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

 

[Noitall]

Wonder whats going on with the Barnett situation. Has there been any additional news? Also the Marata news?

Betham or someone in the commentary team seemed to say Niukore to knights I think I heard last night?

 

[Playdaball]

Monty said a 3 year contract signed ( as per rumours online).

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Monty said a 3 year contract signed ( as per rumours online).

I'm surprised he has got a contract for that long. He has done well.

 

[Jonno13]

Pretty sure Adam Blair is in Newy on there coaching staff in their pathways program or similar. Having been in the Wahs coaching system prior to that, he’ll still have a strong connection with our boys and know who was on the way out. Can’t see him playing on the edge there and surely destined for the front row

 

[tajhay]

Pretty sure Adam Blair is in Newy on there coaching staff in their pathways program or similar. Having been in the Wahs coaching system prior to that, he’ll still have a strong connection with our boys and know who was on the way out. Can’t see him playing on the edge there and surely destined for the front row

3 years big contract would sound right then. Blair was the king of getting overly inflated contracts.

 

[Theking267]

Pretty sure Adam Blair is in Newy on there coaching staff in their pathways program or similar. Having been in the Wahs coaching system prior to that, he’ll still have a strong connection with our boys and know who was on the way out. Can’t see him playing on the edge there and surely destined for the front row

Plus O’Sullivan was our Recruitment Manager when he signed with us and he’s now at the Knights in that role

 

[Warriors4eva95]

So 2028/29 could be something like

1. Retcliff/Olsen/TT
2. Norris/WW
3. Lemana/Casey P
4. Pompey/Ali
5. AKP/Mellars/Pasikala/Kali?
6. CHT/Inch
7. Metcalf?/Boyd?/Thompson

8. Demi
9. Healey
10. TSS
11. Leka
12. Laban
13. Gannon

14. Marsh/Taufua
15. EIT
16. Clark/Vea/Salalilo
17. Neal/Fats

RTV/Sivukula (can’t spell) 13 depth
Ford/Fish might still be around for bench

If Inch is a prodigy maybe and lacks top speed maybe 6/13 or even centre like Burton if he has distribution skills and defense read with a big body…like Berry? Or Burton when he was at centre?

It's gonna be very interesting to see what that team would look like because I rate Caelys- Paul n Capper, Neal, Olsen, Ratcliffe, Lemana, Tanielu, Fatialofa, Marsh n Thompson they're all genuine first graders other teams would be using some of these guys right now for first grade, we have a ample of talent but nothing will change unless management does and the recruitment side of things tricky place to be in right now with the ample of talent we have I wouldn't like to be the selectors that's for sure

 

[Billyspleen75]

https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2026/04/13/niukore-departing-for-new-club-at-end-of-2026-season/

https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2026/04/13/newcastle-knights-sign-marata-niukore/

Knights for 3 seasons

 

[Cces]

https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2026/04/13/niukore-departing-for-new-club-at-end-of-2026-season/

https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2026/04/13/newcastle-knights-sign-marata-niukore/

Knights for 3 seasons

Well done to his manager

 

[rugged]

Hopefully the next news is we secure Anderson and extend Tannah

 

[Noitall]

Hopefully the next news is we secure Anderson and extend Tannah

Certainly gone quiet on Anderson? I wonder if he’s not wanting to relocate? His injury is an issue? Or we’re interested in someone like Timoko?

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Certainly gone quiet on Anderson? I wonder if he’s not wanting to relocate? His injury is an issue? Or we’re interested in someone like Timoko?

Joey Manu would be the ideal signing. He has no defensive issues. World-class with ball in hand. Can play in the centres, fullback, wing or the halves. NZ is home.

 

[Hitro]

Joey Manu would be the ideal signing. He has no defensive issues. World-class with ball in hand. Can play in the centres, fullback, wing or the halves. NZ is home.

Just need Fish in his ear telling him we're building something special at the Wah's

 

[Noitall]

Joey Manu would be the ideal signing. He has no defensive issues. World-class with ball in hand. Can play in the centres, fullback, wing or the halves. NZ is home.

And at an age where he wouldn’t block any young guns coming through. Potentially would take a season to get used to the rigours of nrl again like RTS did, but with RTS we tried him in a completely foreign position

 

[RTS’s Calves]

Hopefully some of that $$$ free’d up straight to a Erin Clark upgrade

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Just need Fish in his ear telling him we're building something special at the Wah's

I think if we keep performing like we have been. And not have these periods where we switch off(2 games before this) We start to look like a destination that kiwis overseas would want to come home too. And win New Zealands first premiership!

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Well that's a massive bit of salary freed up. Farewell Marata!

Newcastle Knights Sign Marata Niukore

The nib Newcastle Knights have confirmed powerhouse forward Marata Niukore will join the club next season, signing a three-year National Rugby League contract until the end of 2029.

www.newcastleknights.com.au

 

[The Warrior Waka]

And at an age where he wouldn’t block any young guns coming through. Potentially would take a season to get used to the rigours of nrl again like RTS did, but with RTS we tried him in a completely foreign position

What's not to love about our club!?

Look at what we offer.

Webby is a elite coach. Not one bad word is spoken about him.

We are stacked with talent in out pathways teams. Some of the best juniors in the nrl.

Our big boys are starting to become major threats to the competition. We just need to stop having naps after putting in the hard mahi & become more consistent.

We get sold out crowds at home games.

And Auckland is .....Well, Yeah.

My Ideal signings would be Moses Leota, Joey Manu & Kayln Ponga if we had Uncle Nick as our accountant.

They bring a wealth of experience and talent. Young enough to make a difference. Old enough to not block our Juniors.

Moses to replace Barney & Nuikore.
Fish , Jackson, Leota , Demetric, Tanner, RTV

Capewell to extend for a year or 2. With Bishop making his inevitable debut in a year or 2.

BR - Laban, Capewell, Clarke , Halasima , Gannon , Eddie , Kaylis. Neal & Sikuvea to come.

C - Manu, Leaitaua, Berry , Pompey, CNK? , Paul Putoko.

W - Warbrick , AKP , DWZ , Mellars , Pasikala. Need a Anderson or the like here.

FB - Ponga , CNK - TT
With a plethora of young superstars breathing down their necks - Lemana, Ratcliffe & Olsen.

Halves - Boyd , CHT , Metcalf , Hanson, Linnane , Cleary, Thompson.

H - Egan, Healey & Tafua

CNK & TT would make mean bench Utilities.

Which is a dis service to Charnze. The ultimate club man. And no disrespect meant. We need speed and ex factor. Would be happy to stick with CNK & Taine tho.

 

[juju]

Love Marata... but the Knights press release is a bit OTT

"Marata is one of the top edge defenders in the game"

 

[Cces]

Charnze. The ultimate club man.

What do you mean by this?
Could the same be said for Niukore?