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	Zyon Maiu’u	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Adam Pompey	✔
24	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
25	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
26	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
27	Dylan Walker	✔
28	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: 28/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Unconfirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 23/30
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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[Warriorsfan92]

Really talented 9s coming through too, few years away

 

[Noitall]

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.

Will be interesting to see if they try and add any other positions to Healey? He’s a bit of a unit

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Will be interesting to see if they try and add any other positions to Healey? He’s a bit of a unit

That hooker/13 hybrid role has been gaining a bit of traction since Brandon Smith at the Storm, you reckon he'd be able to fall into that category?

 

[Warriorsfan92]

That hooker/13 hybrid role has been gaining a bit of traction since Brandon Smith at the Storm, you reckon he'd be able to fall into that category?

CHT same size as cotter, radley, Plath.. mobile fit 13s. No reason he can’t do well there, or at least be a serviceable back up/bench player

 

[Tookey 2.0]

CHT same size as cotter, radley, Plath.. mobile fit 13s. No reason he can’t do well there, or at least be a serviceable back up/bench player

Yeah I agree fully, I'm super surprised we didn't have him training there in preseason last year.
It seems to me that the players who aren't good enough to be an out an out half - players like Connor Watson, Dylan Walker - make excellent ball playing interchange players. I think CHT would fall into that category, but it doesn't look like we've been trying to convert him to that. I think he'd go well there

 

[defensivebomb]

CHT same size as cotter, radley, Plath.. mobile fit 13s. No reason he can’t do well there, or at least be a serviceable back up/bench player

I’d be keen to see him given one or two roles to focus on, rather than being a stop gap for everything. 13 could be a nicely focused area for him

I think we’ve seen how versatile he is. But I also think that has stunted his development

 

[SouthernWorrier]

I’d be keen to see him given one or two roles to focus on, rather than being a stop gap for everything. 13 could be a nicely focused area for him

I think we’ve seen how versatile he is. But I also think that has stunted his development

100%. I know the Andrews love versatility but i think it's been overdone with a few

 

[Ozwarrior]

Three burning issues at every NRL club ahead of the 2025 season​

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/three-burning-issues-at-every-nrl-club-ahead-of-the-2025-season/news-story/f5f02f99cee8d9c56cd47f2ef3c6ffcc

​

WARRIORS​

NO MORE MAGIC

How will the Warriors handle life without the experienced presence of retired playmaker Shaun Johnson? Given Johnson struggled in his final year in the NRL, the belief from inside the Warriors camp is that the team will embrace a new style of play with a new-look halves pairing of either Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita or Te Maire Martin.

Shaun Johnson. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
FISH AFB

Viewed by fans as one champion prop out and one champion prop in, the departure of Addin Fonua Blake to the Sharks and arrival of James Fisher-Harris from Penrith runs a lot deeper than that. In contrast to AFB’s big engine to play long minutes and destruction close to the tryline, JFH’s greatest asset is his willingness to make the toughest carries, when getting out of his team’s end of the field. How the Warriors learn to play differently with JFH is critical.

ROGER THAT

The return to the NRL from rugby union last season of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck showed enough glimpses of brilliance to believe that the champion ballrunner will increase in confidence in 2025. The key for the Warriors is avoiding the shuffle of position she was forced to endure between fullback, wing and centre last season, which impacted his comeback season.

– David Riccio

 

[CWC]

I look at this as a very narrow, short sighted play dropping Boyd or Metcalf, who replaces Hughes if it was to happen. You’re relying on jett to step up?

If you read it again you'll see that 2 of TMM/Boyd/Metcalf/CHT will step up, depending on who stays

 

[Defence]

Really talented 9s coming through too, few years away

We’ve been hearing that one for a while- Mara, havilli, nafe, roache, Kalepo, otukolo…. They’re always coming but they never arrive.
You need a lot of smarts to play hooker.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

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

He was burnt out last year for some reason. He looked busted physically and empty physically and being fullback the distance covered these days is a lot. He's had a long pre season so he should be good to go this year. Let's see if he has anything high value left to offer. I think so.

 

[Bevosa]

Episode #33 - We're Ready. || Andrew Webster

Head Coach Andrew Webster goes one-on-one for the first episode of OneTake in 2025. Webby talks in depth about the learnings, losses and gains from the 2024 season; captaincy and halves selection + gives us an insight into Las Vegas and the 2025 season ahead. Like and subscribe now so you'll...

www.warriors.kiwi

Great interview with webby, talks a lot about the new recruits

 

[Wah's Up]

From "Ethan" on tictok quoting "sionetuigamala". Dylan Brown and Payne Haas to New Zealand Warriors.
Sorry guys, I do not know how to post Tictoks to here but if "sionetuigamala" previous predictions are anything to go on he seems to get it correct.
Meanwhile we can all live in hope count down the days until the start of the season.

 

[tajhay]

From "Ethan" on tictok quoting "sionetuigamala". Dylan Brown and Payne Haas to New Zealand Warriors.
Sorry guys, I do not know how to post Tictoks to here but if "sionetuigamala" previous predictions are anything to go on he seems to get it correct.
Meanwhile we can all live in hope count down the days until the start of the season.

Its a parody account. Have a look at his instagram page.

https://www.instagram.com/sionetuigamala/

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/C-CLiw6JyeY/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

[Riz]

Its a parody account. Have a look at his instagram page.

https://www.instagram.com/sionetuigamala/

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/C-CLiw6JyeY/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I heard he was still organizing haka on a boat somewhere out in the Tasman.

 

[Playdaball]

Interesting This Warriors Life podcast where @Fonzie mentioned that vrumours around that te Warriors were going to sign a prop - not Molo. He and Will Evans kind of suggested that could be a Manly player ... Sipley returns???

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Interesting This Warriors Life podcast where @Fonzie mentioned that vrumours around that te Warriors were going to sign a prop - not Molo. He and Will Evans kind of suggested that could be a Manly player ... Sipley returns???

That would be pretty epic imo.
Has just turned 30 so hopefully it would be for this coming season?

He's a bigger body at 120kg, something we don't have currently after losing AFB. In the last 2 years when playing more than 30 minutes he averages 125m per game which is fantastic.

Would love to see that homecoming

 

[Noitall]

That would be pretty epic imo.
Has just turned 30 so hopefully it would be for this coming season?

He's a bigger body at 120kg, something we don't have currently after losing AFB. In the last 2 years when playing more than 30 minutes he averages 125m per game which is fantastic.

Would love to see that homecoming

Agree he’s a big body type we could use and would be a good signing, wouldn’t be disappointed if it was Ethan Bullemor either though

 

[Cces]

That would be pretty epic imo.
Has just turned 30 so hopefully it would be for this coming season?

He's a bigger body at 120kg, something we don't have currently after losing AFB. In the last 2 years when playing more than 30 minutes he averages 125m per game which is fantastic.

Would love to see that homecoming

He must be a bit miffed as to why he wasn't a regular in Manly's 17 in 2024. Defensive issues? I recall him letting Niukore through a huge hole late on to help us beat them in 2023.
No Lodge for Sea Eagles this year but Jazz probably gets picked before him now

 

[Blain]

It looked like his knees were pretty cooked last year. He didn't play much because he was limping around slowly alot of the time. Would need to have a comprehensive physical if he were to be considered.

I like Sipley, if fit, he provides a AFB shaped prop, which we are now missing. Barrel chested brute who is hard to get to ground, we don't really have a guy like that in our squad currently.