Recruitment Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
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-​	Player​	2024​	2025​	2026​	2027​	2028​
1	Bunty Afoa	✔	✔
2	Tom Ale	✔	✔
3	Mitchell Barnett	✔	✔
4	The Greatest of All-Time	✔	✔	✔
5	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔	✔
6	Wayde Egan	✔	✔
7	Addin Fonua-Blake	✔
8	Jackson Ford	✔	✔
9	Tohu Harris	✔	✔
10	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔	M
11	Shaun Johnson	✔
12	Edward Kosi	✔	✔
13	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔
14	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔
15	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔	✔
16	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔	✔
17	Te Maire Martin	✔	✔
18	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔	✔
19	Marcelo Montoya	✔	✔
20	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔
21	Marata Niukore	✔	✔	✔
22	Adam Pompey	✔	✔
23	Demitric Sifakula	✔	✔	T
24	Jazz Tevaga	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔	✔
27	Dylan Walker	✔	✔
28	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔
D1	Ben Farr	D
D2	Etuane Fukofuka	D
D3	Leka Halasima	D	D	✔
D4	Patrick Moimoi	D
D5	Tanner Stowers-Smith	D
-	James Fisher-Harris	-	✔	✔	✔	✔

key: T = Team option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, D = Development contract

Confirmed Top 30 2024: 28/30
Confirmed Development 2024: 5/6

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 26/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 1/6

2025 Gains: James Fucking Fisher-Harris baby! (Panthers)
2025 Losses: Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks)
2025 Off Contract: Shaun Johnson, Jazz Tevaga

 

[WahsUltras]

Francis Molo has just re-signed with the dragons. I'm sure many of you are glad that he is of the books for 2025.

 

[CWC]

• 

Hopefully the Warriors are monitoring this

The Dragons and Dogs always get a mention when someone is about to be released lol, remember the Sharks went out of nowhere to sign AFB?

 

[CWC]

Of course he's not. AFB is a top 2 prop so anyone we get is going to be a step down.

But that's the beauty of Webby tho, he looks at your skillset and fits it into the team, as opposed to having a predetermined role for a prop. If we got NAS and Webby said 'we need you to make 170m a game, play 60 min, have great defence and score 10 tries this year' he'd be laughed at. Very few can do what AFB does and Webby will know that more than anyone.

If we got NAS I have no doubt in my mind that Webby will use him well. 40+ minutes of sheer power and aggression, offloads and tackle breaks. Would more than likely need to couple that with a Bunty/Ale/ Zyon Maiu’u standard type of prop

Yup have props that can hold the line for the opening 20 minutes then if we're losing momentum bring him on to turn it around, and bring him back on again in the same situ in the second half, he's like a Joker card, or reverse Uno card lol

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

The Dragons and Dogs always get a mention when someone is about to be released lol, remember the Sharks went out of nowhere to sign AFB?

It use to be us lol

 

[Defence]

Of course he's not. AFB is a top 2 prop so anyone we get is going to be a step down.

But that's the beauty of Webby tho, he looks at your skillset and fits it into the team, as opposed to having a predetermined role for a prop. If we got NAS and Webby said 'we need you to make 170m a game, play 60 min, have great defence and score 10 tries this year' he'd be laughed at. Very few can do what AFB does and Webby will know that more than anyone.

If we got NAS I have no doubt in my mind that Webby will use him well. 40+ minutes of sheer power and aggression, offloads and tackle breaks. Would more than likely need to couple that with a Bunty/Ale/ Zyon Maiu’u standard type of prop

If we have barney and the muss playing 60 each in the middle u would only need nas to play 40 and theres your propping rotation and not a bad one at that- of course injuries could put a salt in our coffee but thats always the case.

 

[SJ2k]

Anyone saying they wouldn't take NAS in our situation is dense tbh. Would be a miracle if it happened. Realistically there's basically no even decent props coming our way next year and our internal crop is not up to it. We're going to struggle unfortunately, is what it is. With our cut price spine we're definitely in a position to pay overs for a prop

 

[CWC]

Our prop purchase at the worst is probably just Marata lol

Marata
Egan
Barney
Bench - Bunty, Ale, Zyon Maiu’u

If they put Laban in the middle and he's a power house after this year's learning, it might work alright?

Didn't know he's got the exact size and height of what we're looking for lol, and he's only 19!

Oh well at least we have the cash for an elite half and/or prop when one suddenly comes onto the market

 

[Sammyw]

grab a journeyman on the cheap and hope Zyon Maiu’u kicks on in the next 2/3 seasons. otherwise theres no way possible we land anyone in the same stratosphere as AFB. make a play for one of the Thompson boys, one of the Saifiti boys or suss out if Neame wants a starting role back in NZ. slim pickings tbh

 

[juju]

Our prop purchase at the worst is probably just Marata lol

Marata
Egan
Barney
Bench - Bunty, Ale, Zyon Maiu’u

If they put Laban in the middle and he's a power house after this year's learning, it might work alright?

