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

 

[Beastmode]

This could also be a GREAT thing.

An ALPHA leader (His identity)in Metcalf stepping up. He wants it. He has dreamed into it, sacrificed for it, moved here, his family - he is CLUTCH. That is his identity and this is about winning a premiership here and now (which looks possible in 2025). That is a great thing right!

Maybe Boyd has to wear 6 on his jersey... but still run the ship as a traditional HB. It may or may not impact CHT... I don't know.

MAYBE...
...the solution is Metcalf to #1 - Sink or Swim. FB is a superstar position/Superstar money... Walsh, Tedesco, Edwards, Papenhauyzen, Hammer, Ponga etc Our spine would be ELITE!!

I Trust Webster and his team to get it right.

This is what incredible teams go through. Winning changes a lot of things.

dont think his fragile body could handle the hit ups as a full back

he'd get smashed

with AKP and Taine we now have that elusive speed missing

Metcalf is expendable

 

[Beastmode]

This team needs a prime Boyd style 7 over a prime Metcalf makeshift style of 7. Have never thought LM looked natural as a 7, and wasn’t blown away by our play last season with LM steering the ship. This season on the other hand, it looks different and has that something about it.

If LM is indeed questioning plans and making demands he needs to be reminded he’s 27, has not even played 50nrl games and hasn’t played more than 15 in a season yet. He can go and I don’t think it would hurt us. Re-sign CHT, Boyd and TMM then trust in Jett and Inch.

On Spencer, I’d have him for sure, if it’s true we want him I’d hazard a guess webby and JFH would be good judges of character. But I wouldn’t want him for the 800k he’s on at the chooks

Is Tannah even at his prime?

Hes only 25,

Luke @ 27 has hardly played any NRL.

Its not even a debate anymore.

Spencer has to be a no. Webby can ask Unc Cleary if he has any doubts

 

[Lance155]

This is what I was worried about with the whole Metcalf Boyd thing. This is too big of a call to make until at least the end of this year.

If we lose Metcalf to keep Boyd its a poor decision in my opinion

 

[Beastmode]

I'd love to see Luke get back to 2025 form, but even then it's always going to be in the back of our minds now...... 'how long does this last'......

As a kid i loved skateboarding. Had the best skateboard in the world until one day i did a flip and it cracked right now the middle. My mates dad was a builder and he helped "glue" the crack telling me the skateboard was as good as new. I believed him even though the feel and stability of the board never felt the same. Six months later it snapped in half....

L:uke Metcalf is the skateboard and prime 2025 Luke isnt coming back....

 

[The Warrior Waka]

This is what I was worried about with the whole Metcalf Boyd thing. This is too big of a call to make until at least the end of this year.

If we lose Metcalf to keep Boyd its a poor decision in my opinion

Mets did his acl in 2019. Then a Tibia fracture on his right leg. An acl rupture on his right knee. And has recurring hamstring issues now. His main weapon is speed. The ongoing hamstring issues will surely take that away from him. 27 years old.

I'm not sure if it would be a poor decision by the club. Or a wise one. He won't kick goals anymore. And he'll never have that top end speed again. For fear of his hamstrings going.

 

[Lance155]

Mets did his acl in 2019. Then a Tibia fracture on his right leg. An acl rupture on his right knee. And has recurring hamstring issues now. His main weapon is speed. The ongoing hamstring issues will surely take that away from him. 27 years old.

I'm not sure if it would be a poor decision by the club. Or a wise one. He won't kick goals anymore. And he'll never have that top end speed again. For fear of his hamstrings going.

The other injuries are pure bad luck. The Hamstrings is fair conversation

 

[The Warrior Waka]

The other injuries are pure bad luck. The Hamstrings is fair conversation

I'm not saying any of it is his fault bro lol. He's just been very unlucky. And as a business, Wahs management have to make some hard decisions and do what's right for the club.

Continue with the steady influence of Boyd. Or take the risk of a undeniably talented, But injury prone Metcalf.

