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

 

[france]

Why is that?

ask sticky

 

[Worried2Death]

Thought he was decent in the last internationals for Kiwis too

He was a standout again for the Kiwis I thought, after mixed form for the Raiders last season.

 

[CWC]

Thought he was decent in the last internationals for Kiwis too

Stacy was his coach *cough*

Talk about a sudden influx of outside back talents possibly flooding our way lol

 

[roguei]

Sorry no idea of it was comfirmed or not but i cannot find anything from either club. But directly from the new RTS vlog he has offically signed a 2 year contract with wakefield trinity:
View: https://youtu.be/SVaXnwOSv3g?si=NQKKX7LoGPxFG6Js&t=594

 

[snake77]

Not unexpected seeing as we have signed a few wingers. That can also be down to depth being an issue last year when we had injuries.

Then add the speculation for the Warbrick signing. So it was likely one or both of our veteran wingers were likely to be moving on.

Then add the fact he was looking at R360, which would have been a nice pay day and a different lifestyle for his young family. So, again not surprising he would move on. A new challenge to see out his career.

The NRL is a tough slog. The training, the level of competition. Then, for a club like ours, add in the travel.

He's been great for our club. He is performing this year but it might be better to go a year early than a year too late.

 

[CWC]

Roger no!!
Probably has another 2 years of elite football left in him.
WW better step up to the plate
Will Dallin's option be taken up now?
WW/AKP/Mellars 2027....probably keep DWZ lol

 

[Noitall]

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWXcYVTE3g0/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=b3d254fa-976c-4662-b808-e0323465c732&ig_mid=F58BEB29-BD0C-4431-A531-B6E49AA3021B


Pretty much what was in that post off knights forum yesterday

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Roger no!!
Probably has another 2 years of elite football left in him.
WW better step up to the plate
Will Dallin's option be taken up now?
WW/AKP/Mellars 2027....probably keep DWZ lol

Move dal on also, AKP and Warbrick are all good!

 

[Citygirl]

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Gotta win it all this year now, RTS confirmed to Wakefield

 

[CWC]

Man I hope we keep Cape

 

[watcher]

Roger no!!
Probably has another 2 years of elite football left in him.
WW better step up to the plate
Will Dallin's option be taken up now?
WW/AKP/Mellars 2027....probably keep DWZ lol

Fro what zi have seen of Melkars he is a talent but hasnt filled ouy his frame yet.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Possible 2027 Warriors Round 1 Team (Games Played as of today)
1. Nicoll-Klokstad (138)
2. Khan-Pereira (54)
3. Anderson (51)
4. Pompey (122)
5. Warbrick (59)
6. Metcalf (41)
7. Boyd (81)
8. Fisher-Harris (225)
9. Egan (153)
10. Ford (100)
11. Laban (22)
12. Halasima (32)
13. Clark (123)

Pessimistically, lets say everyone in that lineup (barring AKP and Anderson) plays another 15 games this year, we will be running out with 479 more games of NRL experience, than the 2021 Panthers Round 1 team.

Possible Warriors 2027 Total Games: 1201 (as of today)
Panthers 2021 Total Games: 887

That 2021 Panthers starting line up had no players with over 200 games, while we will have one.

That 2021 Panthers starting line up had four players with 100 or more games, we will likely have five, maybe six.

The 2021 Panthers starting line up had five players with less than 50 games, we will have one.

Over the two seasons prior, that Panthers team had lost 2,272 games of experience. While we, assuming we lose all our off contract players this year (barring Boyd), will have lost 2,802 games of experience.

Long way of saying that I don't think we need to worry about signing a going-on-34 Capewell for next year. It's a lot of leadership lost but its not like its a bunch of kids running out there, and ya need to back the Fords and Clarks or the world to step up at some point.

