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	Jett Cleary	✔	S	S
9	Wayde Egan	✔	✔	✔
10	James Fisher-Harris	✔	✔	✔	✔
11	Jackson Ford	✔	✔	✔
12	Leka Halasima	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
13	Morgan Harper	✔
14	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
15	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
16	Edward Kosi	✔
17	Jacob Laban	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
18	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
19	Jye Linnane	✔	✔	✔	✔
20	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
21	Te Maire Martin	✔	✔
22	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
23	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔	✔	✔
24	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
25	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
26	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔	✔	✔
27	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
28	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
29	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
30	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Fatialofa	S	✔	✔
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Luke Hanson	S
S4	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	S	✔	✔
S5	Sio Kali	S
S6	Patrick Moimoi	S
-	Kahu Capper	T	T
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	Haizyn Mellars	✔	✔	✔
-	Motu Pasikala	T	?	?

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

Top 30 2026: 29/30
Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos), Haizyn Mellars (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
2026 Losses: Edward Kosi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper
Can negotiate with other clubs from Nov 1, 2025 (Entering final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[BangBro's (still banging)]

This may sound like a waste of time but I think we need to look at the wing position. I'd be looking to recruit from the nrl while pasikala brews in cup.

We have DWZ and RTs for the next two seasons, so need somthing underneath, unless we get a mulitalo.

 

[Fizurg]

In the case of Papali'i he declined an extension for less cash at Parra. Our covid uncertainty probably played a part too. His stocks had fallen at the club but he wasn't unwanted

Yeah that’s kind of my point. He was languishing here but went to elite level very quickly in another teams system. It doesn’t matter how many great juniors come through the ranks if the first grade team can’t transform talent to success on the field.
Neither Katoa or Ipap could even get decent minutes here. Yet clearly had everything it takes to be top tier.
Losing good players to other teams is less scary than having talented players who cant succeed in the Warriors system to me.

 

[Falcon]

I’m part way through the TWL podcast with Andrew McFadden which is a really good listen. It’s great to get someone who is integral into the recruitment and development of the players talking about what’s involved and how they are going about their business.
Biggest takeout so far is patience in realising the potential of identified players.
He was asked why so many of the starting halves around the comp are in their 30’s and he thought it was as much to do about impatience of clubs to develop a game management player and not just a talented athlete.
You get the feeling while wanting to be competitive now and I hope we are, the cycle of development - established - is about 3 years from being truly realised.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

the more I think about it, do we really want a 32year old Jerome Hughes? He’s 30 now, contracted until end of 26. Barring an early release, if we signed him I’d assume he’d want security so minimum 2 years. The best scenario is he gets an early release, and we sign him until he’s 33. Worst case, we sign a 32 year old Hughes for a 3 year deal, for a million.

Don’t get me wrong, we need someone of his calibre to tip us into a premiership contender. Just thinking of the reality of a signing like his.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

the more I think about it, do we really want a 32year old Jerome Hughes? He’s 30 now, contracted until end of 26. Barring an early release, if we signed him I’d assume he’d want security so minimum 2 years. The best scenario is he gets an early release, and we sign him until he’s 33. Worst case, we sign a 32 year old Hughes for a 3 year deal, for a million.

Don’t get me wrong, we need someone of his calibre to tip us into a premiership contender. Just thinking of the reality of a signing like his.

Fuck it, id still pay it.

DCE, Hunt, SJ, Reynolds, Keary, Munster, and Hughes in the last 2 years have shown that over 30s are still able to dominate.

And who knows, maybe we get a discount and get Hughes for 600k like the Broncos got Hunt for

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Fuck it, id still pay it.

DCE, Hunt, SJ, Reynolds, Keary, Munster, and Hughes in the last 2 years have shown that over 30s are still able to dominate.

And who knows, maybe we get a discount and get Hughes for 600k like the Broncos got Hunt for

Reynolds: 13 games in 2024
Munster: 14 games
Johnson: 16 games

Hunt and DCE are an anomaly, it’s actually freakish they’re still playing mid 30s

 

[Fufu]

There was some noise that Pahulu from the Titans was in our sights. Seems like we/he has cooled on that idea, fox sports reporting that hes going to sign with the Dogs.

Also interestingly, he needed to play 20 games last year to get a $50k bonus, but the Titans "rested" him in the last round of the season which would have been his 20th game. Hence the eagerness to leave.