My preference is to make Chanel the priority signing. And whoever falls into place after this out of the two is fine with me.

 

[Lance155]

I'm not saying any of it is his fault bro lol. He's just been very unlucky. And as a business, Wahs management have to make some hard decisions and do what's right for the club.

Continue with the steady influence of Boyd. Or take the risk of a undeniably talented, But injury prone Metcalf.

My preference is to make Chanel the priority signing. And whoever falls into place after this out of the two is fine with me.

My point was those freak injuries doesn't make you 'injury prone'. Dodgey hammys and calf's do

 

[The Warrior Waka]

My point was those freak injuries doesn't make you 'injury prone'. Dodgey hammys and calf's do

Shit, My bad bro! One eye open reading the forums guy.

 

[CWC]

Metcalf seeking clarity on his position at the club is understandable it was the last quote i didn’t like “happy to play 5/8 in the short term” if you’re chitty that would motivate/piss you off

Exactly I was on board with posters saying it’s all good for the management to request a meeting to clarify client’s position it’s professional, until I remembered his client stating he will only play 6 short term ie I want that 7 next year, and then leaked it remember who paid for all those hammy rehabs

He also stated publicly he wants that 7 when we were winning and him injured too, I didn’t like it but there was argument he’s just confident. Employers need to notice a pattern here

It’s reminding me of a mini brownie gate and this leak is an ad to other teams (yes they can talk privately, just don’t get caught)

There could be weird tension and it reminds me of wives and their in laws living under the same house, Mets somehow turned into a inflexible in law

Could be a case of us signing boyd and cht and the pressure cooker is bursting, and mets’ team has a strong case of “they promised me 7!!!” and egg on about it. I would replicate Barney’s case and tout him for another contracted player swap, and be prepared to pay freight in the worst case scenario. We have TMM to back up 7 then add Jett/Thompson next year.

If they leaked it and it’s true his position is to only play 6 short term, then you need to move him on asap before 2024 nightmare or dogs 2025 repeat itself. We did Barney and Walker pretty quick

 

[Jeetz]

Free up that $1 mil I reckon. Blokes made of glass.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Free up that $1 mil I reckon. Blokes made of glass.

He probably needs a new heart after hearing he's no longer the 7!

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Whatever the reason, the hornets nest has been poked,

Today, we are the news cycle , boys.

Buckle up

 

[sup42]

It's not poor form.

It's called professionalism.

Imagine if all our players played the club with this proffesionalism.

Ford would be an edge backrower, RTS and CNK would be fullbacks with one running around in cup.

It isn't professionalism at all.

Professionalism is a private conversation between Andrew Webster and Luke Metcalf that none of us nor media ever get to speculate on.

Let's hope it is a fiction.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

The only call we have to make is whether we re-sign Boyd - I really can't see Chanel leaving despite reports he's talked to the Cowboys - plus he's much more flexible in both playing position and (it seems from the outside) general attitude. If Boyd is re-signed then it can only be for the 7, which then puts him directly in competition for that 'long term' spot in first grade with Metcalf.

I think it's completely fine for Metcalf via his management to seek clarity on his path back to the 7 jumper with us ... particularly because that is what he was signed as (if we're getting technical, from the end of this year.. i.e. his current playing contract is not the $900,000 k halfback for this year, it's his existing agreement which was aspirational ... and that has to be the club's position : we'll give you a shot at some point, somehow ... if that's through cup, then luke has to be fine with that too, if only for this year)

I haven't said much about this either @snake77 ... mainly because any opinion i have is entirely contingent on the players' performance and the time it will take for them to deliver at their peak ... I am maybe a little against the main grain of heralding Boyd as the man ... he's playing fine, don't get me wrong, I just don't have the faith that he'll prove a consistently elevated player... he got the jump on the comp at the start of the year I think entirely because of the time in the game in our systems that he had prior ... which was all of last year in cup, with the bonus of being given a reality check in first grade in the latter half... he was then able to work to that over pre-season and delivered up a level... great work, commendable... but as the season progresses I'm not going to be surprised if he plateaus (i think this may already be seen happening in the last 3 games) or even dips in form.

