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), 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, 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

 

[Inruin]

Jeeze any guesses who confronted him? Id shit my pants if it was Fish or Barny haha.

.

I think i'd be okish with those two.

Erin Clark on the other hand..... I just shit my pants thinking about it.

 

[Est95]

I dont think it was Barnett going off these quotes:
"For Luke, it's his business and not something I'm willing to comment on. We just check in on the welfare of the human being.

"We've got a game to prepare for. Yes, we care about the individual... we're all around him."

NRL: NZ Warriors star Luke Metcalf signs with St George-Illawarra Dragons, but still has role to play | RNZ News https://share.google/XXHsByZQN8ccNJc76

 

[sup42]

Jeeze any guesses who confronted him? Id shit my pants if it was Fish or Barny haha.

Yeah its hard....if there are several key players upset, we probably need to move him on before June 30 as that shit could linger all year, but at the same time having a top half as back up could be a big advantage in those late rounds if someone goes down....

I trust that Webby will sort it out

Might have been Tanah. If it even happened at all.

"Hey Luke, thanks for stealing my thunder, this was my moment, fkn thanks bro, here...I got you a going away present"

"What this Tanah?"

" A plastic Key ring from the two dollar shop"

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Erin Clark on the other hand..... I just shit my pants thinking about it.

Low key, I bet CHT ain't as chill as he seems...

I’m Chanel Harris-Tavita—say it right,
The one they iced while you play in my light,
Two rounds deep, I’m choking on rage,
Watching Metcalf scribble his name on my page.


You wear that six like it’s stitched to your skin,
Like you earned every metre, every kick, every win,
But I’m pacing the sideline, chewing the ground,
Hearing your name in every damn sound.


They clap for your touches, your flashes, your flair,
Like I wasn’t the one who carried it there,
Like I didn’t bleed for that strip and that role—
Now I’m stuck here swallowing holes in my soul.


I see every set, every pass that you fake,
Every soft gap you’re too slow to take,
And it burns—yeah it burns—‘cause I know what I’d do,
Turn half chances to breaks… something you barely push through.


That jersey’s not yours—it’s borrowed at best,
You’re keeping it warm while I’m building the rest,
Every rep, every drill, every hit I store,
Is a debt you’re gonna pay when I’m back on the floor.


No words in the sheds, no cheap little swing,
Just shoulder to ribs when the contact sings,
I’ll fold you in tackles, drive you off line,
Make every carry feel heavier than mine.


You got your two rounds—hope you enjoyed the view,
‘Cause I’m coming back harder, and I’m coming through you.

 

[Blain]

• Wednesday at 12:10 PM
• 
  
• #1,254

Rumour - spoke to a mate of mine who lives over in Auckland and has good relationships with the Wahs players.

Certain senior players are fuming at how Metcalf has handle himself and this is why he hasn't even been named in the squad for magic round. One particular senior player also confronted Metcalf and made it visibly known what he thinks about the whole situation.

Warriors are now considering allowing him to leave before June 30 if he can secure himself a deal in that amount of time










This was Wednesday on the sharks forum from someone and sounds like he may not see out the year?

I think that it's a logical situation that some players are off side with him. The team is very team first driven currently, and his actions are the opposite. If if he hasn't directly been confronted like that poster said, you can be certain that some of the team will be upset with him. I would suspect the seniors players in the forward pack in particular..

 

[Old Sid]

I just can't see how he stays with us to the end of the season and the circumstances re injury would have to be extreme to justify picking him. Should we reach the finals, (without using him) why would we want him there potentially picking up a GF winners medal at the very last minute. To me it would go down as a pretty hollow victory for us. Might sound strange, but I'd far rather give one of the junior/other contenders the role in the team and take our chance TMM, JL/JC.

 

[Kaos A.D.]

Because it would be funny as fuck to turn him into a gun

His dad would want a job here also... 2 for the price of one

 

[Beastmode]

Luke

RTS

Barnett

Marata


All off our books

That’s a lot of $$$$ available….

 

[Defence]

Luke

RTS

Barnett

Marata


All off our books

That’s a lot of $$$$ available….

Thats pretty crazy really-4 of our 5 highest paid players? makes u wonder what cappy has brewing...

 

[Noitall]

Luke

RTS

Barnett

Marata


All off our books

That’s a lot of $$$$ available….