Didn't know he's got the exact size and height of what we're looking for lol, and he's only 19!

Oh well at least we have the cash for an elite half and/or prop when one suddenly comes onto the market

And $1m to spend somewhere.

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Lomax granted a release to look elsewhere for '25 and beyond. Can't see him getting a better deal than at the Drags as most clubs already have decent outside backs but wonder where he will land. Roosters maybe to replace Manu?

 

[WahsUltras]

Lomax granted a release to look elsewhere for '25 and beyond. Can't see him getting a better deal than at the Drags as most clubs already have decent outside backs but wonder where he will land. Roosters maybe to replace Manu?

Nope. I thought that would be his ideal landing spot but Trent Robinson stated today that they don’t want to overpay for him and will promote/develop who they currently have in their system.

 

[Noitall]

Lomax granted a release to look elsewhere for '25 and beyond. Can't see him getting a better deal than at the Drags as most clubs already have decent outside backs but wonder where he will land. Roosters maybe to replace Manu?

It sounded like that was the case for next season but has met with eels and that looks like it could be where he lands? Interesting the sharks forum reckons Josh Schuster to titans in a mid season switch. Was something last week that came out stating Lomax and Schuster in a swap that seems was false. Wonder if there’s a multi club deal to go down? I could believe Hasler backing himself to get the best out of Schuster

 

[Beastmode]

Lomax granted a release to look elsewhere for '25 and beyond. Can't see him getting a better deal than at the Drags as most clubs already have decent outside backs but wonder where he will land. Roosters maybe to replace Manu?

Doesn’t want to play wing

Fair enough. He’s not dynamic enough for wing. No real speed or Ariel acrobatics. Still he’s only 24

 

[Damo]

Was something last week that came out stating Lomax and Schuster in a swap that seems was false.

That was a parody account.

 

[Te Mana-wah]

Ofahiki Ogden could be worth a look at. Averaged 113m a game last year for Parra and a bigger body at 6'4 /107kgs and wouldn't command top dollar - might be keen to come back to NZ.

 

[Boston Boy]

Doesn’t want to play wing

Fair enough. He’s not dynamic enough for wing. No real speed or Ariel acrobatics. Still he’s only 24

At one stage he was actually very good in the air. Not out and out pace though.

 

[Five&Last]

He is but he's well above Ale Bunty, and Zyon Maiu’u.

Never said he wasn’t. Still not close to an AFB replacement.

If we’re paying NAS within a few 100k of what AFB is on we’re in trouble.

Best bet is Marata can play prop alongside Barnett. Sifakula is also likely to move to prop with the size he’s put on and to make way for Halasima at 13.

I think Ale deserves a shot starting at prop, he has a massive motor and isn’t much of an impact player. Harry Durbin, Zyon Maiu’u and Tanner Stowers-Smith will get game time next year but are probably another couple of years away from figuring it out. Zyon Maiu’u could play right now if he didn’t have to defend.

Maybe you target an under the radar purchase like Thomas Mikakaele who looks amazing in the trials for the cows.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Never said he wasn’t. Still not close to an AFB replacement.

If we’re paying NAS within a few 100k of what AFB is on we’re in trouble.

Best bet is Marata can play prop alongside Barnett. Sifakula is also likely to move to prop with the size he’s put on and to make way for Halasima at 13.

I think Ale deserves a shot starting at prop, he has a massive motor and isn’t much of an impact player. Harry Durbin, Zyon Maiu’u and Tanner Stowers-Smith will get game time next year but are probably another couple of years away from figuring it out. Zyon Maiu’u could play right now if he didn’t have to defend.

Maybe you target an under the radar purchase like Thomas Mikakaele who looks amazing in the trials for the cows.

Same! I really don't get why Ale isn't persevered with?

 

[snake77]

Webster and McFadden seem pretty considered with what the team needs and the players they want.

If NAS is free to negotiate with other clubs he is worth inquiring about. Gauge his interest, get his side of what happened with the Storm, and explain the role they see him playing. I can see the Dragons coming in with a big offer to get Flanagan underway with shaping the squad he wants. The main thing for us is to not get in a bidding war.

He is different to AFB and would likely play a different role.

It might be hard to find a decent replacement with who is off-contract this year so a player coming onto the market unexpectedly is worth looking at.

 

[Five&Last]

Same! I really don't get why Ale isn't persevered with?

There’s just no opening for him to start and he doesn’t have much impact when he comes on.

I think he’d have a Jackson Ford type effect if he started and went about his work.