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	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
13	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
14	Edward Kosi	✔
15	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
16	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
17	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
18	Te Maire Martin	✔
19	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
20	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
21	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
22	Adam Pompey	✔
23	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
24	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
25	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
26	Dylan Walker	✔
27	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Faitialofa	S
S2	Kalani Going	S
S3	Luke Hanson	S
S4	Sio Kali	S
S5	Patrick Moimoi	S
S6	Tanner Stowers-Smith	S
-	Kahu Capper	T	T
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Eddie Ieremia-Toeava	T
-	Motu Pasikala	T

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

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 27/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 27/30
Unconfirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 22/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Adam Pompey, Dylan Walker

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[mrblonde]

Terrel May said in his Levels podcast interview that he wasn't due back from international duty till Jan 9th, he was supper stoked about not having to do a full preseason

Don't know about other clubs, but there seems to be a rule based on the number of pre-seasons a player as been through, IFRR, if you've completed 10 pre-seasons throught-out your career, you can come back to training first week of January. I guess there's a fair amount of trust regarding off-season readiness and nutritional awareness etc etc. And maybe some agreement with NRLPA as well ie treat us like adults and we'll act like adults...
I've always thought the first 2-3 days of preseason was doing what I call Fitness and Fatness Testing of all the assembled players so it's like a Wednesday/Thursday. Then over the weekend the coaches decide which players are ready to go, which players maybe need some rehab, which players need to go to Burn The Fat Off Ya Camp. So actually the training doesn't start the folloing Monday with all the players appropriately assigned to whatever group. The senior players come back later and get subjected to the same thing/similar thing (I remember stories of international Warriors players turning up to pre-season um, a, ah, shade heavier than what the coaches and them had agreed they'd turn up to pre-season being when they talked at the end of last season)...

 

[hornbybrown]

Leo Thompson is reportedly in the ten day cooling off period, but no word on who he has signed with

 

[Noitall]

Leo Thompson is reportedly in the ten day cooling off period, but no word on who he has signed with

Raiders you reckon?

 

[BigUCE]

Leo Thompson is reportedly in the ten day cooling off period, but no word on who he has signed with

surely someone’s spotted him down at the viaduct with Webby? Either way, with how quiet we’ve been with our previous recruitment, you would think we could still be a chance hopefully.

 

[Noitall]

surely someone’s spotted him down at the viaduct with Webby? Either way, with how quiet we’ve been with our previous recruitment, you would think we could still be a chance hopefully.

If we are, I hope coming home would figure in the salary with raiders offering $850k per season over 4 years

 

[tajhay]

ten day cooling off period

the most pointless rule in NRL. Existing clubs dont get notified on who the club they are signing for is or how much the deal is or anything. Its just that another club has signed the player and awaiting registration. If your offer was not good enough in the first place, whats the whole purpose of it other than for agents to try to get the player's existing club to pay more.

The existing club can choose to waive the 10 day cooling off period, as Panthers did with Luai. Wish more clubs had the balls to do that rather than playing into the hands of bottom feeding agents.

 

[BigUCE]

If we are, I hope coming home would figure in the salary with raiders offering $850k over 4 years

Yeah, that’s obviously massive overs but he’s still young and yet to reach his full ceiling. You would think the opportunity to come home, while playing alongside one of his idols could entice him to sign for less? Time will tell I guess…

 

[Noitall]

Yeah, that’s obviously massive overs but he’s still young and yet to reach his full ceiling. You would think the opportunity to come home, while playing alongside one of his idols could entice him to sign for less? Time will tell I guess…

What’s another factor is where Tyrone sits in this? Does he follow Leo or stay put at Newcastle

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Surely it’s the dogs. They seem to have an endless pit of $

 

[Noitall]

Only guesses I think but seen a couple of comments saying Warriors for Leo Thompson. For the money, could he take over Tohu in 2026?

 

[~Navigator~]

Leo Thompson is reportedly in the ten day cooling off period, but no word on who he has signed with

The Newcastle Knights are set to be hit with a bitter retention blow with star prop Leo Thompson set to leave the club.

Thompson became available to offers from rival clubs on November 1 and could join either the Raiders or Bulldogs, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Major blow hits Knights with star prop set to leave

Despite brother signing with club

www.nine.com.au

 

[Kaos A.D.]

The Newcastle Knights are set to be hit with a bitter retention blow with star prop Leo Thompson set to leave the club.

Thompson became available to offers from rival clubs on November 1 and could join either the Raiders or Bulldogs, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Major blow hits Knights with star prop set to leave

Despite brother signing with club

www.nine.com.au

he better not go bulldogs, cant stand the bulldogs..... Knights just cant catch a break with retaining quality forwards, with a lot of there coin stuck on Ponga.... didnt they lose Tapine cause they invested in Ponga?

 

[BigUCE]

he better not go bulldogs, cant stand the bulldogs..... Knights just cant catch a break with retaining quality forwards, with a lot of there coin stuck on Ponga.... didnt they lose Tapine cause they invested in Ponga?

They also gave Hastings 800k/year

 

[Five&Last]

If we are, I hope coming home would figure in the salary with raiders offering $850k per season over 4 years

I hope we're not trying to compete with that. That's insane overs for him.

 

[Noitall]

I hope we're not trying to compete with that. That's insane overs for him.

Seen some say he’s been offered up to $900k a season. Think that’s unlikely though? The raiders one is genuine though. $3.4 million over 4 years. Interesting in recent times that raiders and bulldogs, who are meant to be the front runners here, are apparently interested in Josiah Pahulu too

 

[SouthernWorrier]

I hope we're not trying to compete with that. That's insane overs for him.

100% agree. He'd be a good addition at a fair price but he's attracting overs and he's not going to add anything materially new or different to the team - so trust our veterans and grow our youth prospects

 

[Noitall]

100% agree. He'd be a good addition at a fair price but he's attracting overs and he's not going to add anything materially new or different to the team - so trust our veterans and grow our youth prospects

I’ve changed my tune a little bit, still think $850k-$900k per season is too much but I’d be happy with starting at $750k and goals reached over 4 years hitting $800k at the back end. Reason I’ve changed is because I look at what Barnett has become coming from the same environment Thompson is in now. Smaller sampling from Barnett last year due to injury, but over both seasons his game has gone to a whole new level. Especially 2024 season. Barnett became a rep player which Thompson already is and his best years ahead. Sounded like losing Saifiti was a blow to him in regards of an experienced leader to learn off, which he’s mentioned as something he’d like where he goes. Which is why I don’t see bulldogs, raiders under Tapine yes, eels was mentioned in showing interest. Paulo, perhaps? Some saying roosters but because they cashed up. Could definitely see JFH having some sway here?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Leo @ 850 isnt that different to what we've paid our middles. None of whom have won us a prem

 

[Damo]

Leo @ 850 isnt that different to what we've paid our middles. None of whom have won us a prem

The others at least had some pedigree. 850k is the new 650k in the current cap anyway, I don't see it as being outrageous.

 

[tyrael]

Raiders or Bulldogs

So who do we target now?