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

 

[WAH MAN]

why would he want to leave when the club is building so well

It's entirely plausible if he has different priorities in his life.

 

[Noitall]

Would he not just be wanting to go to PNG? All you need is to be set up as a aus tax resident over there. Which i think happens automtically after half a year, but can be sped up. Assume any of these rumors are true, which they normally are not unless they are coming from an NZ source.

Totally think PNG will be what’s going on here, I could see him the exact type to look at it as an adventure and earn some good coin at this stage of his career. Don’t forget Luai was initially signed to tigers as a halfback, being a bit like Metcalf and wanting that role. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s signed to PNG as their halfback?

 

[CWC]

Just a Sunday night ponder. If a player gets his agent to call for a meeting to clarify his role in the future (2027), by logic it means either he doesn't like his role in the future by the coach, or he feels he's not getting a clear answer. Otherwise what is the point, so the coach can take 1 hour off his schedule to regurgitate what he told the player during private review sessions, in front of the agent and next to the CEO and recruitment manager?

Feels like the player is "bringing out the big guns" here, to either change the plan, or bring clarity. So after the meeting it'll either be a different outcome to the one Webby had in mind, or the same outcome, then the player either hears the backing from higher ups ("the adults") and takes it, or he explores other options.

Webby probably told him we'll see, or you'll be 6 next year, especially given that we' probably extending Boyd this week.
Just a bit weird is he concerned we're extending Boyd, how's the dressing room gonna feel? Does he want Webby and George to present another comprehensive plan on why playing 6 and getting $900K+sponsorship+marquee status is still a fantastic career plan?

Just imagine you're a Warrior player who just won 7 out of 9 under Boyd and CHT and watching this happening I can think of the school team doing well under a new guy, and then walking past the principal office one day and seeing the previous guy who was benched, and his parents having a discussion with the coach, assistant and the principal....I might feel a lot better if he returns to the team without me hearing or seeing anything in the office

 

[WAH MAN]

Just a Sunday night ponder. If a player gets his agent to call for a meeting to clarify his role in the future (2027), by logic it means either he doesn't like his role in the future by the coach, or he feels he's not getting a clear answer. Otherwise what is the point, so the coach can take 1 hour off his schedule to regurgitate what he told the player during private review sessions, in front of the agent and next to the CEO and recruitment manager?

Feels like the player is "bringing out the big guns" here, to either change the plan, or bring clarity. So after the meeting it'll either be a different outcome to the one Webby had in mind, or the same outcome, then the player either hears the backing from higher ups ("the adults") and takes it, or he explores other options.

Webby probably told him we'll see, or you'll be 6 next year, especially given that we' probably extending Boyd this week.
Just a bit weird is he concerned we're extending Boyd, how's the dressing room gonna feel? Does he want Webby and George to present another comprehensive plan on why playing 6 and getting $900K+sponsorship+marquee status is still a fantastic career plan?

Just imagine you're a Warrior player who just won 7 out of 9 under Boyd and CHT and watching this happening I can think of the school team doing well under a new guy, and then walking past the principal office one day and seeing the previous guy who was benched, and his parents having a discussion with the coach, assistant and the principal....I might feel a lot better if he returns to the team without me hearing or seeing anything in the office

Why couldn't you knock on the coaches door and have a chat? Ask them what their thoughts are and what you could do to keep ticking boxes and get to where you want to be? Is that a bit too mature?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Is anyone worried about the Will Warbrick signing? I know he can score tries. But watching him play for the Storm he is making a lot of basic errors .lost ball in the tackle. knocking on when attempting to take the high ball etc. about to watch the Storm play so see how he goes today. I know the Storm have lost 7 games in a row and they are not playing well. but Warbrick is contributing to these error ridden games.

Nah I wouldn't be that worried. Hes been coached poorly! Just wait till webby gets his hands on him.

 

[3rdstriker]

Is anyone worried about the Will Warbrick signing? I know he can score tries. But watching him play for the Storm he is making a lot of basic errors .lost ball in the tackle. knocking on when attempting to take the high ball etc. about to watch the Storm play so see how he goes today. I know the Storm have lost 7 games in a row and they are not playing well. but Warbrick is contributing to these error ridden games.

Did you see him play tonight!

 

[LeagueJunkie]

Warbrick should've had a hatrick tonight. He dominated his opposite.