Can Luke track his own path back towards the 1st grade 7, perhaps even waiting on it until next year? IDK

They're like two opposed value propositions - ones' on a slow burn, and gives us stability with a higher floor - the other has to show he's still got the game breaking ability and offer us a potentially higher ceiling

I do find all of this interesting when you think back to webbys presser last week and he said unequivocally I'm not changing the halves at this stage, they deserve this he said.

So isn't that enough clarification from the coach to Metcalfs management?

Maybe there are different conversations going on between player and coach, and player and management.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

So isn't that enough clarification from the coach to Metcalfs management?

If you're signed as the big money halfback, then these obviously an entitlement you can have for the security of the role.

As others have mentioned, this should have been a private conversation.

A devious mind would wonder if there's already been a private conversation and they just didn't like the answer....

 

[sup42]

These stats paint a clear picture to me. One guy who produces individual brilliance and the other who creates opportunities for the team.

Can we be real about Metcalf? Last year he produced individually brilliant moments mostly, and was building the other parts of the game. He was on a really exciting trajectory, but he wasn't proven. You could see him becoming a class seven, but he hadn't yet become one. We took a bet on that trajectory continuing when he came back from injury, and maybe it could have, but Tannah is now on his own trajectory, and really it's more impressive than Metcalf's was last year. Fonzie on the TWL podcast keeps saying that Metcalf at six with Boyd at seven has the highest ceiling of all combinations available to us, and is the only one premiership-worthy. All respect to Fonzie but I strongly disagree. Metcalf is proven at neither six or seven. I think he could do it, but it's a bold claim to say with confidence that his ceiling at six is our best bet. I think Boyd is growing week on week and is already a form seven in the comp, and CHT is growing hugely, his trajectory is heading for the stars I think. They're not proven, but I think if I was forced to bet the house on Boyd and Metcalf taking us to glory or Boyd and CHT, then I'd go Boyd and CHT.

Well said.

I just had flashbacks to Metcalf's game last year.

1) Constant anxiety about our kicking game, between he and CHT we were coming up well short on the kicking war

2) Narrow scorelines with wildly swinging momentum between sides.

3) Praying on a one point thriller

4) Behind on the scoreboard late, come on Metcalf, find a gap....

5) Lots of plays where no one seemed to know what the overall plan was, players dying with the footy.

Having said that, of course I remember the famously composed moments to win games and the unpredictable line breaks playing keep it live off the cuff footy with Kurt Capewell.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Well said.

I just had flashbacks to Metcalf's game last year.

1) Constant anxiety about our kicking game, between he and CHT we were coming up well short on the kicking war

2) Narrow scorelines with wildly swinging momentum between sides.

3) Praying on a one point thriller

4) Behind on the scoreboard late, come on Metcalf, find a gap....

5) Lots of plays where no one seemed to know what the overall plan was, players dying with the footy.

Having said that, of course I remember the famously composed moments to win games and the unpredictable line breaks playing keep it live off the cuff footy with Kurt Capewell.

I mentioned this, during the loses.

People have been quick to forget how close we were to having a W/L record like the Dragons, last year.

Do we remember the CNK milked penalty at the end of the Tigers game?

Do we remember the missed knock on from RTS that lead to the winning try in the Dolphins game?

I remember.

We've won far more cohesively this year, but all of that's on the forward pack and none of that on the guys organizing them in attack, eh?

 

[Damo]

Having said that, of course I remember the famously composed moments to win games and the unpredictable line breaks playing keep it live off the cuff footy with Kurt Capewell.

Hence why he is clearly a 6 imo, you need that unpredictability when the grind isn't working.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Hence why he is clearly a 6 imo, you need that unpredictability when the grind isn't working.

Let's play him at 6, then!

Oh....