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	Morgan Harper	✔
13	Chanel Harris-Tavita	✔	✔
14	Sam Healey	✔	✔	✔
15	Edward Kosi	✔
16	Jacob Laban	✔	✔
17	Ali Leiataua	✔	✔	✔
18	Freddy Lussick	✔	✔
19	Te Maire Martin	✔
20	Luke Metcalf	✔	✔
21	Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad	✔
22	Marata Niukore	✔	✔
23	Adam Pompey	✔	✔	✔
24	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔
25	Taine Tuaupiki	✔	✔
26	Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	✔	✔
27	Demitric Vaimauga	✔	✔	✔	✔
28	Dylan Walker	✔
29	Dallin Watene-Zelezniak	✔	✔	✔
S1	Kayliss Faitialofa	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
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Motu Pasikala	T	✔	✔

C = Club option, M = Mutual option, P = Player option, S = Supplementary contract, T = Train & Trial contract

Confirmed Top 30 2025: 29/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 21/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Nil
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Dylan Walker

---

This thread is solely for Warriors recruitment and retention discussion. Any posts not related to the above will be deleted.

Repeat offenders will have their access to this page limited.

Please be mindful of what you are posting in this thread before clicking the reply button. Zero Tolerance to offtopic chat.

 

[JaggedJ]

Not to mention letting Afb leave a year early.
Zion leaving & Tohus retirement
Publicly coming out saying they're not chasing Leo Thompson
Publicly coming out and saying no to Dylan Brown..... barnacles
Missing out on Mulitalo
Now people on here saying to sign NAS for 900k, when Tom Hazeltons asking 600k... barnacles imho

TBH I don't have a problem with any of the above.

AFB wanted out, Zyon Maiu’u didn't kick on and has been overtaken, Tohu tried to come back, the club always keep their recruitment cards close to their chest.

 

[OtautahiEast]

TBH I don't have a problem with any of the above.

AFB wanted out, Zyon Maiu’u didn't kick on and has been overtaken, Tohu tried to come back, the club always keep their recruitment cards close to their chest.

Yeah I get what your saying.
I hope it all works out before Round 1 or 2
Be nice to see full 30 man squad by then

 

[doeeyedwarrior]

I am 100% against us panic buying because of DWZ's injury. A run in first grade might be the confidence boost Kosi needs to get back to 2023 form. Or might be a chance for Tuapiki to show he's a good back up option for wing and FB. Or could be a chance to give a young up and comer some game time. All of these options might bring us short term gain and certainly help balance the squad with some youth on the wing.

Better that than end up with a Staines type player we pay overs for and does nothing. Like we have in the past with legends like Nielsen, Beale, Ayshford, Jonathan Wright

 

[Falcon]

Because it’s late in the piece and dramatic changes would be detrimental to the team, you wonder what the opportunity to move TT to fullback, Charze to centre and one of the centres to the wing to cover ‘Divin Dallin could perform?

 

[Blain]

I think on reflection, the management would concede they should have held on to Tu, especially after the release on Montoya. Although he didn't perform well last season, we are missing a experienced NSW cup level winger who can fill a hole for 5 games a season. Perhaps they think Kosi is that guy. We will need another back up winger this season, which is a shame as most clubs can rely on a development contract/young gun to fill that spot. Kali and Pasifikala didn't look ready in the trial unfortunately.

Thinking about our side, to have a guy like Taine miss the team potentially for a Kosi is completely arse about face. I would love to see a back 3 of Taine, RTS and CNK. Don't really care who plays where on attack/defense, using 3 fullbacks will get our best 3 backs on the park.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Thinking about our side, to have a guy like Taine miss the team potentially for a Kosi is completely arse about face.

I hate advocating against players, but I agree. I just don't understand why Kosi is still here.

 

[bomb to vats]

Why did club not ask Dogs for a wing/centre for Zyon Maiu’u or sign a replacement for Montoya? No disrespect but Kosi is not first grade winger, and he has proven that in almost every game he's played. Why is club showing so much faith in him when we can all see he is a cup player with no upside or promising potential?

 

[Dangerous]

Why did club not ask Dogs for a wing/centre for Zyon Maiu’u or sign a replacement for Montoya? No disrespect but Kosi is not first grade winger, and he has proven that in almost every game he's played. Why is club showing so much faith in him when we can all see he is a cup player with no upside or promising potential?