Forwards set so a back is where a marquee would be directed you’d think?

 

[Worriers]

Luke

RTS

Barnett

Marata


All off our books

That’s a lot of $$$$ available….

You would have to think a significant portion of this salary has gone into boyd, clark, leka and the likes...assuming channel will also get a significant pay rise with mikiafus salary off the books next year.

 

[Noitall]

You would have to think a significant portion of this salary has gone into boyd, clark, leka and the likes...assuming channel will also get a significant pay rise with mikiafus salary off the books next year.

Those 4 would be on close to $3 million between them

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Boyd was the hottest property on the market. He would have got a huge chunk.

 

[Noitall]

I think that it's a logical situation that some players are off side with him. The team is very team first driven currently, and his actions are the opposite. If if he hasn't directly been confronted like that poster said, you can be certain that some of the team will be upset with him. I would suspect the seniors players in the forward pack in particular..

It’s a given that players like Erin Clark and AKP would be in Boyd’s corner being ex titans teammates too. I think I’d part ways for the reason of the potential of disharmony? If true about a senior player approaching him then he’s obviously offside with a number of people?

 

[Noitall]

Boyd was the hottest property on the market. He would have got a huge chunk.

What do you think they’re paying him? Do you think he’s our marquee 7 going forward?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

What do you think they’re paying him? Do you think he’s our marquee 7 going forward?

100%. This is where is all stems from. We got buyers remorse and went with Boyd. Mecalf got wind of it when it was happening and then cracked it. Remember we went straight from rumours of Boyd re-signing to Metcalfs “please explain”.

It’s also why CHTs suddenly looking at a multi year deal with us after his “1 year deal” position. He wasnt wanting to get locked in and then get demoted just to try and fit Metcalf in and rightly so.

It’s has to be marquee money. Theres no way around it, he’s 25, coming off an amazing NSW cup season and an even better start to NRL first grade this season. Could he make the step up was the only question and he answered that in spades.

Lots of teams needing a genuine half. Should have been the #1 target of the Bears.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

You would have to think a significant portion of this salary has gone into boyd, clark, leka and the likes...assuming channel will also get a significant pay rise with mikiafus salary off the books next year.

This is my understanding, please tell me if im wrong

What ever happens with new signings or releasing players already on our books generally mean nothing for Clark, Leka, and co who are all signed up until the end of 2028 as they wont be getting upgrades.

Players like Chanel or TMM who isnt signed for next year, or hasnt been replaced with a new incoming player as of yet only require an upgrade if their money isn't already spent for 2027. So if CHT was on 400k the last 2 years and haven't signed anyone else, that 400k is still currently available, so we would only need to pony up the 250k or so to top him up.

It gets a little tricky to know exactly how much we have available at any one time, as players contracts change from year to year, and we dont know how much a player gets upgraded. For example, they may have been aware last year, that Marata wont be retained so may have alrwady given his 800k to the guys who were upgraded last year - Leka, Clark, Laban and co.

However, given the amount of high profile players we have had come off contract last year unexpectedly (Walker and Tohu) with no replacement players, that money could also have been used to upgrade?

Essentially the players who have left from the end of 2024 to the end of 2026, minus the new recruits and upgraded contracts, I still think we have a shit load of coin to throw around imo.

Players who have/will leave in last 2 years:
AFB
SJ
Thought
D Walker
Jazz
LM
Niukore
RTS
Barney
(Maybe a few more)

Signed:
JFH
AKP
Anderson
Wahbrick
Gannon
+ upgrades

 

[Dead Man Switch]

Someone Big lined up?

Linanne / Jett / Tia / Thompson highly rated?

Because they look to be shopping CHT

Warriors star offered to overseas clubs

Will he stay in the NRL or take his talents elsewhere?

www.zerotackle.com

 

[Old Sid]

Someone Big lined up?

Linanne / Jett / Tia / Thompson highly rated?

Because they look to be shopping CHT

Warriors star offered to overseas clubs

Will he stay in the NRL or take his talents elsewhere?

www.zerotackle.com

Doesn't make sense. He's already off contract and free to negotiate. Why would we shop him?

 

[Dead Man Switch]

Doesn't make sense. He's already off contract and free to negotiate. Why would we shop him?

Sorry not us, shopping him... his management