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
-	Morgan Gannon	-	✔	✔	✔
-	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: 26/30
Confirmed Supplementary 2026: 1/6

2026 Gains: Jye Linnane (Newcastle Knights), Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos)
2026 Losses: Nil

Off Contract: Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale, Morgan Harper, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, 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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[CWC]

Last week against the Knights in 30 minutes
11 runs 114m, 14 tackles no miss, 55pcm (most from either team)
This week in 30m
8 runs 95m 1 try 1 linebreak 5 tackles breaks, 20 tackles 0 missed
Heaps of improvements from last year

Sounds like he is on track to be on the extended bench and making a cameo later next year

 

[HitTheGap]

Sounds like he is on track to be on the extended bench and making a cameo later next year

The battle with Salalilo will be interesting Jasons a prodigy down here in Canterbury and he’s a winner picked in all the national teams, between the two were stacked!

 

[Boston Boy]

Kahu Capper?
https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2024/05/09/kiwi-signed-from-roosters/#:~:text=Exciting teenaged centre Kahu Capper,the One New Zealand Warriors.

Capper moves well, nice step but lacks the pace to actually pull away after stepping the opponent. Quite telling they tried him in the second row, I think he has been a little underwhelming.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Capper moves well, nice step but lacks the pace to actually pull away after stepping the opponent. Quite telling they tried him in the second row, I think he has been a little underwhelming.

He spent a lot of the year at edge too

 

[Blain]

Truly?
Interesting……..

Looking at his stats (league live) the are down on the last two seasons.

Nothing a bit of Andrew Webster magic and the call of home (kinda lol) can’t fix I reckon.

His showings for the Kiwis, shows he has it in him.
If given the opportunity/choice, I would take Whyte over Neame. But I’d take either one whoever came up first.

JFH, 187cm and 103kg
Vaimauga, 183cm and 104kg
Neame, 193cm and 106kg
4th prop. TSS, Niukore, Ale, whoever……..

Good size variation.

Neame, he's big and pretty slow. That's certainly not what Webster likes, or the NRL generally these days.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Truly?
Interesting……..

Looking at his stats (league live) the are down on the last two seasons.

Nothing a bit of Andrew Webster magic and the call of home (kinda lol) can’t fix I reckon.

His showings for the Kiwis, shows he has it in him.
If given the opportunity/choice, I would take Whyte over Neame. But I’d take either one whoever came up first.

JFH, 187cm and 103kg
Vaimauga, 183cm and 104kg
Neame, 193cm and 106kg
4th prop. TSS, Niukore, Ale, whoever……..

Good size variation.

They talked about him like spray some glue on his hands. Reminds me of our days of hating on Manu Vatuvei when he had butterfingers issues on his way to try scoring records.

 

[Falcon]

NZ born, Tuku Hau Tapua is a young prop at the Sharks I’d like the club to have a look at. 1.96 and explosive. It’s an absolute log jam there with props at the moment.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

NZ born, Tuku Hau Tapua is a young prop at the Sharks I’d like the club to have a look at. 1.96 and explosive. It’s an absolute log jam there with props at the moment.

There's a log jam here at the warriors, who is he coming in for?

 

[Get them onside ref!]

Capper moves well, nice step but lacks the pace to actually pull away after stepping the opponent. Quite telling they tried him in the second row, I think he has been a little underwhelming.

Sounds like TT

 

[Get them onside ref!]

There's a log jam here at the warriors, who is he coming in for?

Yep
We need a centre/ wing
With pace

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

Neame, he's big and pretty slow. That's certainly not what Webster likes, or the NRL generally these days.

Warriors tried to sign Tom Hazelton?

And is that the direction the NRL is going though?
Ok, yeah. Slow, but has that ever been a thing?
(But what is slow btw? Define that. Is Capewell slow? He’s been brilliant the last few weeks. Hell, is Barnett slow?)

Definitely NOT BIG. (According to league live)
Haas, 194cm and 117kg
Tino, 197cm and 107kg
AFB, 189cm and 123kg
Tapine, 189cm and 109kg
All middles, all on a million bucks. (There’s plenty more to btw on 800k plus)

Elite middles like JFH, May and Jurbo are pretty mobile. They’re smaller sure……. But still fairly big. Hardly an indication of where the NRL is going.

They talked about him like spray some glue on his hands. Reminds me of our days of hating on Manu Vatuvei when he had butterfingers issues on his way to try scoring records.

Yeah, his stats would suggest he has a handling problem. Both now and historic.

 

[Billyspleen75]

I would rather not sign another middle forward.
For the next few seasons we are going to have a rotation of JFH/Barnett/Vaimauga/Ford
By time Barnett and Ford might leave in 2028, we are going to have TSS, Durbin and Crosby who will all be between 23.5 and 24.5 years old.
Bunty and Ale could be the gap filler until those young 3 are ready to play first grade minutes.
I would definitely keep Bunty to be that gap filler/NSW Cup leader for a few years.
If we replace Ale, that is ok, but surely it would only be a Morgan harper level player who would come here just to be depth?
Have our main 4, Niukore as an option until end of 2026, Bunty as depth, and the young guys pushing hard.

