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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[Warriorshopeful]

Anyone rate Lehi Hopoate at Manly? I thought he looked good considering he debuted last season, if we could lure him over here with a decent payday I think he'd be a great get, 82kg 190cm and Manly not exactly lacking in players in the backline ahead of him + their salary cap isn't very well balanced.

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Apologies if this is wrong, but saw this and thought it might be of interest. View attachment 10766

Would be a pipe dream I think. He is big on family and with mum being in jail I can't see it happening unless he were to cut ties and start fresh.

 

[Worried2Death]

That is not enough injury cover We will need to either promote someone into the 30 who is a forward or somehow get another 2025 recruit now

CG said on Sport Nation this avo they don't have anyone new lined up and he hasn't looked at who's available and Cappy's on holiday. Hope he's lying like a good CEO and our club masterminds aren't asleep at the wheel Wrighty.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Apologies if this is wrong, but saw this and thought it might be of interest. View attachment 10766

Of all the players LEAST likely to move to NZ, I would have Haas in the top 5.. Amazed if true

 

[Neo]

CG said on Sport Nation this avo they don't have anyone new lined up and he hasn't looked at who's available and Cappy's on holiday. Hope he's lying like a good CEO and our club masterminds aren't asleep at the wheel Wrighty.

Development list players can play from round 1 so you also have the likes of TSS and Going. May as well wait for a good player who is disgruntled about not making a side in the first couple of rounds if you are desperate for a reinforcement early straight away

 

[Worried2Death]

Would be a pipe dream I think. He is big on family and with mum being in jail I can't see it happening unless he were to cut ties and start fresh.

Pass the pipe and let us dream, this is how we got JFH

 

[Noitall]

Apologies if this is wrong, but saw this and thought it might be of interest. View attachment 10766

Would be the most unreal forward pack, but too much cap focused there I reckon. I guess when you consider it being a replacement for Tohu, it’s really a forward replacing a forward but are we lacking in the spine? I guess with such a dominant pack, it would lay a massive platform for any halve

 

[Noitall]

Pass the pipe and let us dream, this is how we got JFH

Always remember Lance 155 saying Haas signing was a real chance when he was wanting a release that last time and never knew if he was taking the piss or not?

 

[Dantheman]

Apologies if this is wrong, but saw this and thought it might be of interest. View attachment 10766

My poor heart won't be able to take it if this is true.

 

[juju]

Looking at my post above
Prop Depth in order
1) JFH
2) Barnett
3) Vaimauga
4) Ford
5) Ale
6) Bunty
7) Zyon Maiu’u

Lock Depth
1) Clark
2) Walker

Second Row Depth
1) Capewell
2) Niukore
3) Halasima
4) Laban
5) Ford

I think Tohu leaving exposes us for depth at lock and 2nd row cover, Look for them to recruit a player with those skill sets.

Theres Ieremia - Toeava to add to the 2nd row depth.
He's obviously raw but a real smokey to debut this season.

 

[mrblonde]

Lots of good players get granted releases to take up offers somewhere else.
Hell we let Reece Walsh and AFB leave early, Panthers released JFH to us. Throw the terms compassionate release and family in there and they all jump put of contracts at will

Do the Warriors start sending those pregnancy suits actresses wear to wives/partners of Kiwis players so they can look more authentic when giving their current club the "I need to be close to my Mummy and Daddy who'll I need to help me look after bubba!" speech?

 

[defensivebomb]

Pipe dream would be an AFB backflip, and move Mitch to 13

 

[kos]

Apologies if this is wrong, but saw this and thought it might be of interest. View attachment 10766

I d call this bs
His mother in in jail 60 kms from Bris.
Payne is Dad to an extended family including I think his younger siblings.
Last time I heard his Dad is in jail in the Phillipines.
Payne is the guy holding the family together cant see him doing that from Maurice Rd Penrose.

 

[Inruin]

I d call this bs
His mother in in jail 60 kms from Bris.
Payne is Dad to an extended family including I think his younger siblings.
Last time I heard his Dad is in jail in the Phillipines.
Payne is the guy holding the family together cant see him doing that from Maurice Rd Penrose.

And he is signed until end of 2026 so are we talking 2027 here?

 

[kos]

And he is signed until end of 2026 so are we talking 2027 here?

I d call bs on the whole story

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Only thing I could think of, is he had a falling out with Madge but then he's a walk up starter anywhere else too, so it still makes no sense

 

[Worried2Death]

I d call this bs
His mother in in jail 60 kms from Bris.
Payne is Dad to an extended family including I think his younger siblings.
Last time I heard his Dad is in jail in the Phillipines.
Payne is the guy holding the family together cant see him doing that from Maurice Rd Penrose.

Unless he brings his brothers with him, might want a new environment for all of them.

 

[kos]

Only thing I could think of, is he had a falling out with Madge but then he's a walk up starter anywhere else too, so it still makes no sense

Yeah but v unlikely he worked with Madge in the Origin series

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

I don’t think Haas is coming but…..

He could just be over it, get his family completely away from it all, start completely fresh….
If he were to do it, it’s not like he’ll be struggling week in week out on his potential salary.

Isn’t that what AFB did? Got away from the bullshit in NSW?

 

[Inruin]

I don’t think Haas is coming but…..

He could just be over it, get his family completely away from it all, start completely fresh….
If he were to do it, it’s not like he’ll be struggling week in week out on his potential salary.

Isn’t that what AFB did? Got away from the bullshit in NSW?

Or..... It might be a bit like my perceived view of AFB vs SJ. Perhaps Haas v Walsh is similar.