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	✔	✔	✔
	Morgan Harper	✔
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: 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

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[ndp26]

If Meaney’s smart he’ll brush up on his goal kicking to secure his spot. He’d be a handy pickup if he did become available in filling that outside back role. 27 now and one breakaway try he scored, his pace is waning

Yeah, for sure! If we'd picked him up over Harper, I think most on here would have been happy - but next year, a year older/slower and I think that would feed into the 'old, slow and useless' narrative that many have given to our current squad. He would certainly be a handy addition, but I'd prefer we develop our youngsters this year to get to the level of Meaney at his peak rather than purchasing Meaney past his peak.

 

[Noitall]

Yeah, for sure! If we'd picked him up over Harper, I think most on here would have been happy - but next year, a year older/slower and I think that would feed into the 'old, slow and useless' narrative that many have given to our current squad. He would certainly be a handy addition, but I'd prefer we develop our youngsters this year to get to the level of Meaney at his peak rather than purchasing Meaney past his peak.

MGT’s made a solid start, he might come into consideration again?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

If Meaney’s smart he’ll brush up on his goal kicking to secure his spot. He’d be a handy pickup if he did become available in filling that outside back role. 27 now and one breakaway try he scored, his pace is waning

At 27 he's coming into that age and speed for the warriors

Hell no to meaney, my god lads, we have Berry and Leiataua! They are it! And I'm happy with that.

 

[Uster101]

Dylan Brown confirmed to be leaving the Eels at the end of 2025 - on what is believed to be the largest contract in NRL history. The Warriors would be crazy enough to spend a large portion of their cap on 1 player - yet Warriors said they were never chasing brown?

 

[Uster101]

Dylan Brown confirmed to be leaving the Eels at the end of 2025 - on what is believed to be the largest contract in NRL history. The Warriors would be crazy enough to spend a large portion of their cap on 1 player - yet Warriors said they were never chasing brown? Just read its to join the Knights

 

[Playdaball]

- yet Warriors said they were never chasing brown?

CG said they were very happy with the current 4 x halves plus the younger guys coming through ….. Nek minit
Seriously though that is a lot to pay for a guy who is really not in the elite bracket of halves.

 

[Boston Boy]

We should be looking at dragons outside backs,

Sloan, Ramsay, Lawson, Finau and Allan all playing in cup on the weekend

That's a really good observation. Lots of talent and speed amongst those names. Ramsay is probably the pick of the names a bit rocks or diamonds. Sloan when on and the ball is bouncing our way can carve a team with his pace and score points quickly but has terrible defence (he can only play fullback). Lawson is fit as, with decent speed and is a big guy but little league experience.

I would go hard for Ramsay, I would be very open to entertaining the Sloan proposition and doubt Lawson would be available as he is in a development phase. Allan was decent in the centres but perhaps ok on the wing, but seems to be slowing down and probably over the hill now.

 

[Kav1]

Centres off contract:
Grant Anderson, Braidon Burns, Mawene Hiroti, Delouise Hoeter, Asu Kepaoa, Aaron Schoupp, Harley Smith-Shields, Tommy Talau,

Fb off contract;

Corey Allan, Tom Chester, Kade Dykes, Daine Laurie, Will Pryce, Blake Wilson

Wingers off contract:
Selwyn Cobbo, Robert Derby, Haze Dunster, Jojo Fifita, Tony Francis, Albert Hopoate, Alex Johnston, Tyrone Munro, Sam Stonestreet, Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega, Christian Tuipulotu, Semi Valemei

I only selected the players I’d even be remotely interested. Of these, currently either fighting for 1st grade ops or starting in cup, my targets would be:

Grant Anderson
Asu Kepaoa
Tommy talau
Daine laurie
Blake wilson
Jojo fifita
Albert hopoate
Christian tuipulotu
Semi valemei

None of the above are starters. All have been solid, some have been exceptional when given chances. They’re young too.

My 1,2,3 would be Fifita 1, Wilson 2, Laurie 3.

We have cap. We have a vacant wing spot. We’re not a basket case of a club. If I was any of these guys, I’d be on the phone to my manager tonight, and saying get me over there. I’ll take a pay bump, but more importantly I’ll get a chance to play regular NRL.

We can’t be going into 2025 with Kosi as a starter, it won’t end well. With DWZ sidelines for 6-12 weeks, this has just been exacerbated. In all honesty, this has probably been the first major fuck up from recruitment, alongside Zyon Maiu’u but that’s a different convo. We released Marcelo, essentially saying he’d be third string. We’ve now lost Marcelo AND DWZ, and Kosi is an nrl starter.

Personally I’d be playing Tuaupiki and RTS, but again, our depth has evaporated overnight. I’m expecting a signing in the next 2 weeks, this is actually an urgent issue.

and we released Jazz who is enjoying the fresh air of the northern beaches - see his interesting interview on the Manly website.

 

[Kav1]

Think Montoya was long odds to sit happily behind RTS and Tu was perhaps blocking young wingers in nsw cup they wanted to have game time in that grade?

Yet Marcel is doing well for the Bulldogs

 

[Noitall]

Yet Marcel is doing well for the Bulldogs

RTS went alright on his wing too

 

[Kav1]

RTS went alright on his wing too

RTS is a fullback, reliable and good footwork. CNK needs to be shifted to right centre as fullback has caught up with him.

 

[Playdaball]

I wonder if TMM will be in the running for the Parra #6 jersey next year??
He would be a good pick up ‘outside ‘ Moses.

 

[Noitall]

RTS is a fullback, reliable and good footwork. CNK needs to be shifted to right centre as fullback has caught up with him.

Fair enough that’s your opinion, but it’s a waste of time debating it because he’s not going to be shifted from the wing. Hopefully doesn’t happen, but would interesting if CNK picked up an injury. I think TMM would probably go there before RTS even now

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

RTS is a fullback, reliable and good footwork. CNK needs to be shifted to right centre as fullback has caught up with him.

If CNK doesn't make a full move to centre, which is don't think he should be over berry, then he's surplus for 2026.

 

[Noitall]

I wonder if TMM will be in the running for the Parra #6 jersey next year??
He would be a good pick up ‘outside ‘ Moses.

If Metcalf is missing this week, I think TMM to be at least given a game or two at halfback

 

[juju]

I wonder if TMM will be in the running for the Parra #6 jersey next year??
He would be a good pick up ‘outside ‘ Moses.

And a good agent would get him a pay raise.

The market for halves just went nuclear imo

 

[CWC]

TMM could literally be Eels 6 or 1, Webby seems to dislike the guy

 

[CWC]

If Metcalf is missing this week, I think TMM to be at least given a game or two at halfback

What happened to Metcalf?

 

[John Nick]

And a good agent would get him a pay raise.

The market for halves just went nuclear imo

Wait till the expansion happens. $1.3 m will be the norm.

 

[Kestrel84]

We'd be crazy to let TMM go - the lack of quality halves in the competition and the price tag for Dylan Brown shows that we aren't going to be getting a half from outside the club that isn't a Tanah Boyd level player (that is no slight on Boyd). We don't have the luxury or quality from within to let TMM go.