Recruitment Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2024/2025 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
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: 25/30
Confirmed Development 2025: 1/6

2025 Gains: Nil
2025 Losses: Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks)
 
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The Warriors had no part in that process tho, didn't we tell AFB you can leave in 2025 but we want you for 2024. So he went out and signed with the Sharks.

I get it, I'd like to have someone locked up by now too but even tho we were letting AFB go we had no real say in the matter.

As a club, it seems most of the moves we're making - recruitment and otherwise - seems to be on the money imo and I'm happy to back them. I think if we could have seen some kinda swap then we would have looked at it, but BHU was off contract for 2025 so there was no real opportunity I reckon. Sharks apparently offered a BHU v AFB swap for 2024 prior to resigning BHU that we declined (and rightly so)
My understanding is we let him go a year earlier than we contractually had to. So no we could of played cards totally different. Warriors (Cappy etc) prob felt team unity and happiness was more important (and they could be right we are not in Sydney sadly). I just feel they should of moved quicker to ascertain if BHU was a target. Would of been simple. I think they shopped around, found the cupboard was bare so this was 'last ditch' and it didn't pan out.

The deal offered could of been crap also.. IE take BHU for $900k.. we never know details.

But yeah agree totally, the club is making great moves now since the ownership changed. This is a forum where we can write anything without having to actually do it. lol
 
After reading this article I'm grateful towards AFB that we didn't sign BHU, he ain't too smart imo..
Watch Fitzy sideline him and his bung knee as soon as AFB arrives. BHU will be in cup before the end of the 2025 season.
 
Just a quick thought on retention.

I think AFB moving on is going to give some room for a crucial upgrade to Wayde Egan. There is no way in hell im letting him go to november 1, im sure you will all think I'm nuts but I would upgrade him to 4 years at 950k.

He's critical to our team! And is without doubt in the top echelon of hookers in the game right now. Just my opinion but man I actually can't imagine our team without him anymore! What a fucken legend this guy is!

I think as we get to the back end if his contract the team could be very different and he's going to massive fir the kids coming through, that means a lot more to the club I think.

With the possibility of having no AFB, No SJ, No Tohu, wayde is the guy they will look to.
 
Just a quick thought on retention.

I think AFB moving on is going to give some room for a crucial upgrade to Wayde Egan. There is no way in hell im letting him go to november 1, im sure you will all think I'm nuts but I would upgrade him to 4 years at 950k.

He's critical to our team! And is without doubt in the top echelon of hookers in the game right now. Just my opinion but man I actually can't imagine our team without him anymore! What a fucken legend this guy is!
Anywhere between the 700k-900k mark would be suitable imo. He proved last year that he’s capable of competing with the top 3 hookers in the league, he now needs to back it up with another quality season to cement his status.
 
Anywhere between the 700k-900k mark would be suitable imo. He proved last year that he’s capable of competing with the top 3 hookers in the league, he now needs to back it up with another quality season to cement his status.

Yeah hard, he's always been good but deffo pushed in to the top 5 hookers last year, however as almost every player had career years last year, id like to see him back it up in 2024 before giving him that big coin.

But yeah, deffo very deserving and I'd be happy with that money no dramas
 
What is he on now?

I reckon he wasn't given a longer term contract because of all the head knocks last year, if he avoids putting his head in props' hips this season he'll get a nice longer term upgrade, clearly our next captain

There was a DT article in May 2022 about how much every teams spine costs and Egan was down for 400k.

At that point he had just extended his contract until 2024 the previous December and has since extended it again until 2025. I would assume he's not on 400k anymore, maybe somewhere between 550 - 700k? But that's just rough guesswork.
 
There was a DT article in May 2022 about how much every teams spine costs and Egan was down for 400k.

At that point he had just extended his contract until 2024 the previous December and has since extended it again until 2025. I would assume he's not on 400k anymore, maybe somewhere between 550 - 700k? But that's just rough guesswork.

Man we're getting away with a very cheap spine 🤣
 
Shane Richardson is keen on turning his stay as Wests Tigers chief executive into a permanent one as he takes a relaxed attitude to a get-out clause that could allow Stefano Utoikamanu to quit the club.

