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: 23/30
2027 Supplementary: 0/6

2027 Gains: Grant Anderson (Brisbane Broncos), William Warbrick (Melbourne Storm)
2027 Losses: Mitchell Barnett (Brisbane Broncos), Luke Metcalf (St George Illawarra Dragons), Marata Niukore (Newcastle Knights), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Wakefield Trinity)

Off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2027: Rocco Berry, Kurt Capewell, 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, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Sam Healey, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Ali Leiataua, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Motu Pasikala, Adam Pompey, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak

 

[Noitall]

Rumour on the LU forum that Rocco Berry might switch to rugby apparently

 

[CWC]

Watch the mid segment of 360, a bit of discussion about the debate -

Everyone’s happy for Tanah.

White suit guy who apparently broke the clarification story said it’s not confrontational, tried to say it’s calm

Anasta thinks it’s strange and a bit premature. White suit went speechless for 5 seconds Anasta insists the Boyd/Metcalf combo will work

Brent Read mumbles he won’t be there next year, Anasta shocked, “they will let him walk?” Read says he wants 7, they’ll be fine, convince CHT and they have Jett and youngsters coming through. Anasta shaking head with subtle wtf expression

White suit says ok maybe signing Tanah is a way of telling Luke to either play 6 and toll the line or look elsewhere

Gordie was silent the whole time Did congrats Boyd for the hard work

 

[Noitall]

View attachment 17332

Watch the mid segment of 360, a bit of discussion about the debate -

Everyone’s happy for Tanah.

White suit guy who apparently broke the clarification story said it’s not confrontational, tried to say it’s calm

Anasta thinks it’s strange and a bit premature. White suit went speechless for 5 seconds Anasta insists the Boyd/Metcalf combo will work

Brent Read mumbles he won’t be there next year, Anasta shocked, “they will let him walk?” Read says he wants 7, they’ll be fine, convince CHT and they have Jett and youngsters coming through. Anasta shaking head with subtle wtf expression

White suit says ok maybe signing Tanah is a way of telling Luke to either play 6 and toll the line or look elsewhere

Gordie was silent the whole time Did congrats Boyd for the hard work

Anasta not sold at all

 

[CWC]

Anasta not sold at all

It’s a similar bemusement when he sees Sexton moved to hooker and Mahoney benched.

They do all think Mets will be snapped up instantly

 

[timburgesstheonlyoneiknow]

The next few weeks will be interesting. I just hope all this rumour and speculation does not derail the team.

 

[Beastmode]

View attachment 17332

Watch the mid segment of 360, a bit of discussion about the debate -

Everyone’s happy for Tanah.

White suit guy who apparently broke the clarification story said it’s not confrontational, tried to say it’s calm

Anasta thinks it’s strange and a bit premature. White suit went speechless for 5 seconds Anasta insists the Boyd/Metcalf combo will work

Brent Read mumbles he won’t be there next year, Anasta shocked, “they will let him walk?” Read says he wants 7, they’ll be fine, convince CHT and they have Jett and youngsters coming through. Anasta shaking head with subtle wtf expression

White suit says ok maybe signing Tanah is a way of telling Luke to either play 6 and toll the line or look elsewhere

Gordie was silent the whole time Did congrats Boyd for the hard work

What white suit guy?
There’s no white suit guy ?

 

[kos]

What white suit guy?
There’s no white suit guy ?

Dean Ritchie DT journo

Interesting in that segment Anasta said CHT won’t be there (Nzw) next year
But didn’t elaborate

 

[Sammyw]

Pretty sure we would have figured that out before upgrading him to marquee status, still didn't stop us. The Bears would take him in a heartbeat if he became available!

Sure thing, internet man.

Whatever you say.

I couldn’t be arsed if you don’t believe me, I stand to gain nothing from it simply sharing information about a team we all support that came from a more than credible source but whatevs

 

[Dead Man Switch]

In the hypothetical that we do want to get rid of metcalf because he is unwilling/not the best player for what ever position. I would of thought we'd just be happy to get our money back. Getting that 900k back to put into a player that will be in the starting 13 surely is more than enough.

This is a business, not a charity.

They invested to bring Luke to this upper tier level of player category he now finds himself at. They rehabbed him and sent him to some of the best facilities in the world to trek him along.

They also have him locked into a long term contract - which is a powerful carrot to dangle for any struggling club to want to pick him up.

I would expect the Warriors strongly want compensation from the club his leaves to go to.

 

[mrblonde]

This is a business.

You make a decision on Day 1. Something happens on Day 12 that makes you rethink that Day 1 Decision. Bummer.

Not Luke's fault he did his ACL. Not a dig on Tanah that he's taken that 7 jersey and doing well in it.
Understand Luke would like that 7 jersey and everything that goes with it (Off-topic, but didn't the Walker Bros say "6, 7, you control your side of the field!"? How's that logic working out?). But Tanah and Chanel so far are doing pretty damn well as a combo so, Luke, um, there's not really a spot there right now, I know we signed that contract but, hey, shit happens..Howzabout we try you at 14? etc etc. Don't know how that conversation would end, guess it wouldn't end well...

