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

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

What's Fatialofa's path to regular first grade? Our #17 role is usually taken by an edge that can cover middle as Leka covers an injury at Centre.
Fatialofa is contracted for 2027 but Halasima & Laban are signed until 2029, EIT until 2028 & Neal destined for first grade.

I cant believe they are not looking at him as a left edge centre!

 

[Bevosa]

I cant believe they are not looking at him as a left edge centre!

Linnane could be a revelation at left centre. He gives me real Tom Chester vibes, and Chester has been excellent for the Cowboys. I honestly think him and Leiataua could become a brutal long-term centre pairing for us.

I really don’t think we need to spend big money anymore. The days of hoping some marquee signing is going to come and magically change the club’s fortunes is over. Why pay overs for Australian players when we’ve got so much elite talent coming through the system already? In saying that I would 100% take Joey Manu at fullback I think his game is made for our system.

Ford needs a big upgrade, he's probably a 700-850k prop now.

Watching Tafua yesterday, he looked incredible and probably deserves to move up sooner rather than later. He’s got Egan’s no-look passing and knack for influencing the ruck, combined with absolutely colossal shots in defence, I'm a fan

 

[sup42]

You're right, but I think TT has a firm grip on that fullback role i doubt he's gonna let it go anytime soon haha.
But yeah one more marquee signing would be perfect, Jfh and Kurt Capewell types have already shown their worth its just that gamebreaker now.

Taine is in great form. He is a difference maker in this team, his running game is a ruck winner and that is the core role of a Warriors styled fullback (people want sexy, I get that, but the Warriors plan is to save the Forwards by using the back three to roll those sets).

What's Fatialofa's path to regular first grade? Our #17 role is usually taken by an edge that can cover middle as Leka covers an injury at Centre.
Fatialofa is contracted for 2027 but Halasima & Laban are signed until 2029, EIT until 2028 & Neal destined for first grade.

I still expect at some point we will have one our mares with backrower multiple injuries....

 

[The Undertaker]

I would say since we have Metcalf's roughly 950K burning a hole in our pocket for next year that we will try to bring a marquee player. My betting money is on Joey Manu given he was linked to us three weeks aga.

As we saw with RTS it takes a couple of seasons to reconvert back to league from Union. Hard no at his age.

 

[Wrighty]

Linnane could be a revelation at left centre. He gives me real Tom Chester vibes, and Chester has been excellent for the Cowboys. I honestly think him and Leiataua could become a brutal long-term centre pairing for us.

I really don’t think we need to spend big money anymore. The days of hoping some marquee signing is going to come and magically change the club’s fortunes is over. Why pay overs for Australian players when we’ve got so much elite talent coming through the system already? In saying that I would 100% take Joey Manu at fullback I think his game is made for our system.

Ford needs a big upgrade, he's probably a 700-850k prop now.

Watching Tafua yesterday, he looked incredible and probably deserves to move up sooner rather than later. He’s got Egan’s no-look passing and knack for influencing the ruck, combined with absolutely colossal shots in defence, I'm a fan

Unless we supplement our internal promotions with the "occassional" external big signings then the Warriors are going to end up with Cronulla Sharks syndrome. A team that smack silly a bottom 4 team but be inconsistent against the very best teams in the league. Taine Tuapiki himself which some people are saying to retain instead of signing an external player was an external signing himself. Taine is not homegrown and the only reason we have depth at Fullback at all with a choice between CNK and Taine is that we externally recruited both of them (notwithstanding that CNK started his career with the Warriors).

Maybe we as in a group should short list position that our development pathways can provide and shortlist positions that we will always need to recruit for.

My attempt is as follows:
All the spine positions we need to recruit for as Kiwi kids don't see enough quality game time as youngsters to develop the sufficient football IQ to guide a team around the park. Yes there will always be exceptions like CHT and SJ.
We should be able to produce our own props and second rowers and locks.
Outside backs? Centres we can produce. Probably we can't grow wings with sufficient blistering speed.

 

[WAH MAN]

I cant believe they are not looking at him as a left edge centre!

Is he THAT good bro? I've seen bits of him but what is your take about his first grade readiness?