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

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Do you guys reckon that if we extend CHT and Tanah, Healey leaves at the end of next year?

I’m all for CHT at 6, but the more logical scenario is that he locks up that utility role off the bench (provided a Tanah and Mets combo starts to click), limiting Healeys minutes in first grade. Obviously having Tafua chipping at Sam’s heels dosent help his case either.

 

[Warriorsitsouryear]

Guys I love the speculation but there's just no world in which the Warriors sign three halves on starting halves' salary. It's a really poor use of the cap and wastes decent coin that can go to big upgrades in less well paid positions, or to spread to keep our homegrown talent around longer. No clubs do this, unless there's a clear way in which one of the halves can play elsewhere.

So it's two out of the three. I don't really see them jettisoning Metcalf after one year into three (assuming there are offers he'd accept elsewhere) so with the other renewals needed this season (and they'll both want multiyear deal security given their form) it's one of Tanah or CHT.

What the best sides do is bridge this by having a young guy with upside on a multi-year deal, or a cheaper half who wants a year in a good system before having a crack at starting again elsewhere on better coin (like Scheider, SOS, Cogger at Penrith over the years; Madden at Brisbane; arguably even Boyd signing for us). Ultimately I think the Linnane signing was intended to secure us in advance against this instance we knew we were facing, with Jett, Hanson and Thompson also in the mix down the track. Maybe there will be an unders halves signing if Linnane doesn't quite make the grade (we were pretty quick at moving on the likes of Keighran/Volkman/Asi once we had a look at them and deemed them not up to first grade).

Any chat about keeping all of CHT/Met/Boyd is basically nice thinking but won't actually happen in a world where the comp has a salary cap

CHT is great for the squad off field and on it. He can hit like a forward and run like a back - I would personally keep him and train him for left centre start next year but can also play 13 and left back row. Great for a bench player also. Then can keep Tannah and Metcalf and have quality and experienced cover in the halves if the junior halves aren't quite ready.

 

[WAH MAN]

Last year despite his stats, many on this forum were calling for his head.
I don't blame him if he finds himself a lucrative deal offshore.

Same call for head rolling was made for Dally Ford and Form halfback Tanah. Form changes conversations and contract discussions

 

[Defence]

In all my years reading these threads it’s the first time I can recall there being more talk about retention than recruitment.
That’s the sign of a club who’s in a good spot.

 

[Inruin]

Our playoff record is poor though. 1 out of 4 and closest loss is by 16
View attachment 17146

And no proof of Metcalf being able to turn it up at finals time.

 

[Makasene]

In all my years reading these threads it’s the first time I can recall there being more talk about retention than recruitment.
That’s the sign of a club who’s in a good spot.

Yep it's wild times.

Just look at the names that can't get on the field game day.

Heavy discussion about our halves, not one mention of TMM - and rightly so but just goes to show the level we are sitting at.