 

[CWC]

What white suit guy?
There’s no white suit guy ?

Fat guy on the right of picture, they call him the bulldog

 

[mrblonde]

Hey, isn't it great that the Warriors are getting this much airtime?
We usually get ignored or a few seconds here and there...
But for the Warriors to be a major talking point on NRL360...

 

[Buzz Killington]

It’s pretty crazy that is such a short space of time, people have gone from Ewww Tanah! The titan’s number 7! To Oooh Tanah! The Queensland origin number 7!

 

[Makasene]

Rumour on the LU forum that Rocco Berry might switch to rugby apparently

I've called this for some time.

Instant walk up starter to any Super Rugby team.

 

[Makasene]

The club have been promoting the Wahine today.

They may want them to get some shine because once they announce it, they are then bound to talk about it.

 

[Makasene]

View attachment 17332

Watch the mid segment of 360, a bit of discussion about the debate -

Everyone’s happy for Tanah.

White suit guy who apparently broke the clarification story said it’s not confrontational, tried to say it’s calm

Anasta thinks it’s strange and a bit premature. White suit went speechless for 5 seconds Anasta insists the Boyd/Metcalf combo will work

Brent Read mumbles he won’t be there next year, Anasta shocked, “they will let him walk?” Read says he wants 7, they’ll be fine, convince CHT and they have Jett and youngsters coming through. Anasta shaking head with subtle wtf expression

White suit says ok maybe signing Tanah is a way of telling Luke to either play 6 and toll the line or look elsewhere

Gordie was silent the whole time Did congrats Boyd for the hard work

this is the article produced following the show

BREAKING: Shock development on gun playmaker’s future as early NRL club switch looms

BREAKING: Shock development on gun playmaker’s future as early NRL club switch looms

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Five&Last]

Anasta thinks it’s strange and a bit premature. White suit went speechless for 5 seconds Anasta insists the Boyd/Metcalf combo will work

I think the club's always been keen on the idea of a 6. Metcalf / 7. Boyd halves pairing.

Webby dropped CHT first chance he had for Metcalf at 6 and only kept CHT when the noise became too loud.

Then Metcalf's camp leaks that Metcalf wouldn't be interested in playing 6 long term (probably in response to the club trying to sell him on that role).

If Boyd has re-signed through to 2029, the fact that the club was able to get the extension done with exisitng cap space and not needing Metcalf's salary off the books, puts them in a stong position in any decision they make re Metcalf but I think they can convince him to stay and try make it work at 6. He got his bag either way.

I think CHT is the odd man out here. Not sure what to make of him only wanting a 12 month extension, he can't cash in on the PNG tax free money being a NZ citizen, but maybe he's anticipating more opportunities opening up in Australia for him as Aus players take the PNG money.

Ultimately, I think the club moves into next year with Metcalf and Boyd as the starting halves - or maybe even this year (its a long season still). CHT either re-signs for 12 months or signs elsewhere for next year. TMM stays if CHT leaves or stays if CHT goes.

 

[CWC]

this is the article produced following the show

BREAKING: Shock development on gun playmaker’s future as early NRL club switch looms

BREAKING: Shock development on gun playmaker’s future as early NRL club switch looms

www.foxsports.com.au

I’m starting to think it’s Met’s agent leaking directly to Dean who broke the story.
Look at his quotes, he’s trying to be charitable, which is what you do for your source, but really confused Anasta, and the whole quote is a repetitive rhetorical question, he was put at 6 and now 20, he thinks he’s a 7, someone took his spot, he really wants to know the plan if he’s the 7.

4 days later, someone leaks to AUS media the club has signed Tanah for 3 more years I am not so sure the aussie clubs leaked it to the media now, and apparently we run a tight ship but this one leaks on the first working day

Brent Read is like that guy who says out loud the quiet part…

Dean Ritchie: “It wasn’t anything confrontational. It wasn’t we want a release it was more, where do you see Luke Metcalf in the club’s plans and where do they see Metcalf playing,” Ritchie explained on NRL360.

“They aren’t talking walkout yet. The Warriors seem to think he could play six but I don’t think if you ask Luke Metcalf on the quiet if he wants to play six, he doesn’t, he wants to play seven.

“Luke thinks of himself as a seven and an elite seven. I’m not saying his nose is out of joint but I am saying someone has taken his spot and he wants to find out what his future is at the club.”

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

I couldn’t be arsed if you don’t believe me, I stand to gain nothing from it simply sharing information about a team we all support that came from a more than credible source but whatevs

I'm just giving you a hard time, mate.

You're all good!

 

[snake77]

Hey, isn't it great that the Warriors are getting this much airtime?
We usually get ignored or a few seconds here and there...
But for the Warriors to be a major talking point on NRL360...

Even though it is about us potentially losing a player. I'd rather have this than past issues like energy drinks/pills and coach sackings.

This is headache caused by the club doing well.



A funny discussion with on side seeming definite CHT is gone and another saying Metcalf is gone. The CHT side I assume is just from seeing the interest from the Cowboys and maybe hearing a few rumours. The Metcalf are similar to last year except now we have a bit more to it with the request from his management.