Warbrick, Boyd, Anderson would take us to 23 players for next year, upgrade a few young guys, then maybe a Sam Hughes or someone in that 25-27yo/50-odd game range that could add competition to the likes of TSS and EIT for a bench spot and become a leader for the Cup team

 

[SJ2k]

1 more year of RTS would have been magic but get your bag son. As for Niukore, bye felicia.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Possible 2027 Warriors Round 1 Team (Games Played as of today)
1. Nicoll-Klokstad (138)
2. Khan-Pereira (54)
3. Anderson (51)
4. Pompey (122)
5. Warbrick (59)
6. Metcalf (41)
7. Boyd (81)
8. Fisher-Harris (225)
9. Egan (153)
10. Ford (100)
11. Laban (22)
12. Halasima (32)
13. Clark (123)

Pessimistically, lets say everyone in that lineup (barring AKP and Anderson) plays another 15 games this year, we will be running out with 479 more games of NRL experience, than the 2021 Panthers Round 1 team.

Possible Warriors 2027 Total Games: 1201 (as of today)
Panthers 2021 Total Games: 887

That 2021 Panthers starting line up had no players with over 200 games, while we will have one.

That 2021 Panthers starting line up had four players with 100 or more games, we will likely have five, maybe six.

The 2021 Panthers starting line up had five players with less than 50 games, we will have one.

Over the two seasons prior, that Panthers team had lost 2,272 games of experience. While we, assuming we lose all our off contract players this year (barring Boyd), will have lost 2,802 games of experience.

Long way of saying that I don't think we need to worry about signing a going-on-34 Capewell for next year. It's a lot of leadership lost but its not like its a bunch of kids running out there, and ya need to back the Fords and Clarks or the world to step up at some point.

Warbrick, Boyd, Anderson would take us to 23 players for next year, upgrade a few young guys, then maybe a Sam Hughes or someone in that 25-27yo/50-odd game range that could add competition to the likes of TSS and EIT for a bench spot and become a leader for the Cup team

Grea post, albeit your comparing us to the Panthers first year premiership team while we will be defending champions next year.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

1. Nicoll-Klokstad (138)
2. Khan-Pereira (54)
3. Anderson (51)
4. Pompey (122)
5. Warbrick (59)
6. Metcalf (41)
7. Boyd (81)
8. Fisher-Harris (225)
9. Egan (153)
10. Ford (100)
11. Laban (22)
12. Halasima (32)
13. Clark (123)

Really highlights that as much as Metcalf wants to be the big dog, he’s still a pup experience wise and hasn’t even cracked the 50 game mark where the games slows down for you.

It’s a good thing having Boyd there for a while while Metcalf continues to gain experience.

 

[Brightman]

Grant Anderson out with a suspected medial. Do the Warriors have a cooling off period too..

 

[Warriors4eva95]

Fro what zi have seen of Melkars he is a talent but hasnt filled ouy his frame yet.

Don't rate Mellars at all, yeah scores tries but stuff he does off the ball bemuses me and is cup standard if that, tackling isn't to great either and playmaker skills n game thinking awareness isn't he's finest craft just from the cup games I have watched of him, even Anderson outshines him in every facet

 

[Tragic]

Don't rate Mellars at all, yeah scores tries but stuff he does off the ball bemuses me and is cup standard if that, tackling isn't to great either and playmaker skills n game thinking awareness isn't he's finest craft just from the cup games I have watched of him

I am most concerned about his speed, I haven't seen any evidence that he has any.
I like his effort and aerial work. Unconvinced other than that. Love to have my mind changed.

 

[Dannevegas]

Don't rate Mellars at all, yeah scores tries but stuff he does off the ball bemuses me and is cup standard if that, tackling isn't to great either and playmaker skills n game thinking awareness isn't he's finest craft just from the cup games I have watched of him

In a country full of young athletic phenoms. How do we end up with this backline

 

[Warriors4eva95]

Don't rate Mellars at all, yeah scores tries but stuff he does off the ball bemuses me and is cup standard if that, tackling isn't to great either and playmaker skills isn't he's finest craft just from the cup games I have watched of h

I am most concerned about his speed, I haven't seen any evidence that he has any.
I like his effort and aerial work. Unconvinced other than that. Love to have my mind changed.

I'm of that sentiment as well