Recruitment Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention

🤖 AI Summary

📝 Summary:

The Warriors' 2025/2026 recruitment strategy dominates discussion, focusing on contract extensions, departures, and targets. User Playdaball #223 confirms winger Marcelo Montoya's exit to the Tigers amid family considerations, praised for his effort during the COVID-era transition. High-engagement posts highlight key retentions: Ali Leiataua extends until 2027 User MM51 #1778, Jackson Ford re-signs for two years User WahsaurusRex #2059, and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak/Taine Tuaupiki secure new deals. Significant debate centers on squad balance, with User Worried2Death #1410 questioning heavy forward investment versus spine needs, while User JaggedJ #1412 critiques blocking young forwards like Halasima amid links to Briton Nikora.
Halves recruitment emerges as urgent, given Shaun Johnson's decline and injuries. User SJ2k #566 argues existing options TMM, Metcalf, CHT risk another failed season without reinforcements, leading to Tanah Boyd's signing—confirmed by User SouthernWorrier #2394. Warriorsfan92 #2419 defends Boyd as a pragmatic, low-cost organizer and goalkicker vital for structure. Positional debates intensify around Roger Tuivasa-Sheck: User Mr. Brownstone #2190 critiques his "overrated" impact at centre/fullback, advocating for wing, while User ndp26 #2153 notes his 2023 fullback stats suit Webby's system but wane with age. Sentiment shifts toward optimism with Boyd's arrival and youth development, though skepticism lingers on speed deficits after Montoya's exit.
Sentiment Analysis: The overall tone is **Mixed**, blending frustration over 2024’s failures with cautious optimism for 2025. Early negativity surfaces around recruitment gaps e.g., User Inruin #123453 doubts Nikora’s fit, but high-engagement support for Boyd User Warriorsfan92 #2419 and extensions signals hope. Shifts occur post-signings, though critiques of RTS’s role and Halasima’s pathway concerns persist. Notably negative posts target underwhelming targets e.g., User WahsaurusRex #1697 dismisses Shaun Stevenson rumors, while positive spikes accompany Leiataua/Ford retentions and Boyd’s potential.

🏷️ Tags:

Player Retention, Halfback Recruitment, Positional Strategy

📊 Data Source: Based on ALL posts in thread (total: 10000 posts) | ⏱️ Generation Time: 31s
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Warriors 2025/2026 Recruitment & Retention Discussion
-Player20252026202720282029
1Bunty Afoa
2Tom Ale
3Mitchell Barnett
4Rocco Berry
5Tanah Boyd
6Kurt Capewell
7Erin Clark
8Jett ClearySS
9Wayde Egan
10James Fisher-Harris
11Jackson Ford
12Leka Halasima
13Morgan Harper
14Chanel Harris-Tavita
15Sam Healey
16Edward Kosi
17Jacob Laban
18Ali Leiataua
19Jye Linnane
20Freddy Lussick
21Te Maire Martin
22Luke Metcalf
23Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
24Marata Niukore
25Adam Pompey
26Tanner Stowers-Smith
27Taine Tuaupiki
28Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
29Demitric Vaimauga
30Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
S1Kayliss FatialofaS
S2Kalani GoingS
S3Luke HansonS
S4Eddie Ieremia-ToeavaS
S5Sio KaliS
S6Patrick MoimoiS
-Kahu CapperTT
-Morgan Gannon-
-Haizyn Mellars
-Motu PasikalaT??
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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NZWarriors.com

These things are going to happen, and even more frequently now that we have more teams.

We should do this to the Australians also!

Changed my response but we have snagged a few, I wouldn't mind a couple of workhorse Aussie forwards in the Ball/Flegg teams to set the pace for our local kids to help them get rid of that imposter syndrome so many of them have earlier.
 
This is totally not true, but for some reason you can tell he will be good just because of his name.

Jackson Stewart has a ring to it, Vake anyone?
Like Fukofuka. Looking forward to the commentators tackling that one. I see in his stats he’s nearing 100kg, could be a decent lock with his dummy half skills? I see Francis Manuleleua, who was in the halves here and went to panthers, and now to knights weighs in at 110kg and plays second row. Lot of these young guys still growing and not settled on a position for their careers
 
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Roosters can have Thompson and hopefully that means Whyte's path is blocked and is free to negotiate.. 🤔🤔
Dream scenario. Been watching too how they’ve shifted Siua Wong from an edge to front row in nsw cup during the year too and hoping it’s something to do with Whyte? They’ve got heaps of talent coming through in Steep and Va’a bros too in regards to middles.
 
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Roosters now a dark horse fo Thompson with bulldogs pulling out of their pursuit. The way the article is written sounds like they really don’t know who’s registered interest?

Poor Tyrrel May must be pulling his hair out lol. Super upset to be let go, but apparently it was because they had so many forwards they wanted to promote....nek minute they're in the race for Thompson lol
 
Hopefully the way they have treated May, Crichton, and to a lesser extent Cheese, can be a lesson to [insert next young gun or superstar] that when Robbo and Uncle Nick say they love you, they are really just trying to get your pants off

Then again money, plus a Ford Ranger for you and a BYD SUV for the missus, talks I suppose lol

Not sure how this is all working out, though. Has Leo Thompson just informed the club that he will sign elsewhere, or is he in his 10-day cooling-off period?

I've seen both floating around, but if it is the latter, I don't see how there is supposedly a new club entering the running every second day. Figured the 10 day wait was because a player has basically already signing with X club, but Y club get a week and change to try flip him back?
 
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