 

[Wrighty]

I got the feeling from Cappy's interview that I hope you all listened to on TWL, that we may watch things unfold for in terms of how good our juniors are coming through before we decide our acquisition targets for 2026 and if so we may not see many warriors 2026 signings before the season starts. Did anyone have that take away from listening to the Cappy interview.

 

[Wrighty]

We have signed 20 spots plus a club option so 21 for 2026.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

There was some noise that Pahulu from the Titans was in our sights. Seems like we/he has cooled on that idea, fox sports reporting that hes going to sign with the Dogs.

Also interestingly, he needed to play 20 games last year to get a $50k bonus, but the Titans "rested" him in the last round of the season which would have been his 20th game. Hence the eagerness to leave.

Whoa that's super dicky. And the club wonders why he's looking else where...

 

[Lance155]

Whoa that's super dicky. And the club wonders why he's looking else where...

Yep I would leave fully based on that treatment alone

 

[Leon Black]

I want Laban and Halasima to share that starting right edge backrower spot over the next couple of years. (Although I believe Halasima is actually a left edge backrower)
Move Niukore in the middle then move him on.
What to do with Jackson Ford is the interesting question. He’s one of Webby’s favourites from what I can tell.

Send Ford to the scrap heap

 

[Defence]

Send Ford to the scrap heap

Must be a Holden man?

 

[Leon Black]

I mean Halasima starts for mine. He’s a key player for us now and the future.

Sifakula should get good minutes off the bench, I think he’ll have a massive opportunity with our lack of specialist props.

Agree on Laban. He’s gotta show me more in NSW cup.

Halasima gives away too many penalties and has poor discipline. He gave away heaps in NSW Cup, Laban tired toward back end of the season but he has Katoa vibes for mine and we must persist. Most 1st grade ready of the trio.

Demetric and Halasima reach their full potential, we can only hope. Seen way too many highlight reel potential guns come and go. Big Konnie, Kata, Locke, Lisone and co. I remember getting excited watching big Toa Sipley. Those twins we had we are they now?

 

[Worried2Death]

Send Ford to the scrap heap

Surely we can salvage his motor, tune him up and stick him in the front row for sale

 

[Inruin]

There was some noise that Pahulu from the Titans was in our sights. Seems like we/he has cooled on that idea, fox sports reporting that hes going to sign with the Dogs.

Also interestingly, he needed to play 20 games last year to get a $50k bonus, but the Titans "rested" him in the last round of the season which would have been his 20th game. Hence the eagerness to leave.

yeah, really poor from the Titans. If they hold him to his contract I hope we have a crack at signing him. Will have played close to 40 games by 2026, assuming Des doesnt pack a sad and not play him. He is a specialist prop too. We seem to have more second rowers who can play prop coming through in cup at the moment. Would be a good signing IMO without breaking the bank and we would have room in the top 30 with players moving on.

 

[John Nick]

Surely we can salvage his motor, tune him up and stick him in the front row for sale

I like Ford but we would have to install a basket on the front grill.

 

[Cces]

Halasima gives away too many penalties and has poor discipline. He gave away heaps in NSW Cup, Laban tired toward back end of the season but he has Katoa vibes for mine and we must persist.

Both were too high but Halasima conceded 10 penalties in 12 NSW games (just 7 in his last 11 games after being over aroused in his first game of the season after a long injury lay off). Zero penalties in his 120 NRL minutes to date.
Laban 16 in his 15 NSW Cup games

 

[Fizurg]

Whoa that's super dicky. And the club wonders why he's looking else where...

The same team that edited their star players contract after he signed it.

 

[Teets]

Demetric and Halasima reach their full potential, we can only hope. Seen way too many highlight reel potential guns come and go. Big Konnie, Kata, Locke, Lisone and co. I remember getting excited watching big Toa Sipley. Those twins we had we are they now?

Didn't Konnie, Kata, Lisone pretty much all go straight from Under 20s to first grade?

Fuck knows why but I don't think any of them played much Cup before the NRL to their detriment.

I think these next gen guys are being brought through in a much smarter way with a lot of Cup footy against men and a taste of first grade here and there.

Also think Halasima has a workrate to fall back on when the highlight plays arent there that Konnie and Lisone didn't have.