I was thinking the same thing!!! Why give the dogs one of our best prospects & get nothing in return? Especially when we are in desperate need for a speedy winger.
A top club like the Melbourne Storm would never be in this position, In fact they pluck wingers from NZ rugby our own back yard & with great success. The Storm always have speedy try scoring machines on the wing & we are still trotting out players like Ed Kosi !!!!

 

[Hitro]

Why did club not ask Dogs for a wing/centre for Zyon Maiu’u or sign a replacement for Montoya? No disrespect but Kosi is not first grade winger, and he has proven that in almost every game he's played. Why is club showing so much faith in him when we can all see he is a cup player with no upside or promising potential?

do they have any we want?

 

[bomb to vats]

do they have any we want?

Would take Blake Wilson,

 

[Leon Black]

Demetric has got huge upside. He has got power, great footwork and very strong defensively. Probably our most likely to have a break out season for us this year, then you would think Ali L and Leka H.

Did anyone else see the NSW Cup game last year against the Eels when he was rampant for about 15-20 minutes and turned the game? I’ll see if there is any footage

 

[Leon Black]

You sure do, you win it for being the shittest club in the NRL. Never acceptable. Gotta give props to the warriors for never getting it considering we have by far the most disadvantages in the league. Tigers and knights getting it on repeat, while being based in Sydney, is utterly shameful.

Knights are not based in Sydney

 

[Leon Black]

As for our pathways, talent is definitely not an issue.
Coaching and management of players development is our issue.
I hope I'm proved wrong with the new group of juniors but Im not convinced.

TJ Ashford seems like a decent coach and the Matts boys won last season

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Has there been any news regarding Josiah Pahulu? Specifically, something that mentions us as a potential team targeting him? Don't recall if that was just a rumour that popped up here/one that Noitall grabbed from another forum, or if it was actually in an article or something.

Just wondering since, with the Dogs getting Zyon Maiu’u, could wide open again since they were the ones in the news the most to be chasing him?

Not exactly the wing we are crying out for, but he's probably got just as good if not better wheels than some of our current outside backs if that counts for anything lol

Would take Blake Wilson,

Same, though would note that he would be in the same position if he were here- 3rd behind Roger and Dallin vs. 3rd behind Kiraz and Montoya, he probably has a better prospect of winning a starting spot over Montoya

With the way Webby bats his eyelashes at Kosi, he'd might even be 4th if he were here

Just playing devil's advocate

 

[Noitall]

Has there been any news regarding Josiah Pahulu? Specifically, something that mentions us as a potential team targeting him? Don't recall if that was just a rumour that popped up here/one that Noitall grabbed from another forum, or if it was actually in an article or something.

Nothing to do with me that one, but for memory it was an article that seemed to mention him and Warriors because he’s from NZ and nothing more? Be interesting to keep an eye on, because it seemed like it couldn’t be salvaged at titans. Bulldogs still thinking they’ve got him for 2026

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

Thoughts on Mawene Hiroti?

Be interesting watching the All Stars match this weekend. I want to keep an eye on him starting at centre.

Could get him cheap…

 

[1995 Sufra!]

Thoughts on Mawene Hiroti?

Be interesting watching the All Stars match this weekend. I want to keep an eye on him starting at centre.

Could get him cheap…

Don’t know about the guy
Wahs wouldn’t won’t to lose another winger/centre this year
We ain’t go any back up!
Boysenberry i mean Rocco Berry been injured since 1995
Bring back Buck I say
WTF

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Do we know anything about Berry at all? He's been pictured training, so is he almost ready to return or is it indefinite and likely half of the year +?

If it's indefinite were certainly in a tough spot and need an NRL ready centre to fall into our laps...

 

[SJ2k]

Knights are not based in Sydney

Splitting hairs considering i'm comparing the distance to Auckland, but you're right. Do you think this impacts their recruitment? They're a shithouse club and it's embarassing.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

I am 100% against us panic buying because of DWZ's injury. A run in first grade might be the confidence boost Kosi needs to get back to 2023 form. Or might be a chance for Tuapiki to show he's a good back up option for wing and FB. Or could be a chance to give a young up and comer some game time. All of these options might bring us short term gain and certainly help balance the squad with some youth on the wing.

Better that than end up with a Staines type player we pay overs for and does nothing. Like we have in the past with legends like Nielsen, Beale, Ayshford, Jonathan Wright

We kinda needed more speed before he got injured to be honest.