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

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 22/30
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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[JustVisiting82]

Oddly I hadn’t even considered his name absent. Did he pick up an injury? Seems odd they wouldn’t want another look considering it’s a position we’re openly recruiting for?

Not sure if he was injured. Yeah, I was expecting they might want another look at him too.

 

[Noitall]

Dunno, always liked NAS - he's ripped through us in the past and without him Storm were pretty impotent against penrith.. but I'm concerned he seems to have a bit of the 'i'm bigger than the team' vibe at times. Maybe alongside barney and fish he'd pull his head in. Maybe

We’ve had so much success with AFB close to the line impossible to stop, this is the best alternative I reckon. I agree his attitude could be an issue but we’ve taken a gamble on the likes of lodge before and NAS seems a proud Kiwi. Welch has been medically retired, so storm get $400k to spend. Getting Utoikamanu was great timing for them

 

[tajhay]

Cant see us going for NAS unless we are trying to create the most lopsided salary cap ratio on forwards in nrl history.

 

[Wrighty]

I vote No to NAS - turns 30 on Feb 28-30 2026 (He was a leap year baby if that makes sense) and was past his prime in 2024. He will be a parody player by 2026.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

I vote No to NAS - turns 30 on Feb 28-30 2026 (He was a leap year baby if that makes sense) and was past his prime in 2024. He will be a parody player by 2026.

Bit rough to call a 7 year old "past his prime" ain't it??

 

[Noitall]

Cant see us going for NAS unless we are trying to create the most lopsided salary cap ratio on forwards in nrl history.

His salary is similar to Niukore. I’d be trying to move him on and bring NAS in

 

[Noitall]

Demitric Vaimauga is only getting a shot cos Tohu retired and Ali is only getting a shot cos Berry is injured.

Nah Demitric is getting his shot because of hard work. He didn’t get extended until 2028 because Tohu retired

 

[Fizurg]

His salary is similar to Niukore. I’d be trying to move him on and bring NAS in

When you put it like that I seems pretty good.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Demitric Vaimauga is only getting a shot cos Tohu retired and Ali is only getting a shot cos Berry is injured.

Demitric Vaimauga was extended for 4 years in the top 30. I suspect he has been in their plans for some time.

 

[CWC]

Barney
Egan
JFH
Capewell
Demitric Vaimauga
Clark
Bench - Healey, Walker, Marata, Ale/Halasima/Laban/Afoa/Ford

Am I crazy for thinking this is a pretty gun pack if the coach does his job?

 

[tajhay]

His salary is similar to Niukore. I’d be trying to move him on and bring NAS in

A move on scenario would most likely us chipping in. He still has a contract with us for next year. I cant see anyone willing to fork out close to what hes on.

 

[Noitall]

When you put it like that I seems pretty good.

Might be hard to shift him on on that coin but interesting his and Laban’s name have come onto tigers forum being that they both come off contract at the end of 2026. They’re in need of second rowers but I think Niukore would find a suitor

 

[Noitall]

A move on scenario would most likely us chipping in. He still has a contract with us for next year. I cant see anyone willing to fork out close to what hes on.

Just in case iridescent is watching, we could do a trade

 

[Dannevegas]

Dunno, always liked NAS - he's ripped through us in the past and without him Storm were pretty impotent against penrith.. but I'm concerned he seems to have a bit of the 'i'm bigger than the team' vibe at times. Maybe alongside barney and fish he'd pull his head in. Maybe

Ye Nas would be a good get,
we need a game breaker in the Middle. I think Demitric Vaimauga will be that but I like him and Halasima as our long term edges with Laban supporting them.

 

[Noitall]

Interesting considering the medical retirement of Welch and Tohu Harris. Two big guys that the mobility of the game has perhaps surpassed and many injuries in recent years. Perhaps why the like of Bunty and Junior Paulo have trimmed right down, but not really an injury riddled career for NAS, and he has the ability to trim down like he has over past seasons. Although the game is passing some of these bigger players by, there’s still a place for a hard to handle big middle

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Cant see us going for NAS unless we are trying to create the most lopsided salary cap ratio on forwards in nrl history.

ala Hasler's Bulldogs. It still cracks me up that he has inherited one of the sexiest back lines in the game given his propensity for up the middle play.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

It's a slow day in the office so let's spitball.

We haven't used SJ or Tohu's money yet, which is about 1 mill.

Dyl Walker and Ale leave at the end of the year, which frees up about 900k.

We move Marata on at the end of the year too, paying someone 300k to take him so that frees up 500k for us.

We buy Stonestreet for 400k (crazy money for such a young guy, but that's average money for a winger so is reasonable).
We get Nas for 3 years at 800k
We get Dyl Brown for 1.1mil

2026 team:
CNK/Taine
Stonestreet
Ali
Berry/RTS
DWZ
Brown
Metcalf
Barny
Egan
JFH
Capewell
Halasima
Clark

Healy
Vaumunga
Nas
Ford/Laban

Then at the end of 2026 Capewell and RTS retire so we have 1.1mil and the 300k from Niukore's contract finishing, to upgrade players etc.

The Wahs first premiership. Easy!

 

[Fizurg]

A move on scenario would most likely us chipping in. He still has a contract with us for next year. I cant see anyone willing to fork out close to what hes on.

I had no idea his contract was that long. Man his agent did a great job on that one.

 

[WA Warrior]

It's a slow day in the office so let's spitball.

We haven't used SJ or Tohu's money yet, which is about 1 mill.

Dyl Walker and Ale leave at the end of the year, which frees up about 900k.

We move Marata on at the end of the year too, paying someone 300k to take him so that frees up 500k for us.

We buy Stonestreet for 400k (crazy money for such a young guy, but that's average money for a winger so is reasonable).
We get Nas for 3 years at 800k
We get Dyl Brown for 1.1mil

2026 team:
CNK/Taine
Stonestreet
Ali
Berry/RTS
DWZ
Brown
Metcalf
Barny
Egan
JFH
Capewell
Halasima
Clark

Healy
Vaumunga
Nas
Ford/Laban

Then at the end of 2026 Capewell and RTS retire so we have 1.1mil and the 300k from Niukore's contract finishing, to upgrade players etc.

The Wahs first premiership. Easy!

I’m also not against not resigning Charnze and giving the FB jersey to Taine next year with RTS as back up.

 

[juju]

It's a slow day in the office so let's spitball.

We haven't used SJ or Tohu's money yet, which is about 1 mill.

Dyl Walker and Ale leave at the end of the year, which frees up about 900k.

We move Marata on at the end of the year too, paying someone 300k to take him so that frees up 500k for us.

We buy Stonestreet for 400k (crazy money for such a young guy, but that's average money for a winger so is reasonable).
We get Nas for 3 years at 800k
We get Dyl Brown for 1.1mil

2026 team:
CNK/Taine
Stonestreet
Ali
Berry/RTS
DWZ
Brown
Metcalf
Barny
Egan
JFH
Capewell
Halasima
Clark

Healy
Vaumunga
Nas
Ford/Laban

Then at the end of 2026 Capewell and RTS retire so we have 1.1mil and the 300k from Niukore's contract finishing, to upgrade players etc.

The Wahs first premiership. Easy!

I'm sold!