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), Marata Niukore (Newcastle Knights), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Wakefield Trinity)

Off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2027: Rocco Berry, 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

 

[CHWAH]

As fans we get too emotionally connected to the players - which is cool as its part of the story and the brand.

BUT...

This is 100% a business. The players are assets/commodities.

Warriors will give nothing away for free unless it 100% benefits the side.

This is bonus of being a genuine development side (There is not actually many in the NRL). You create your own superstars. You improve players stock worth. You always trade up or equal too.

I dont fully agree … the Warriors will put player welfare first and it may well help their salary cap to let Luke Met leave. Sure they might want to be compensated.

But they have shown that as a leading club they will also make moves to help players out, it makes them a more attractive club to players thinking about coming here.

 

[juju]

They club stood by him until they replaced him with Tanah. After re-signing in October, Metcalf would have thought the job (rightly) was his. I 100% think they club has made the right decision but I 100% understand where Metcalf is coming from. Realistically there's no path back to the 7 jersey for him here.

They didn't replace him - he still has / had his multi year marquee contract (starting next year). The spots at any good club are contestable. He needed to knuckle down but has seemingly chosen to bounce. There is a path -perform in reserve grade and wait for a dip in form or an injury.

 

[CHWAH]

View attachment 17336

Is that really breaking news????

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Fox leauge confirming that Metcalf has requested permission to talk to rival clubs for next season

 

[Theking267]

Is that really breaking news????

No as he said could

 

[JustLikeStartingOver]

Giving Metcalf the big contract 3 months after the ACL, if your him:

Said he wanted to be the 7, performed well, got injured, club STILL gave him the contract to do that job long term, and now having done nothing wrong, club is going all in on this other guy who is playing behind a stacked forward pack, quality dummy half service, finally some speed and line breaking on the outside and the games been sped up to favour running halves – and you’re going to resign him for 3 more years? Obviously, you don’t want me I’ll play for the bulldogs then*

Clubs aren’t rep teams, you can play “the sacrifice for the team” card in the short term, but not for 3 years, its a career, none of these guys are at the age where they will accept being the utility and fill-in, like Ben Hunt does at the broncos, Charnze probably won’t stick around if he’s not the fullback, Roger seemed visibly annoyed the club passed on him for Warbrick going forward, has since cheered up as he’s a pro and his future is now sorted. The club choses who they want and they appear to have chosen Boyd, I think they should be honest about that when/if its announced, this bloke plays the way we want to play, we’ll work with Luke to find a new situation for him.

*he should not play for the bulldogs, he’ll end up in the same tug of war with Galvin, needs to go somewhere where he can be the big dog if that’s how he sees himself.

 

[rugged]

The club which wouldn't release him to us in the first place

They were petty when they wouldn't release Metcalf early to us.

I may have it wrong but from memory when POS went to the phins he had agreed he wouldn't sign Wah's players. So Aitken got a release first and then signed with him. Our follow up was by not allowing the Dolphins to even table an offer to Walsh (he was always going to Brisbane anyway) but I like it that we made the point of repaying him for shafting us. If it is the Sharkies wanting us to release Metcalf I think we might want to remind them they weren't in a hurry for a quick release and try and get a little something out of them At the same time, while I love Luke his subsequent injury means getting him off the books without any freight could be a bonus. Get it done now (for next season) while he is fit

 

[Beastmode]

let me repeat myself. Australian Tax Residency applies to foreigners residing in Australia or Australians residing in foreign countries. It doesnt apply to foreign citizens in foreign countries.

Do you think you could move from NZ to Aus for a year, "nominate yourself a tax resident" then move back to NZ and pay income tax to Australia?

Once he leaves Australia to live in PNG , he is a NZ citizen living in PNG.

What if he “lives” in Australia for tax reasons by signing an employee contract with an Australian incorporated PnG company so he pays Australian “taxes” ? Isn’t tax residency 6 months.

I’m sure there are loopholes. You need to think outside the box Frank.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

They didn't replace him - he still has / had his multi year marquee contract (starting next year).

Is he the starting #7? The didnt fire him from the organisation you are correct, but they certainly replaced him as a player.

The spots at any good club are contestable.

Some spots are, and some aren't.

He needed to knuckle down but has seemingly chosen to bounce.

See the point about being replaced

There is a path -perform in reserve grade and wait for a dip in form or an injury.

So why did Webby not adhere to this iron-clad-pathaway-that-must-be-followed-at-all-costs?

 

[sydneywarrior92]

If the sharks want him, we should demand KL Iro for compensation.

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

If the sharks want him, we should demand KL Iro for compensation.

I'd want an uninjured Mulitalo

 

[Old Sid]

It a move for LM does come about, then I'd much prefer an immediate release, and ahead of the June deadline, enabling Luke to fit into his new destination.
It also minimises the chance of team harmony disruption and frees up cap space for us to go to market.
Good for all involved, including our reserves, TMM, Hanson, JC, JL etc

 

[rugged]

You can be a NZ citizen but a non resident for tax purposes. If he sets up home in PNG (the legal term is permanent place of abode) and only has short visits to NZ he can be a PNG tax resident subject to PNG tax laws and any exemption the PNG govt are willing to grant him

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

It a move for LM does come about, then I'd much prefer an immediate release, and ahead of the June deadline, enabling Luke to fit into his new destination.

If he goes to anyone, but the Sharks, I'm happy with this.

If not, they can rub sandpaper on their buttholes until next season.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I'd want an uninjured Mulitalo

AKP, Dallin, Warbrick..

 

[sydneywarrior92]

I'd want an uninjured Mulitalo

Warbrick/AKP wing combo next year looks good to me. Our centre depth issue is the bigger concern no?

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

We've already paid a large chunk of his salary for this year. Why not keep him on the books just in case?

 

[BabylonPink]

If he goes to anyone, but the Sharks, I'm happy with this.

If not, they can rub sandpaper on their buttholes until next season.

Sharks would be the best fit.
Nicho isn't giving them a prem.
Tindal kicks well and met could wear 7.

 

[Beastmode]

You can be a NZ citizen but a non resident for tax purposes. If he sets up home in PNG (the legal term is permanent place of abode) and only has short visits to NZ he can be a PNG tax resident subject to PNG tax laws and any exemption the PNG govt are willing to grant him

If there’s a dual treaty then his time both in png and Australia I assume qualifies him for either png/Aus tax residency

I’m no tax expert btw

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Sharks would be the best fit.
Nicho isn't giving them a prem.
Tindal kicks well and met could wear 7.

ALOT of doggies fans want him. BAD.

That would be cruel.... wouldn't it?