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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[Noitall]

My guess would be that’s it’s a nightmare logistically.

Many of the other teams last year were saying the same thing heading into it

 

[dylpickle]

[/HEADING][/HEADING]
[HEADING=3][HEADING=3]Beavers Headgear​

Coach​

Messages10,084

• 37 minutes ago
• 
  
• #39

Heard George on the radio on the way home this afternoon
said they haven’t had any discussions with Brown or his management, they have 4 “exciting” halves in the squad already and young guys coming through. Want to fill spots from in house but will keep big money aside for Australian players that fill a spot that is needed
Can all take that with a grain of salt though lol as on the same station last year he said they’d never spoken to Capewell and he was announced the next day








Came across this on the LU site. Interesting keeping money aside for Australian players that fill a spot, anyone else hear the interview with CG?

Watch us do something stupid and sign Jackson Hastings, an Old Ageing Halve instead.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Watch us do something stupid and sign Jackson Hastings, an Old Ageing Halve instead.

Dyl brown is that you? You must be in a pickle.

 

[Noitall]

Watch us do something stupid and sign Jackson Hastings, an Old Ageing Halve instead.

Apparently Hull fc chasing him hard

 

[dylpickle]

Dyl brown is that you? You must be in a pickle.

Caught me. I'm just adding more rumours to the pit. See ya in 26 #wethenorth

 

[Defence]

Yes, he also basically said we won't be doing Vegas again.

Can’t believe we’re doing it this time- last thing the squad needs.
Should tell them to shove magic round too.

 

[Leon Black]

Yeah I get it. I probably have a little resentment about the CNK at FB and RTS at centre rhetoric last year.
We have weak halves, basically saying we have better in house than Brown which I disagree.
Just say we are not interested.
Just don’t make statements that don’t need to be made.
I’m probably way over thinking it

No coach is going to say we want Brown, our halves are bang average… it’s called giving what you have self belief.

Most our big signings have come out of the blue. Most the clubs linked are made up by click baiting hack reporters!

 

[WA Warrior]

No coach is going to say we want Brown, our halves are bang average… it’s called giving what you have self belief.

Most our big signings have come out of the blue. Most the clubs linked are made up by click baiting hack reporters!

Im just saying say less.
Yeah we gave Roger self belief at centre and CNK belief at FB which put Webby in a corner to select them in those positions because he came out publicly.
Of course you back your guys, I stated that already.

 

[Makasene]

I'll need to have another listen but my first take was CG meant any Australian based player, not any 'Australian' player.

 

[Damo]

What was the reasoning for that?

Exactly what @Fizurg said.

My guess would be that’s it’s a nightmare logistically.

 

[Wrighty]

Can’t believe we’re doing it this time- last thing the squad needs.
Should tell them to shove magic round too.

At least we have had our turn this year, get's it over and done with. Vegas looks like it will be around for at least 4-5 years before they will get out do the novelty value (my guess only).

 

[mt.wellington]

Not sure if its been mentioned but Freddy Lussick is being shopped around...

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Exploring The Depths Of The 2025 New Zealand Warriors Top-50ish — The Niche Cache

New Zealand Warriors have a full 'Supplementary List' as well as 12 lads who were reported as being on 'Train/Trial' contracts which means that there are roughly 50 players on contracted duty at Mt Smart this summer.

theniche-cache.com

 

[Jonesy69]

Not sure if its been mentioned but Freddy Lussick is being shopped around...

was mentioned last year when we signed Healey and then it went all quiet.

 

[mt.wellington]

was mentioned last year when we signed Healey and then it went all quiet.

Was talking to a club scout in the weekend and he mentioned that Freddys name had been mentioned as a possibility but his club wasn't interested...

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Not sure if its been mentioned but Freddy Lussick is being shopped around...

Hmm, that would give us three empty spots if it is potentially for this year?

That is a lot of roster space.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Hmm, that would give us three empty spots if it is potentially for this year?

That is a lot of roster space.

It looks like we've been slowly moving players that are more middle of the road and attempting to upgrade them.

Montoya > RTS
Jazz > Clark
Lussick > Healy

I know they all haven't been straight swaps, but you'd have to say that the 3 who are replacing Montoya, Jazz and Lussick already have, or should develop more upside then those 3.

My only worry is that we've lost a shit load of experience for 2024, and with likely Walker, RTS, CNK, and Capewell all in their last year or two with the club there's so much experience likely moving on I feel we need to get the new boys up to par, so that they've had 40-50 games by the end of 2026.

 

[defensivebomb]

I reckon CNK still has some great years ahead of him. Just needs to fix whatever wasn’t working last year

He strikes me as a player that studies his game and puts the hard work into improving it

 

[Noitall]

If Lussick does depart, would that make CHT in competition with Healey for the bench position being Healey is a dummy half and CHT can fill dummy half?

 

[Kestrel84]

If Lussick does depart, would that make CHT in competition with Healey for the bench position being Healey is a dummy half and CHT can fill dummy half?

That is how I see it. Say what you want about CHT, but having him on the bench means you can plug about 4 or 5 positions on the field in a pinch. Much more than you get out of Lussick.