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	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
-	Jett Cleary	T	S	S
-	Jye Linnane	-	✔	✔	✔
-	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

Confirmed Top 30 2026: 24/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Jye Linnane (Newcastle Knights)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tanner Stowers-Smith
Off Contract from 01/11/25: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Jacob Laban, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Wrighty]

What the heck is that?

Exclusive to people in Mensa

(Joke)

 

[tajhay]

Ponga is contracted till end of 27. Gonna be hard for him to play the homesick card considering hes been away for 14 years.

 

[Noitall]

Ponga is contracted till end of 27. Gonna be hard for him to play the homesick card considering hes been away for 14 years.

Can take the boy out of Palmerston, but you can’t take Palmerston out of the boy

 

[Wrighty]

Ponga is contracted till end of 27. Gonna be hard for him to play the homesick card considering hes been away for 14 years.

What happened with Blake Green though. I heard he just sulked and skulked around training until he was released to the Warriors. Or do I have that wrong. It was the first year I started following.

 

[Damo]

Can take the boy out of Palmerston, but you can’t take Palmerston out of the boy

Palmerston North*

 

[Neo]

Ponga is contracted till end of 27. Gonna be hard for him to play the homesick card considering hes been away for 14 years.

Yeah but Peter O’Sullivan needs to clear cap space to sign Sean and Matt

 

[Noitall]

Palmerston North*

I stand corrected

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Okay let's say it's ponga, there is no way Metcalf remains the halfback. They need to get Hughes over the line also!

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

1 K Ponga
6 C H Tavita
7 J Hughes
9 W Egan

 

[Worried2Death]

I'll dream for a little while, until I find out its a cruel hoax. Would be our biggest signing since RTS from the chooks, biggest signing ever wouldn't it?

 

[WA Warrior]

Ponga basically plays first receiver now at the knights.
He would help our attack unbelievably, taking pressure off our halves.
If true which is pretty out there.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

I can’t see this happening, I’d love it though. We have the cap, but surely we’d need to pay a fairly substantial transfer fee to get him released. He’s signed til 27, and is their captain. I also assume the roosters are chasing him too

 

[Noitall]

I'll dream for a little while, until I find out its a cruel hoax. Would be our biggest signing since RTS from the chooks, biggest signing ever wouldn't it?

Concern is it’s April fools day tomorrow

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Ponga is contracted till end of 27. Gonna be hard for him to play the homesick card considering hes been away for 14 years.

I got the feeling at the time that the Brown signing was the softening up for Kalyn's departure.

Plus he always has the rugby union card over them.

 

[Wrighty]

What is Kalyn's connection to New Zealand? in full....

 

[tajhay]

What is Kalyn's connection to New Zealand?

5 years from age 8-13.

And his dad is from Nz.

 

[Wrighty]

5 years from age 8-13.

And his dad is from Nz.

Is Kalyn a New Zealand citizen
I understand you can be a dual Australian and New Zealand citizens

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Is there a scenario where newcastle know about ponga possibly leaving, that's why they could throw the bank at Brown?

 

[hornbybrown]

What is Kalyn's connection to New Zealand? in full....

What is Kalyn's connection to New Zealand? in full....

He was the New Zealand under 13 golf champion

 

[Wrighty]

Is there a scenario where newcastle know about ponga possibly leaving, that's why they could throw the bank at Brown?

Reading between the lines of Ever Hopeful's post that seems to be an inference some people are thinking.