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]

I guess the question I would ask now is if he wasn't injured would we drop him anyway or understand there is expected rust?

If he didn’t pull the hammy again we’d either be where we are now at 7:2 or 3:6 wondering what happened, or somewhere in between. We went 4:0 after, so his biggest contribution might be keeping the halves play out of their skin

 

[CWC]

Where's Charnze? In Auckland?
Gus is in Auckland too according to the rumour mongers on the Kennnel. Probably just a coincidence.

In light of today’s news

 

[Brightman]

Literal soap opera material.

Meanwhile, other clubs can’t buy a half.

use to be our problem..

 

[WAH MAN]

We couldn't justify introducing him as one of our 4 subs because we run 2 hooker rotation & sub off a Second Rower most weeks. Did I miss something?

Side question. Do you reckon Healey could go 80min if uninjured? Or is it best practice to sub an important role?

 

[Brightman]

Side question. Do you reckon Healey could go 80min if uninjured? Or is it best practice to sub an important role?

One thing is for sure, Egan is right behind Metcalf in missing games only his come from head knocks. Maybe that's how Luke gets more games, ambush Wayde with a spade upside the head..

 

[Buzz Killington]

We need to accept this situation is unprecedented. I can't think of another time where a marquee player, and halfback no less, has signed a major extension and finds themselves out of the team within 6 months.

Shit happens though. Any one of them could have a season ending injury, and this would all be for nothing. In 2011 SJ was literally our fifth choice half after Brett Seymour, James Maloney, Isaac John and Feleti Mateo. Its impossible to guess who will be available week to week.

 

[Cces]

Side question. Do you reckon Healey could go 80min if uninjured? Or is it best practice to sub an important role?

Dunno. He's done it in Cup but it's a different ball game in the NRL. He got through 51 minutes last weekend & I can't recall him looking too knackered. His 25 tackles at 89% might end up looking something ike 40 tackles at around 86% though

 

[CWC]

I think Egan -> Taufua in 2030 and Healey locking like Yeo/Clark might make more sense than Egan -> Healey 2028 and Taufua stuck behind on bench for 5+ years

 

[WAH MAN]

Just hope it doesn't turn into a Tonya Harding moment for Luke and Tanah

 

[Cces]

One thing is for sure, Egan is right behind Metcalf in missing games only his come from head knocks

He's played 64 out of our last 73 if I've calculated it correctly. Rested in Round 27 2023, and has had non HIA related injuries too so he's available more regularly than people give him credit for

 

[Inruin]

What exactly are we expecting with the team performance if Webbie was to do the unthinkable and drop Boyd? Or lets say Boyd gets injured. Are we expect to see an increase in performance, no change, worse?

I honestly can't see the benefit of Metcalf playing 7 or 6 currently.

I think TBs strengths outway LMs and easily IMO when it comes to the team's performance levels. And he isn't even close to CHT levels at 6

 

[CWC]

He's played 64 out of our last 73. Rested in Round 27 2023, and has had non HIA related injuries too so he's available more regularly than people give him credit for

Been pretty good since last year hasn’t he? Burn out by webby towards end of the season but looking like a good year with healey sharing minutes since R1

 

[tajhay]

Side question. Do you reckon Healey could go 80min if uninjured? Or is it best practice to sub an important role?

Hes done 64 mins and was one of our best:

Manly Sea Eagles vs NZ Warriors - Round 27, 2025 | Warriors Live

Live coverage of Manly Sea Eagles vs NZ Warriors, Round 27 of the 2025 NRL season at 4 Pines. Final score: 27-26.

nzwarriors.com

 

[The Undertaker]

Where's Charnze? In Auckland?
Gus is in Auckland too according to the rumour mongers on the Kennnel. Probably just a coincidence.

Do a deal. Metcalf for Creighton

 

[WAH MAN]

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/CiPcQ91-loI?si=3iLsO5S_Sbb_gPr2

A bit of an outside perspective.

 

[CWC]

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/CiPcQ91-loI?si=3iLsO5S_Sbb_gPr2

A bit of an outside perspective.

Oh man I would love for a SJ/De Chad crossover on The Lounge

 

[Ref]

I have been in a cave for 24 hours away from media and when I saw 14 unread pages I thought there must be something big going on.
I just wasted an hour of my life.

 

[WAH MAN]

What exactly are we expecting with the team performance if Webbie was to do the unthinkable and drop Boyd? Or lets say Boyd gets injured. Are we expect to see an increase in performance, no change, worse?

I honestly can't see the benefit of Metcalf playing 7 or 6 currently.

I think TBs strengths outway LMs and easily IMO when it comes to the team's performance levels. And he isn't even close to CHT levels at 6

Metcalf would be next man up. That's all.

If Tanah is out for any reason there might be obvious teething issues like last year when Luke went down and Tanah came in. Just in reverse order.

 

[WAH MAN]

I have been in a cave for 24 hours away from media and when I saw 14 unread pages I thought there must be something big going on.
I just wasted an hour of my life.

This is as big as it gets on a bye week.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

One thing is for sure, Egan is right behind Metcalf in missing games only his come from head knocks. Maybe that's how Luke gets more games, ambush Wayde with a spade upside the head..

Luke will pull a hammie doing it.