Recruitment Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention

Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention Discussion​

-	Player	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
1	Bunty Afoa	✔
2	Tom Ale	✔
3	Mitchell Barnett	✔	✔	✔
4	Rocco Berry	✔	✔
5	Tanah Boyd	✔	✔
6	Kurt Capewell	✔	✔
7	Erin Clark	✔	✔	✔
8	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
9	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
10	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
11	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔
12	Tohu Harris	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
19	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔
20	Te Maire Martin	✔
21	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
22	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
23	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
24	Motu Pasikala	✔	✔	✔
25	Adam Pompey	✔
26	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
27	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
28	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	C
29	Dylan Walker	✔
30	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kalani Going	S
S2	Tanner Stowers-Smith	S
T1	Jett Cleary	T	S	S

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract (Formerly, Development), T = Train & Trial contract

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 30/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 2/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 30/30
Unconfirmed Supplementary 2025: 3/6 (Luke Hanson, per Zero Tackle)

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 21/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Tohu Harris, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Dylan Walker, Kalani Going (S), Tanner Stowers-Smith (S), Demitric Vaimauga (C)

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[MrFrankWhite]

Based my thinking around my post RTS is not a genuine winger and we are just finding a spot for him

Yeah we are. But he can still turn it on especially on the wing and we have a couple of young kids in the pipeline. RTS = Monty

 

[John Nick]

Yeah we are. But he can still turn it on especially on the wing and we have a couple of young kids in the pipeline. RTS = Monty

Hopefully we see these young guys coming through soon. We need genuine speed.

 

[Dannevegas]

Hopefully we see these young guys coming through soon. We need genuine speed.

I think Sio Kali is the only one in our whole squad who has genuine speed.

Pasikala’s Fast-ish, Definitely need to do some recruiting although we don’t have many spots left, but I can see Bunty, Pompey and Walker being moved on.

I would be after 2 outside backs with top tier speed and height

 

[Canonball]

sooo.... consecutive announcements day on day off of dwz, ford and TT... does this signal anything, like new personnel after the 1st? (reaching for anything here...)

 

[CWC]

Probably to keep us engaged until post Nov 1st when they can actually publicly discuss new signings

 

[Lance155]

sooo.... consecutive announcements day on day off of dwz, ford and TT... does this signal anything, like new personnel after the 1st? (reaching for anything here...)

I am also trying to see if these extensions are telling us anything. A good question I think is would Taine be a starting FB anywhere else? If so perhaps his extension suggest he will start next year. If not, same as this year?

Do we think we are chasing a 7? I am having nightmares of TMM playing there...

 

[Inruin]

Do we think we are chasing a 7? I am having nightmares of TMM playing there...

If he carries the same form from his stint at 7 this year we will be all good. The teams defence needs to have a big improvement though

 

[John Nick]

I am also trying to see if these extensions are telling us anything. A good question I think is would Taine be a starting FB anywhere else? If so perhaps his extension suggest he will start next year. If not, same as this year?

Do we think we are chasing a 7? I am having nightmares of TMM playing there...

Better than playing at 6.

 

[Lance155]

If he carries the same form from his stint at 7 this year we will be all good. The teams defence needs to have a big improvement though

I was not impressed by him at all during that period. His kicking game was still crap. Some of his try assists were off poor passes along the ground or other average play. His games read well in the stats department but didn't pass the eye test for me.

I understand I am probably in the minority there, but if that is his best then it isn't good enough for me.

 

[Inruin]

I was not impressed by him at all during that period. His kicking game was still crap. Some of his try assists were off poor passes along the ground or other average play. His games read well in the stats department but didn't pass the eye test for me.

I understand I am probably in the minority there, but if that is his best then it isn't good enough for me.

Tough marker. Don't forget he broke his finger early in the Panthers game. I get your viewpoint kind of, but that period was our best period of the season. Certainly not saying he was perfect by any stretch but I don't think we win many or any of those games without changing him in to 7. Nothing he did impressed you?

 

[CWC]

He can pass the ball 50m backwards along the ground as long as it results in the same try assist rate he had last year for all I care lol

 

[Lance155]

Tough marker. Don't forget he broke his finger early in the Panthers game. I get your viewpoint kind of, but that period was our best period of the season. Certainly not saying he was perfect by any stretch but I don't think we win many or any of those games without changing him in to 7. Nothing he did impressed you?

I would have go back and watch but I am just going back on how I felt at the time. The whole team lifted at the time as well. Yes a good 7 makes the players around them but it also goes the other way. How do you prove who is making who look good I guess?

 

[Tragic]

I disagree. Maybe not 2025, but if Webby sticks with it, I think 2026 could be a shot. I genuinely think the below has a chance to surprise the comp

1. Taine
2. DWZ
3. CNK
4. Ali
5. RTS

I actually like that. Solid defence albeit taine is a small man and ability to create from TT and Ali.
If anything CNK is the weakness but more likely Berry get an opportunity and take the spot anyway.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

If anything CNK is the weakness but more likely Berry get an opportunity and take the spot anyway.

Berry better than repeat international CNK? The guy who was better in his first game at centre than Berry has been most of his career.. That CNK and Berry?

 

[Makasene]

Berry better than repeat international CNK? The guy who was better in his first game at centre than Berry has been most of his career.. That CNK and Berry?

Berry plateued big time.

I think CNK is a walk up starter at right centre

 

[John Nick]

Berry better than repeat international CNK? The guy who was better in his first game at centre than Berry has been most of his career.. That CNK and Berry?

Not sure CNK is a great center yet.
Hopefully I am wrong
Seems to me we have 3 fullbacks and FA wings and we are trying to find places for RTS and CNK.
Not a premiership winning option

 

[MM51]

Could also depend on recovery from his neck injury?

I think TMM is fairly settled here and unlikely to move to another club (unless a big offer comes in?) so the club would be crazy not to extend him for at least another year IMO, even if its just to add depth to the squad

I mean it’s potentially done and just not announced? It feels like we’ve been getting a re-signing bonus very day for the past week? Might just be a matter of time

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Berry plateued big time.

I think CNK is a walk up starter at right centre

Do you reckon he plateued, or was a victim of the whole team doing quite poorly at the time?

My only issue with Berry this year was that he had a few poor misses in defence, and I think a few times he didn't wrap the arms up and the opposing player got an offload away and they scored.

To me, it feels like each year he looks like he's going to have a break out year and then he never does haha. Still early days and he's tracking in the right trajectory, but he just never seems to reach that potential that so many see in him.

Nek year maybe?

 

[John Nick]

Do you reckon he plateued, or was a victim of the whole team doing quite poorly at the time?

My only issue with Berry this year was that he had a few poor misses in defence, and I think a few times he didn't wrap the arms up and the opposing player got an offload away and they scored.

To me, it feels like each year he looks like he's going to have a break out year and then he never does haha. Still early days and he's tracking in the right trajectory, but he just never seems to reach that potential that so many see in him.

Nek year maybe?

My thoughts also

 

[Noitall]

Why wouldn't we go in on Atkinson then? Younger, more long term upside.

Think it mentioned Trindall because of the jets connection where Metcalf came from and having some time together in the halves in the past