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

 

[CWC]

View attachment 17167

Yikes, not good

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Yikes, not good

Yeah hard out, thats how I read it.

Boyd and LM nek year maybe

Ohh good question.....if Chanel comes out and announces hes signed somewhere else for 2027 and onwards, do you continue with him at 6 for the rest of this year, or move him to the interchange and give the 6 to LM?

 

[Hitro]

Webster does not look comfortable answering CHT questions


https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2026/05/01/webster-were-rewarding-the-team-thats-playing-well/

 

[CWC]

Yeah hard out, thats how I read it.

Boyd and LM nek year maybe

Ohh good question.....if Chanel comes out and announces hes signed somewhere else for 2027 and onwards, do you continue with him at 6 for the rest of this year, or move him to the interchange and give the 6 to LM?

If we're fighting for the spoon then ya he can go now if he's signed elsewhere

If we're trying to win it then Mets can keep that No.20 jersey for the rest of the season

Apparently his sister or family liked a post by 1 of the posters here commenting on social media so who knows maybe it's a $$ thing. Would be a shame he's home grown since 2019 and we're finally getting peak CHT at a reasonable price and he could be gone lol

 

[CWC]

Webster does not look comfortable answering CHT questions


https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2026/05/01/webster-were-rewarding-the-team-thats-playing-well/

I like his attitude/answers towards Luke's situation, sounds like he's an injury cover until form dip/injuries happen rather than "he's my 1/6/7"

The CHT answers sound like "We want to keep him at a medium/cheap price and his agent has been testing the market and keeping us in the loop of his price range"

 

[sup42]

Webster does not look comfortable answering CHT questions


https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2026/05/01/webster-were-rewarding-the-team-thats-playing-well/

He looked pissed off at being asked.

Rattled yes.

And that is a good thing for those wanting the Warriors to retain Chanel.


I think Webster's uncertainty reflects the person we are talking about here.

Chanel is a rare one indeed, entirely goes his own way. And for Webster, I guess the smartest play is to remove all pressure from Chanel....otherwise he goes walk about eh....that's just his unique personality.

 

[Garry Saloon]

Yikes, not good

Not good?

 

[roguei]

Webster does not look comfortable answering CHT questions


https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2026/05/01/webster-were-rewarding-the-team-thats-playing-well/

I try to wait and watch every one of these interviews instead of reading the jurnos version. At least when they decide to post them.... (still missing the other two interviews with taine and ford). He was acting pretty similar when asked about any contract negotiations. I think the uncomfortable vibes is from him trying to carefully select what words to say. Answering the question without giving away info he shoulden't. I'd not take it as a representation of how the deal is going.

 

[Garry Saloon]

Everyone here reading all sorts of terrible things into Webster saying they love CHT and they're in dialogue with him about an extension, while wearing a neutral facial expression... Youse are crazy. What's he going to say? "We'll pay anything for him"? "We want home gone"? You guys need your heads checked.

 

[Garry Saloon]

I try to wait and watch every one of these interviews instead of reading the jurnos version. At least when they decide to post them.... (still missing the other two interviews with taine and ford). He was acting pretty similar when asked about any contract negotiations. I think the uncomfortable vibes is from him trying to carefully select what words to say. Answering the question without giving away info he shoulden't. I'd not take it as a representation of how the deal is going.

100 per cent. I don't even think he looked uncomfortable. Just a neutral expression.

 

[Worried2Death]

Webster does not look comfortable answering CHT questions


https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2026/05/01/webster-were-rewarding-the-team-thats-playing-well/

Wonder which player spat the dummy, probably Lodge.

 

[Garry Saloon]

Wonder which player spat the dummy, probably Lodge.

Jazz?

 

[Worried2Death]

Jazz?

Addin?

 

[roguei]

Addin?

Curren?

 

[CWC]

Not good?

That's my initial personal reaction to the quotes put out by the poster, based on 20 years of work experience, do I need to get my head checked for expressing a personal opinion on a fan forum, doc?

 

[Garry Saloon]

That's my initial personal reaction to the quotes put out by the poster, based on 20 years of work experience, do I need to get my head checked for expressing a personal opinion on a fan forum, doc?

Lighten up brother.

(But yeah, maybe you should lol)

 

[CWC]

Comparing Webster's response to SJ 2023, who ultimately signed on for another year

Thus IMO with CHT it's more like 50/50 depending on the price and what others are offering, could be totally wrong of course dude signs for $1M tomorrow lol

 

[Garry Saloon]

View attachment 17169

Comparing Webster's response to SJ 2023, who ultimately signed on for another year

Thus IMO with CHT it's more like 50/50 depending on the price and what others are offering, could be totally wrong of course dude signs for $1M tomorrow lol

Well yeah, Shaun Johnson is an all time great. Bit different.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

That's my initial personal reaction to the quotes put out by the poster, based on 20 years of work experience, do I need to get my head checked for expressing a personal opinion on a fan forum, doc?

Deep breaths, mate.

You'll make it through this!

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Webster does not look comfortable answering CHT questions


https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2026/05/01/webster-were-rewarding-the-team-thats-playing-well/

The Warriors have been a black hole for recruitment information due to a much more professional modus operandi. Yes, he looked awkward, hopping backwards and forward etc, but that would be from the desire to keep all the cards hidden.

It actually answered the question with optimism for me. The key has been "is the club looking to retain all three halves," and clearly we are.

Yeah, that spit the dummy comment (though a throwaway joke) was pretty tantalising. He made it sound like the player(s) still thinks the club played hardball. Lodge (dummy) and AFB (club hardball) for sure. Walker and Curran left quick, but I didn't get the feeling from the way they talked about the club that there was animosity there.