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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[Lance155]

Potentially a liability on D. But hes young and raw and has a lot of development still left in him. He instantly made an impression in his debut with his aggressive runs. Could do much worse than having him on the bench for some impact.

For sure, but there is no way this is just a loss of a player with nothing coming. We have cash so letting him go for no reason wouldn't add up.

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Wtf...If we let him go, And sign no one & webbys thinking was at this stage we needed experience (Afoa & Ale instead) Then I'm going to quit pornhub for life!! ...Nah, For about a month. Out of protest!!

Well, I suppose we can't keep them all. And Leka & Deme are still with us.

 

[BuntyAppreciationSociety]

I am in favour of letting him Zyon Maiu’u go.

The inference of the articles and press release is that the bulldogs have offered him plenty of Frist Grade time. While he was lower on our pecking order and may only have gotten 5-7 games in this year with the Warriors.
All of the NRL management teams and especially the Warriors try to do what is best for the player especially developing players, even to the point of putting what is best for the club as a secondary consideration.
Yes he is an excellent asset for the Warriors but we would be holding him back from living out his dreams. He has been loyal to us soldiering away in NSW cup for a number of years and has earned some good will considerations from us. This is the right decision.

Well this is the reality. Zyon Maiu’u is ready for first grade. But he has guys ahead of him, to the point where he might not have played any first grade this season. The dogs are starting guys like Sam Hughes. He will play this year for sure. Hopefully he will get homesick when he's a gun.

I think we will see Niukore in the prop rotation this year. So that leaves us with a depth chart of JFH, Barnett, Niukore, Vaimauga, Ale, Afoa and possibly Clark or Ford is they are used that way.

Ideally we will sign a other good prop but we have others coming through too.

 

[hornbybrown]

Has to be someone coming in real soon as this leaves us with only 27 in the top 30

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Has to be someone coming in real soon as this leaves us with only 27 in the top 30

Any of the young guns that aren't already in the top 30 worthy of a upgrade ?

 

[Zaggo]

Trust the process.

There will be movement, I'm sure of it.

 

[WarriorsForever]

Seems like Pahulu to the dogs won’t be happening now. I wonder if where a chance

 

[Mudders]

Hopefully the Sea Eagles Prop is that huge unit terrorising the SG boys

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Releasing a highly touted rookie who would have been taking up bugger all cap, when we have 2 available spots already makes no sense to me.

Unless he was shithouse or turned up unfit and uninterested, you'd keep him and let him plug away in Ball until he either got better, or you release him.

Even if we do have something exciting coming (and I'm really expecting us to), there's still no reason to release Zyon Maiu’u imo

 

[The Warrior Waka]

Releasing a highly touted rookie who would have been taking up bugger all cap, when we have 2 available spots already makes no sense to me.

Unless he was shithouse or turned up unfit and uninterested, you'd keep him and let him plug away in Ball until he either got better, or you release him.

Even if we do have something exciting coming (and I'm really expecting us to), there's still no reason to release Zyon Maiu’u imo

120kg Edgardo Asofa SoloKosi incoming

 

[Damo]

Perhaps an unpopular opinion but he has very average numbers in NSW Cup, not exactly screaming 'pick me'.

Probably 6th - 8th in the pecking order of props/middles too.

 

[hornbybrown]

Perhaps an unpopular opinion but he has very average numbers in NSW Cup, not exactly screaming 'pick me'.

Probably 6th - 8th in the pecking order of props/middles too.

Yeah, I’m really not bothered by this. Also bit of a hothead

 

[BuntyAppreciationSociety]

Yeah, I’m really not bothered by this. Also bit of a hothead

JFH has average numbers too, if that's what you go by. So did JWH. But some things don't show up on stat sheets. The intensity and aggression of players like Zyon Maiu’u create opportunities in other parts of the field. They intimidate the opposition and you need guys like that in your pack, rather than just tackle bots. And at 21, he's only just getting started. He reminds me of TPJ but without the massive ego. The sky is the limit there I reckon and we'll probably buy him back $600k a year more expensive.

 

[Damo]

JFH has average numbers too, if that's what you go by. So did JWH. But some things don't show up on stat sheets. The intensity and aggression of players like Zyon Maiu’u create opportunities in other parts of the field. They intimidate the opposition and you need guys like that in your pack, rather than just tackle bots. And at 21, he's only just getting started. He reminds me of TPJ but without the massive ego. The sky is the limit there I reckon and we'll probably buy him back $600k a year more expensive.

Both very poor examples, JWH was playing regular NRL at Zyons age and dominated at lower levels.
JFH also still puts up good numbers at the highest level?

 

[BuntyAppreciationSociety]

Both very poor examples, JWH was playing regular NRL at Zyons age and dominated at lower levels.
JFH also still puts up good numbers at the highest level?

Not getting selected isn't Zyon Maiu’u's fault though. My point is that numbers shouldn't be the sole metric for keeping players. Aggression is something you either do or dont have and I think you could build a pack around Zyon Maiu’u in 5 years. And no, Fish's numbers don't compare to players like AFB or Haas. But as I said, he's elite for other reasons.

 

[Riz]

I guess TSS bumps up the pecking order one spot which isn't a bad thing.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

The warriors had given him his first nrl contract. The reality is, he was probably still 2-3 injuries away with ale, Sifakula, bunty all ahead of him imo. Whilst talented, he certainly does not command a spot on the bench. He wanted opportunities, he wasn’t prepared to wait (and learn from two international props), and left for another side supposedly guaranteeing him a role.

He won’t be on a big contract so this is hardly a release and sign type set up imo, although molo was a player we’d approached in the past who is 100% leaving the dragons, makes sense he’s on his way.

P.s. I also don’t think zyon get a role at the dogs either, and with Thompson signing there for 2026, this’ll be further blocked. He should have just bided his time and learned from two of the best props in the world..

 

[Ref]

I guess he probably rates about 6th in the pecking order of props so needs three injuries or bad form by incumbents to get a crack.

Maybe he wasn’t impressing enough with his all round game thus far anyway.

Does that just show how much a better pack we have than the dogs.

I liked his style but maybe the coaches didn’t see a much higher ceiling.

 

[Neo]

Not getting selected isn't Zyon Maiu’u's fault though. My point is that numbers shouldn't be the sole metric for keeping players. Aggression is something you either do or dont have and I think you could build a pack around Zyon Maiu’u in 5 years. And no, Fish's numbers don't compare to players like AFB or Haas. But as I said, he's elite for other reasons.

Not getting selected was his fault based on his Cup performances. There was nothing there to say pick me. In contrast Halasima and Demetric were having an impact and gaining opportunities based on that

 

[Inruin]

Not getting selected was his fault based on his Cup performances. There was nothing there to say pick me. In contrast Halasima and Demetric were having an impact and gaining opportunities based on that

Of the three, if we had to let one go, then ok, we made the right call. I'm just not sure why we needed to make that call. 3 spaces available in the 30 now?