 

[Emerald]

Just a Sunday night ponder. If a player gets his agent to call for a meeting to clarify his role in the future (2027), by logic it means either he doesn't like his role in the future by the coach, or he feels he's not getting a clear answer. Otherwise what is the point, so the coach can take 1 hour off his schedule to regurgitate what he told the player during private review sessions, in front of the agent and next to the CEO and recruitment manager?

Feels like the player is "bringing out the big guns" here, to either change the plan, or bring clarity. So after the meeting it'll either be a different outcome to the one Webby had in mind, or the same outcome, then the player either hears the backing from higher ups ("the adults") and takes it, or he explores other options.

Webby probably told him we'll see, or you'll be 6 next year, especially given that we' probably extending Boyd this week.
Just a bit weird is he concerned we're extending Boyd, how's the dressing room gonna feel? Does he want Webby and George to present another comprehensive plan on why playing 6 and getting $900K+sponsorship+marquee status is still a fantastic career plan?

Just imagine you're a Warrior player who just won 7 out of 9 under Boyd and CHT and watching this happening I can think of the school team doing well under a new guy, and then walking past the principal office one day and seeing the previous guy who was benched, and his parents having a discussion with the coach, assistant and the principal....I might feel a lot better if he returns to the team without me hearing or seeing anything in the office . His agent went to the club about his not being selected and that he complaint became public: we still don’t know who made it public.

There’s a Stuff article about the Mets situation which says that at the post match press conference, Webby said he wouldn’t change the halves pairing going forward, as they’re going really well. Stuff draw attention to the fact that Webby *never* says stuff like that about future team selection at a presser, but he chose to then.

So why did he say it then?

What was he hoping would be the reaction from the Mets camp?

 

[Bay39er]

Because he was asked a question and unlike your hero he chose not to lie

 

[Lance155]

There’s a Stuff article about the Mets situation which says that at the post match press conference, Webby said he wouldn’t change the halves pairing going forward, as they’re going really well. Stuff draw attention to the fact that Webby *never* says stuff like that about future team selection at a presser, but he chose to then.

So why did he say it then?

What was he hoping would be the reaction from the Mets camp?

Yep I was quite surprised by the comment

 

[Boats n Hoes]

There’s a Stuff article about the Mets situation which says that at the post match press conference, Webby said he wouldn’t change the halves pairing going forward, as they’re going really well. Stuff draw attention to the fact that Webby *never* says stuff like that about future team selection at a presser, but he chose to then.

So why did he say it then?

Um....because the halves pairing are going really well and there's no need to change them?.....just off the top of my head....

 

[sup42]

......And the media had been banging on a while about the return of Metcalf and the conundrum in the halves due to the raves Tanah was getting in Aus. Webster clearly had plenty of time to make the decision to quell the speculation and back his incumbents (he also had the benefit of having tried Metcalf there.
I guarantee you Webster had already spoken to Metcalf about the situation before that presser).

The fact his management put their oar in will be because Metcalf was not happy with being told the lie of the land (for now).

Metcalf's manager would not have gotten involved without speaking to Metcalf. And even had they done so without his approval, Metcalf would have spoken out and informed the media that everything is fine and he is ok with not walking back into a starting spot, and that his plan is to play his way back into the team.

What would Webster have expected from Metcalf's manager? that they had a sit down without any leaks.

 

[rugged]

Bit confusing on Chanel's part - if you want to win a premiership youd think 2026-2028 could be our best bet across the whole time weve been in the comp

The premiership window talk makes sense with the depth and the way Webby is building. But things rarely work out exactly how you plan them between injuries, compassionate releases and the young guns who never kick on. While we should def be building for long term success I can't help but think our best premiership shot is this year.

Some of the things in favor for this year

We have three quality NRL starting halves (I still think it is unlikely we have all three next year).

I do wonder about Egan's long term fitness, he is amazing and I think the most underrated player in our squad. But most seasons he begins to look pretty banged up at this time of year - that may get worse each year.

Will this be the last of Capewell's best years? I am sure he will be NRL quality for another couple of years - but may wane slightly.

We lose Barnett and RTS - while Barnett has been in and out due to injuries he does give us added depth this year.

TT I wonder how the body holds up over a long career - some of the smaller fullbacks have had a shorter peak career (not all I know, but it is def a thing).

I know not all of the above will happen and I am not 100% convinced of any of it, but the collective feel of this and several other hypotheticals I could list just make me feel this year could be our chance!