Richardson was appointed to the role on a six-month interim basis earlier this year after initially being approached as a club consultant.
His return to clubland came after a report into the Tigers' consistent failures led to changes at board and executive level at the joint venture.
But speaking at an event to launch the rebrand of the Enrichd consultancy firm he co-founded with son Brent, Richardson said he wants to stick around and be part of the Tigers' revival under new coach Benji Marshall.
"Benji is a highly talented coach and he can be a great coach," Richardson told AAP.
"He's highly intelligent and well organised and my job is to put as much structure as possible to make him successful.
"We're in discussions (about extending my tenure) but I took this on because they wanted advice on how the club should be set up.
"As long as they (the Tigers board) did what they said they would do, which they have done, then it was up to them to make a decision if they wanted me to go on.
"I've done 30 years of it, it's what I do and I'm the luckiest man in the world getting to run rugby league clubs."
One of Richardson's earliest challenges at the Tigers may be keeping hold of prop Utoikamanu, who last year made his debut for the NSW State of Origin squad.
A clause inserted into the 23-year-old's contract by the previous administration allows him to quit the club at the end of the 2024 season if they fail to make the finals.
The clause is void if Utoikamanu makes a second appearance for NSW by the end of this year.
But rather than get in and renegotiate the forward's deal to remove the possibility of one of the game's emerging props heading onto the open market, Richardson is willing to let things play out.
"We want to create a club where he wants to stay," Richardson said.
"I don't think that way where I go, 'Oh god, that's going to come up'.
"Stefano likes being here and what's going on.
"Me lying with my head on the pillow at night worrying about it is not going to help anybody and I want to set up a club where everybody wants to stay - Benji, the players and the staff.
"We want Stefano to stay and I want 300 games out of him and we've got some great kids coming through, we're in nowhere near as bad a situation as people say we are."





Utoikamanu worth keeping an eye on
 
Shane Richardson is keen on turning his stay as Wests Tigers chief executive into a permanent one as he takes a relaxed attitude to a get-out clause that could allow Stefano Utoikamanu to quit the club.

Richardson was appointed to the role on a six-month interim basis earlier this year after initially being approached as a club consultant.
His return to clubland came after a report into the Tigers' consistent failures led to changes at board and executive level at the joint venture.
But speaking at an event to launch the rebrand of the Enrichd consultancy firm he co-founded with son Brent, Richardson said he wants to stick around and be part of the Tigers' revival under new coach Benji Marshall.
"Benji is a highly talented coach and he can be a great coach," Richardson told AAP.
"He's highly intelligent and well organised and my job is to put as much structure as possible to make him successful.
"We're in discussions (about extending my tenure) but I took this on because they wanted advice on how the club should be set up.
"As long as they (the Tigers board) did what they said they would do, which they have done, then it was up to them to make a decision if they wanted me to go on.
"I've done 30 years of it, it's what I do and I'm the luckiest man in the world getting to run rugby league clubs."
One of Richardson's earliest challenges at the Tigers may be keeping hold of prop Utoikamanu, who last year made his debut for the NSW State of Origin squad.
A clause inserted into the 23-year-old's contract by the previous administration allows him to quit the club at the end of the 2024 season if they fail to make the finals.
The clause is void if Utoikamanu makes a second appearance for NSW by the end of this year.
But rather than get in and renegotiate the forward's deal to remove the possibility of one of the game's emerging props heading onto the open market, Richardson is willing to let things play out.
"We want to create a club where he wants to stay," Richardson said.
"I don't think that way where I go, 'Oh god, that's going to come up'.
"Stefano likes being here and what's going on.
"Me lying with my head on the pillow at night worrying about it is not going to help anybody and I want to set up a club where everybody wants to stay - Benji, the players and the staff.
"We want Stefano to stay and I want 300 games out of him and we've got some great kids coming through, we're in nowhere near as bad a situation as people say we are."





Utoikamanu worth keeping an eye on

Can't see Utoikamanu leaving, his partner has just had a kid and he seems to be enjoying it in Tiger town. Maybe if he gets sick of losing games and wants to win a few could see him moving clubs but I reckon he'd probably stay in Aus.

I think our best bet is continue with the juniors. Zyon Maiu’u has big wraps hopefully he can play at JFH/Leota sort of level, could see a combo of Zyon Maiu’u/Barnett next year with Ale/Afoa/Niukore off the bench.

Got to say Niukore was an absolutely machine in that 2nd trial, he looked unstoppable.
 
Aukusitino is in the first post of the thread as having a dev contract but doesn't have a Warriors profile, and he isn't on the NRL.com signings tracker either.

Not saying it means anything definitive, just adding some little nuggets of information.
Definitely a change from this screenshot taken on December the 1st. Seeing as he's not been sighted in the trials he might have a long term injury. Although he's younger, I was surprised he got a DC considering Tu & Graham-Taufa were picked ahead of him in Cup.
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