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	Tanner Stowers-Smith	✔
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	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: 28/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2025: 6/6
Unconfirmed Top 30 2025: 27/30
Unconfirmed 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, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Dylan Walker

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[Fizurg]

Feels like a player pulling a Matai and using the Warriors to drive up his contract at other clubs. Win win for the Warriors. They either sign a solid first grade prop or force another club to pay more then they wanted for the guy.

 

[sup42]

Feels like a player pulling a Matai and using the Warriors to drive up his contract at other clubs. Win win for the Warriors. They either sign a solid first grade prop or force another club to pay more then they wanted for the guy.

If it were any other club apart from the Sharks then yeah ya get jaded by these visits, however the Warriors are seen by Sharks players as a genuinely attractive life experience.
We have such a good reputation for showing Cronulla players a good time. Chad came back twice, Metcalf is getting the dream treatment with his legs and a shot at halfback here.

Barnett while not an Ex Shark certainly would give the recruits a pep talk about Origin pathways from NZ and what happened for his career when he crossed the ditch.

Hard to know what is in another mans mind, however given our track record on the whole this potential signing is one the Warriors certainly should feel confident about. This level of signing certainly isn't overreach from our lot.

The Sharks will have cap pressure after the AFB rushed signing.....

 

[CWC]

Maybe AFB putting out the good word of mouth for us

 

[sup42]

Maybe AFB putting out the good word of mouth for us

He might be....you just don't know, even though it didn't work out for him. Conversely whatever the AFB camp are saying, even a negative, often times won't put off someone that is open minded eh.

For all we know Hazleton/and signifcant other are hearing gripes and going 'well that doesn't phase us'.

 

[Dantheman]

Maybe AFB putting out the good word of mouth for us

As long as Hazleton's partner doesn't make brownies we could be onto something.

 

[1995warriorsfan]

Pompey resigned for 2 more years.

 

[Jonesy69]

There’s our outside back signing

 

[WA Warrior]

Pompey resigned for 2 more years.

I like it. Great depth to have.
I think he will transition to the back row eventually as well.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Hmm mixed feelings about this one. Pompey is more than handy, but I was hoping we'd be passing on Pompey and CNK could be the new Mr fix it for our centres and outside backs...might not be the case then.

 

[Makasene]

Highly unlikely to break the bank. Versatile, consistent with the occasional exceptional.

Could slot into that Capewell spot too in time.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

Interesting that Pompey took that long to be resigned. Have to wonder about CNK, TMM and Bunty now.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

I’ve always been a supporter of Pompey.

I point to him carving up Val Holmes as the single individual effort that really got our 2023 season going. (Obviously SJ, AFB and Tohu are overall better)

Considering he can’t be on much, a very solid resigning IMO.

 

[roguei]

Hope that doesn't push out ali if rocco is back. I see those two as being our future centers. He is great depth though who i think can cover center and some goal kicking if we need it.

 

[Makasene]

Hope that doesn't push out ali if rocco is back. I see those two as being our future centers. He is great depth though who i think can cover center and some goal kicking if we need it.

Berry can't be considered the incumbent. Not with such a large layoff.

Ali can make himself undroppable and it will be Berry coming back through grade

 

[Lance155]

Pompey has frustrated me over the years but I have come to accept amhe is actually a solid centre. I feel safe when he is in the team but also happy for someone else to outperform and take his spot.

 

[JaggedJ]

Meh.

Good for depth, but he rarely ends up as just depth.

Doesn't really move the needle in any capacity so......*shrugs*

 

[snake77]

Pompey is a player I've turned around on. Early on I was struggling to see what they saw in him. Through covid, he turned it around for me.

Happy to keep him on the books. I know he's not explosive like you'd want if you built the perfect centre. He is dependable defensively, can feed his winger, and is a handy goal kicker.

Even if he isn't the favoured centre with Berry & Leiataua available he is good enough to fill in or put pressure on them.

 

[roguei]

Quick repost from the warriors media team showing the resign for those who don't have insta. Because i just love that tackle so much!

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGMRVNGJtHS/

 

[snake77]

The Hazelton speculation is interesting. We need a winger I wonder what his kick returns are like.

Barnett and JFH are a good starting pair. Or we could split them some weeks with one starting off the bench. The main aim for me is we need to eliminate the period where our momentum can halt when the starting pair is off the field. If Hazelton can help alleviate that then it is worth investigating.

Hopefully, in the meantime the current guys step up. Then he needs to earn his spot and keep the same performance level.

Until it happens we don't know if it will be for 2026 and we wait or we get lucky and they need to free up cap space and we get him for 2025. Not sure about his life away from football and if moving as the season is starting is feasible or not. Someone married with children needs to move wife and kids etc.

 

[Fizurg]

Pompey is a solid journeyman player. Every team relies on these guys. Can goal kick too.