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

 

[Rick O’Shay]

Thank God we had something to rave over/discuss/rant during bye week.

I think Lukey will still be here next week and may be in consideration for team selection against the Bronx

If he makes the run on team, well done and if he doesn't, either sit on the pine or go back to Reggies. Either way he will have an opinion and we will know the status next Tuesday.

Doesn't he have a 3yr contract with us and a decent salary?

 

[WAH MAN]

We must have different definitions of storm in a teacup haha

Storm in a beer jug?

 

[WAH MAN]

Cuts both ways. As a driven competitive individual you must appreciate that there is a young wolf just like you eyeing your job.

Metcalf himself didn't get where he is without taking the keys off several other players coming through.

I didn't feel sorry for CHT when he was dropped (it was unfortunate but had to happen).

Can't see any reason to feel sorry for Metcalf either, someone has to miss out when there are three, such is life.

For that reason, from my pov, Metcalf has no justification for feeling aggrieved.

If he is indeed the competitive driven type, then you suck it up and play your way back into the spot eh, same way Tanah took it off him.

Chitty wore it. Stepped back up and killed it. Good bloke our Chitty. You can do it Metty. There is no I in Luke.

 

[Inruin]

Chitty wore it. Stepped back up and killed it. Good bloke our Chitty. You can do it Metty. There is no I in Luke.

But there is me in Metcalf?

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

But there is me in Metcalf?

And also an ‘ah’ in Tanah.

Might on to something, mate.

 

[John Nick]

Storm in a beer jug?

Yip Rarked up a few of the natives for sure.
Bloody Riccio.

 

[Davo]

Just a thought..does LM has a performance clause in his contract, condition that he plays a contingent number of games free from injury.

 

[Noitall]

Just a thought..does LM has a performance clause in his contract, condition that he plays a contingent number of games free from injury.

Nothing made public but they’d have been wise to. Is it something that’s done a lot?

 

[Buzz Killington]

I'm genuinely curious.

What has Metcalf done that Tanah hasn't?

an ACL?

 

[Noitall]

And also an ‘ah’ in Tanah.

Might on to something, mate.

Or a Ta Boy to Luke Metcalf for the 7 jersey. Tough on the fulla, SJ would be disappointed. He’s obviously pretty close with Metcalf

 

[Garry Saloon]

Metcalf and his team are behaving like total bitches.

Nobody care about Metcalfs career.

The club, Nz Warriors, wants to win a premiership for the first time and create history.

If we are winning without LM he should support this path as constantly winning leads us to.the trophy. If he is not willing to do whatever is required for the club to win the premiership (e.g. sit on the bench as a reserve or play NSW cup) we should get rid of him and use his salary to find people that wiil.

Well yeah exactly, but without being angry at anyone. If he doesn't want to sit on the bench or in the NSW cup, and we don't want to pay a guy 900k to do that, then we part ways amicably. What's the issue?

 

[Makasene]

Just a thought..does LM has a performance clause in his contract, condition that he plays a contingent number of games free from injury.

Absolutely not.

Why would he sign that?

He had other suitors. We gave him the bag and he took it.

The conjecture is wearing thin. The facts of the situation are enough to understand why this is happening.

 

[CWC]

Cuts both ways. As a driven competitive individual you must appreciate that there is a young wolf just like you eyeing your job.

Metcalf himself didn't get where he is without taking the keys off several other players coming through.

I didn't feel sorry for CHT when he was dropped (it was unfortunate but had to happen).

Can't see any reason to feel sorry for Metcalf either, someone has to miss out when there are three, such is life.

For that reason, from my pov, Metcalf has no justification for feeling aggrieved.

If he is indeed the competitive driven type, then you suck it up and play your way back into the spot eh, same way Tanah took it off him.

He took it off TMM, so maybe projection here, who knows

 

[Cces]

He took it off TMM, so maybe projection here, who knows

Did he though? I can't think of a time prior to the 2025 preseason that both were fit at the same time

 

[Noitall]

Absolutely not.

Why would he sign that?

He had other suitors. We gave him the bag and he took it.

The conjecture is wearing thin. The facts of the situation are enough to understand why this is happening.

Big chunk of change with his $900k, Niukore’s big salary, Barnett’s money, RTS’s money, DWZ? Berry? Capewell? If that’s what we’ve got to play with and Warbrick and Anderson coming on middle of the road salaries you’d imagine?

 

[CWC]

Did he though? I can't think of a time prior to the 2025 preseason that both were fit at the same time

As in TMM had a great streak at 7 in mid 2024 then SJ finished the year, Mets has never really started at 7, but the key ended up going to him in 2025 and TMM ended up playing cup, hooker, fb and lock.

Point is, he saw what happened to TMM when he couldn’t crack the starting halves

 

[CWC]

Big chunk of change with his $900k, Niukore’s big salary, Barnett’s money, RTS’s money, DWZ? Berry? Capewell? If that’s what we’ve got to play with and Warbrick and Anderson coming on middle of the road salaries you’d imagine?

How much would Leniu and Timoko cost?

 

[Davo]

Absolutely not.

Why would he sign that?

He had other suitors. We gave him the bag and he took it.

The conjecture is wearing thin. The facts of the situation are enough to understand why this is happening.

Because we paid him generously but with a performance/injury clause!
Most contracts in business have such agreements

 

[WAH MAN]

How much would Leniu and Timoko cost?

A sack of pipi's. A wild pork and 2 crates of Lion Brown.

 

[WAH MAN]

Because we paid him generously but with a performance/injury clause!
Most contracts in business have such agreements

I still would sit on a bench for $900k. Probably even for $900