 

[Boston Boy]

Sounds like TT

Capper makes TT look like the road runner, his lack of speed is a real concern to me. He had big wraps but clearly has some big issues as he can't hold the centre position. Others may differ. Mason Barber has a similar looking step but the pace and power to push through.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I would rather not sign another middle forward.
For the next few seasons we are going to have a rotation of JFH/Barnett/Vaimauga/Ford
By time Barnett and Ford might leave in 2028, we are going to have TSS, Durbin and Crosby who will all be between 23.5 and 24.5 years old.
Bunty and Ale could be the gap filler until those young 3 are ready to play first grade minutes.
I would definitely keep Bunty to be that gap filler/NSW Cup leader for a few years.
If we replace Ale, that is ok, but surely it would only be a Morgan harper level player who would come here just to be depth?
Have our main 4, Niukore as an option until end of 2026, Bunty as depth, and the young guys pushing hard.

I think that's too light for front row imo. Ford, Vaimauga, and JFH, with the newbies you've mentioned TSS, Crosby and Durbin who between them will be lucky if they have 30 caps between them at the start of 2028. Bunty will be 31 by then, and a long with Ale will likely be gone.

Look at how many players we had for the 2024 and 2025 seasons playing prop - were gunna need more than 3 props with experience in the front row imo.

2024
AFB
Barnett
Jazz
Ale
Ford
Bunty
Vaimauga

2025
JFH
Barnett
Bunty
Ford
Vaimauga
Niukore

If we were able to keep Bunty or Ale it would soften the blow but I really think we'd need 4 or 5 experienced props, especially with Barnett likely moving on and JFH being a bit of a Koro at that point

 

[Boston Boy]

I would rather not sign another middle forward.
For the next few seasons we are going to have a rotation of JFH/Barnett/Vaimauga/Ford
By time Barnett and Ford might leave in 2028, we are going to have TSS, Durbin and Crosby who will all be between 23.5 and 24.5 years old.
Bunty and Ale could be the gap filler until those young 3 are ready to play first grade minutes.
I would definitely keep Bunty to be that gap filler/NSW Cup leader for a few years.
If we replace Ale, that is ok, but surely it would only be a Morgan harper level player who would come here just to be depth?
Have our main 4, Niukore as an option until end of 2026, Bunty as depth, and the young guys pushing hard.

It's kind of crazy that if we didn't sign a marquee but just kept what we have we could still be a decent to good team. I don't know if I have felt that way or seen us like this since Ivan Cleary left? Remember he could gather tradesmen type players mix them in with our up and coming youngsters, a couple of quality Aussies and make the team work? Not desperate for anyone at the moment really, just want to keep our young guys coming through ! Its a very good position to be in.

 

[CWC]

Looks like we definitely need to sign someone 28-29 y/o or close to 100 games by the time Barney/Fish are winding down, the juniors seem to be all under 26 and as we found out this year you need a veteran pack leader to get to the next level.

Unless Ford turns into a Barney by the time he turns 30

 

[Billyspleen75]

I think that's too light for front row imo. Ford, Vaimauga, and JFH, with the newbies you've mentioned TSS, Crosby and Durbin who between them will be lucky if they have 30 caps between them at the start of 2028. Bunty will be 31 by then, and a long with Ale will likely be gone.

Look at how many players we had for the 2024 and 2025 seasons playing prop - were gunna need more than 3 props with experience in the front row imo.

2024
AFB
Barnett
Jazz
Ale
Ford
Bunty
Vaimauga

2025
JFH
Barnett
Bunty
Ford
Vaimauga
Niukore

If we were able to keep Bunty or Ale it would soften the blow but I really think we'd need 4 or 5 experienced props, especially with Barnett likely moving on and JFH being a bit of a Koro at that point

Happy to sign someone for the 2028 season to replace Barnett if those 3 havent had enough experience or have not progressed as expected. Ford (or less likely Barnett due to age) could re-sign as well.
I just don't see where a 2026/27 prop signing fits. If your 30 game estimate is realistic under my model, then it would be even less if we signed another experienced prop expecting game time.

2026
JFH
Barnett
Ford
Vaimauga
TSS
Niukore
Bunty

2027
JFH
Barnett
Ford
Vaimauga
TSS
Crosby/Durbin
Bunty

That progression is only assuming 1 debutant prop per year.

 

[Wrighty]

Sounds like he is on track to be on the extended bench and making a cameo later next year

In 2023 we clinched a playoff spot and played like 6 or 7 cup players in our final game of the season, maybe if we are really lucky we might see him in such a circumstance?

 

[Canonball]

In 2023 we clinched a playoff spot and played like 6 or 7 cup players in our final game of the season, maybe if we are really lucky we might see him in such a circumstance?

It's be a nice gesture but I don't see that as Webster's style, and I like that, he's all about taking the timing of debut talent quite slowly and seriously - it's a good thing I reckon - would like to see Crosby in trials and maybe a bench position next season

 

[Theking267]

Niukore probably gets re-signed through to 2028 & beyond