not long ago mariner was the next steve renoff and now people don’t want him
I like how we’re bleeding them in slowly- they’re still learning and need cool heads around them.

Its more fun speculating than saying he reminds me of Greg Inglis but he's young and has proven nothing so everybody cool your jets until he is awesome so we can come back and quote ourselves as being calm at young blokes rugby league development.

 

[jonesy101]

I don't really know the full circumstances for this one with Bronson, but am getting tired of players holding clubs to ransom when another player gets selected over them. The Bulldogs handling of events last year reeked, but in general the best players you want at the club are the ones who do everything they can with what they are given.

 

[Sammyw]

Even in light of how the young bucks of Demi Tanner Leka and Jacob stepping up so well?

two of the 4 names you've mentioned are frontrowers.. Leka and Jacob should absolutely be the starting backrow for us moving forward. dont under estimate experience lost though in capes and niukore, Riki is really not that bad. i have watched plenty of broncos games and he isnt the issue. he hasnt kicked on like expected, i agree on that but he isnt dreadful. jury is out on Gannon, EIT is solid at best, Fatialofa a good prospect. im not saying bring riki in and force him in the starting XIII, hes just one i would consider if we lose both capes and marata

 

[Five&Last]

Fai, matulino, packer…
Regardless, I do rate our juniors- Leka and bishop are rare talents but people tend to get carried away with potential. Verhoeven is the next Greg Inglis? Inglis was playing for Australia at his age… Ive been watching league 40 years and only seen one Greg Inglis in my time.
Tia is the ninth immortal according to this forum.
Both great prospects but people need to cool their jets a bit.
Not long ago mariner was the next steve renoff and now people don’t want him
I like how we’re bleeding them in slowly- they’re still learning and need cool heads around them.

I hear you, but that's only one guy on here claiming Tia as the next immortal. That's doesn't align with the views of people who follow junior level closely at all.

I haven't seen anyone compare Verhoeven to Greg Inglis? That's an exaggeration for sure. Maybe it was a passing comment from someone who hasn't watched him because they are both tall?

I would strongly recommend following the ShortBall on instagram. He does great pieces on all junior levels. You get a good read on where our junior players stack up against other talent in the comp. So that you're not stuck in the WarriorBubble thinking our juniors are the next immortals like you say. I would like to think I'm pretty realistic and grounded in my outlook of the talent we have coming through.

I don't think people are not wanting Mariner, its more that its very obvious he doesn't want to come here.

I just think its important to not take one comment or poster and treat that as the majority or consensus

 

[Completion Rate]

I've mentioned this before but I have it on good account from a former coach of Riki that his attitude is painful to be around - obnoxious, arrogant and an inflated sense of ability.
Sure hes 26 and may have grown out of it but no doubt made worse by winning a prem. Where do you think Walsh gets the confidence to do the dumb shit hes been caught in?

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Don't need forwards, especially backrowers. We have too many of those to begin with. Keep our eye on our main roster weakness: outside backs. Even with Warbrick potentially coming, we could do with another X-factor speedster in our backline to complement AKP.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

I just think its important to not take one comment or poster and treat that as the majority or consensus

I like the hyperbolized state of communication in this forum. It's so much more dramatic than if everyone spoke reasonably.

I need my entertainment, dammit!

I've mentioned this before but I have it on good account from a former coach of Riki that his attitude is painful to be around - obnoxious, arrogant and an inflated sense of ability.
Sure hes 26 and may have grown out of it but no doubt made worse by winning a prem.

I'm not that big on Riki.

Here's a question for you guys. Is it that bad if we don't get anything major from Brisbane with the Barney trade?

I feel like this is more of a 'line in the sand' in regards to establishing compensation for compassionate grounds releases, than anything else.

The Broncos are a pretty weird club too. I heard that they make their halfback drink out of the toilet.

 

[Five&Last]

I like the hyperbolized state of communication in this forum. It's so much more dramatic than if everyone spoke reasonably.

I need my entertainment, dammit!



I'm not that big on Riki.

Here's a question for you guys. Is it that bad if we don't get anything major from Brisbane with the Barney trade?

I feel like this is more of a 'line in the sand' in regards to establishing compensation for compassionate grounds releases, than anything else.

The Broncos are a pretty weird club too. I heard that they make their halfback drink out of the toilet.

The argument for Riki is imagine what Webster can turn him into if he can turn Ford into the player he is now.

But imagine what Kayliss, EIT, Sikuvea and Bishop are going to become under Webby’s weekly guidance.

 

[Damo]

Riki is a no from me. Man is so overrated just because he is a Kiwi, we have far more talented second rowers in the system already.

Only positive about Riki would be he's used to the rigours of week to week NRL.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Back in 2023 I would have been happy to grab Riki. Now not at all. All he would do is block a better junior if he came here.

 

[Theking267]

The comparisons between Verhoeven and Greg Inglis are based of what they achieved at 18. Verhoeven won the Mal Mennining Cup and was the best player in the comp. Made Aussie schoolboys & is starting at 18 in Qcup. Tia’s been the best player in each team he’s played for to this point. With the Roosters he made the SG Ball final which included Toia and Strange. Won the Flegg comp with the Bulldogs where he was the best player in the comp & was named in the team of the year in cup. Neal won player of the final in the HM. Dominated Ball and Flegg. The hype around these players is what there done to this point of there career there is no exaggeration to this point

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Wouldn’t be to keen on Riki unless it’s for under 400k. If we lose both capewell and Marata at the end of the season, would you guys be interested in Luke Garner from the panthers who’s off contract? Would already have a relationship with Webby and would help to add a bit more experience to the squad which we will lose and also won’t be on massive money.

 

[WAH MAN]

Is it that bad if we don't get anything major from Brisbane with the Barney trade?

Jackson Ford is who we got for Barney. Didn't even need to go shopping. With Fordy's advancements if we get anything in a trade would be a bonus.

 

[WAH MAN]

Riki is a no from me. Man is so overrated just because he is a Kiwi, we have far more talented second rowers in the system already.

Only positive about Riki would be he's used to the rigours of week to week NRL.

I'm not sure if there is a second rower in the NRL that Leka hasn't owned. Or pwned in my children's gaming language I think.

 

[TOA AOTEAROA]

Wouldn’t be to keen on Riki unless it’s for under 400k. If we lose both capewell and Marata at the end of the season, would you guys be interested in Luke Garner from the panthers who’s off contract? Would already have a relationship with Webby and would help to add a bit more experience to the squad which we will lose and also won’t be on massive money.

Yes Luke Garner would be a better fit us.

 

[Playdaball]

Thought of the week.
Is Ali Leiataua a back rower playing centre?

His defence at the moment is not up to it