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
Can negotiate with others clubs from 01/11/25 (final year) : Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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[Noitall]

He was pretty impressive in NSW cup last weekend

Yeah yeah I know it’s not Fg

He’s done a job each time he’s been called on for first grade this year. Touch wood he does it again

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Kosi seems like a guy that when it all clicks he will be a major asset ala Cobbo. Kosi seem more confidence based than effort though

 

[Wrighty]

Nah why?

He's not a first grade player and he will just take minutes away from those guys which slows their development. That might the difference between someone like Salalilo becoming first grade ready end of next year vs end of 2027, or the difference between him become starter quality in 2028 vs 2030 etc. etc.

I swear everyone just wants to just sign everyone for depth as if we have 5 NSW cup teams

Everyone has seen how Morgan Harper has turned out. We now have FOUR centers with huge NRL potential lining up in Jersey Flegg which SHOULD NOT be happening at any decent development club.

Caelys Putoko
Patrick Moimoi
Nganaiaiafu Vake
Brandon Norris

All four of them are trying to be wedged into in the Flegg side (two playing out of position). They should be rotating between NSW cup appearances to advance their development but they can't because Morgan Harper is fucking around in our Cup side.

One or two of the elite teams have two NSW cup teams and in some of the Australian forums the fans their link having more than one NSW cup side to long term success. "When you have only one NSW cup team you have to keep releasing players and making strategic bets on who will pan out. Sometimes you get those bets wrong and let a future star go. Teams with 2 NSW cup teams have less dilemmas about who to keep and there are more pathways for the juniors."
i have been advocating for two NSW cup teams for the past two years but no one has agreed with me on the forum and I was told the flegg team is our second NSW cup team.

 

[Five&Last]

One or two of the elite teams have two NSW cup teams and in some of the Australian forums the fans their link having more than one NSW cup side to long term success. "When you have only one NSW cup team you have to keep releasing players and making strategic bets on who will pan out. Sometimes you get those bets wrong and let a future star go. Teams with 2 NSW cup teams have less dilemmas about who to keep and there are more pathways for the juniors.
i have been advocating for two NSW cup teams for the past two years but no one has agreed with me on the forum and I was told the flegg team is our second NSW cup team.

With a talent pool as big as ours, two NSW cup teams makes sense. But we historically have had cheap owners who would not be willing to do that. Junior pathways is something that they've only recently been willing to spend on, for example.

Aside from the joint venture clubs having two reserve grade sides, the Roosters have been willing spend to get a second "Central Coast Roosters" side in most of their junior competitions and they will probably have a NSW Cup Central Coast side soon

 

[kos]

One or two of the elite teams have two NSW cup teams and in some of the Australian forums the fans their link having more than one NSW cup side to long term success. "When you have only one NSW cup team you have to keep releasing players and making strategic bets on who will pan out. Sometimes you get those bets wrong and let a future star go. Teams with 2 NSW cup teams have less dilemmas about who to keep and there are more pathways for the juniors."
i have been advocating for two NSW cup teams for the past two years but no one has agreed with me on the forum and I was told the flegg team is our second NSW cup team.

Don’t we pay all Nz/ Aus travel costs and travel for the other sides to fly to Nz for the two lower grades?
It’s an expensive cost and we don’t have a leagues club with pokie machines generating profits like the Aussie clubs
Run the numbers Wrighty
Revenue less costs …..

 

[Five&Last]

Kosi seems like a guy that when it all clicks he will be a major asset ala Cobbo. Kosi seem more confidence based than effort though

I feel like he's going to get a two year extension with his NSW cup form alone.

Hopefully does a job this weekend. We know how one game can shatter his confidence for months.

 

[Noitall]

Don’t we pay all Nz/ Aus travel costs and travel for the other sides to fly to Nz for the two lower grades?
It’s an expensive cost and we don’t have a leagues club with pokie machines generating profits like the Aussie clubs
Run the numbers Wrighty
Revenue less costs …..

Seems a bit unfair, not like the clubs those teams are affiliated to aren’t wealthy

 

[kos]

Seems a bit unfair, not like the clubs those teams are affiliated to aren’t wealthy

I don’t know how the club does it
Costs would be huge
Anyway Wrighty will run up a pretty decent cost benefit analysis soon

 

[Noitall]

I don’t know how the club does it
Costs would be huge
Anyway Wrighty will run up a pretty decent cost benefit analysis soon

He’s busy in dialogue with the club about signing Starford To’a

 

[kos]

He’s busy in dialogue with the club about signing Starford To’a

He s talking to that poster who is apparently Cappy
Hope he can put in a good word for Tom and Bunty

 

[Naynay]

One or two of the elite teams have two NSW cup teams and in some of the Australian forums the fans their link having more than one NSW cup side to long term success. "When you have only one NSW cup team you have to keep releasing players and making strategic bets on who will pan out. Sometimes you get those bets wrong and let a future star go. Teams with 2 NSW cup teams have less dilemmas about who to keep and there are more pathways for the juniors."
i have been advocating for two NSW cup teams for the past two years but no one has agreed with me on the forum and I was told the flegg team is our second NSW cup team.

A second team would be a good go.

Might be an idea to approach the nrl to get a south island pathway set up. I think the warriors stay the only nz nrl team for up to 10 years. Good trade off warriors get financial support and pick of the litter and the nrl get a ready pathway when and if they decide to expand to the south island.

 

[Rick O’Shay]

Kosi seems like a guy that when it all clicks he will be a major asset ala Cobbo. Kosi seem more confidence based than effort though

I'm thinking that like a lot of people he is just a late developer

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

He was pretty impressive in NSW cup last weekend

Yeah yeah I know it’s not Fg

He was impressive in first grade erlier this season.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

One or two of the elite teams have two NSW cup teams and in some of the Australian forums the fans their link having more than one NSW cup side to long term success. "When you have only one NSW cup team you have to keep releasing players and making strategic bets on who will pan out. Sometimes you get those bets wrong and let a future star go. Teams with 2 NSW cup teams have less dilemmas about who to keep and there are more pathways for the juniors."
i have been advocating for two NSW cup teams for the past two years but no one has agreed with me on the forum and I was told the flegg team is our second NSW cup team.

How does 2 teams work?

- A top team and a bottom one?
- selection based on age / experience?
- no fixed team with players switching at will?
- random split of talent aimed at building combinations?

Do the teams play the same tactic or different styles? Eg one around forwards and one around backs with the possession aimed at developing the different parts of the game via different teams?

Fascinating to thing about. How do the other teams do it? This would definitely help retention.

 

[Rick O’Shay]

He’s busy in dialogue with the club about signing Starford To’a

Could he be the next Jonno Wright?

 

[Wrighty]

How does 2 teams work?

- A top team and a bottom one?
- selection based on age / experience?
- no fixed team with players switching at will?
- random split of talent aimed at building combinations?

Do the teams play the same tactic or different styles? Eg one around forwards and one around backs with the possession aimed at developing the different parts of the game via different teams?

Fascinating to thing about. How do the other teams do it? This would definitely help retention.

Most likely different geographies. EG like naynay said the second team could be a Southern origins team. More practical would be an Auckland team and a South of the Bombay Hills team. Toby Crosby obviously from Wellington in the Southern team.
I am just speculating but it definitely would not be an A team and a B team. You would want the players from both teams tp habe an equal chance of being selected for first grade.

 

[CWC]

I’m a big fan and hope he gets an extension. Think he’s popular amongst the young guys, likely because of time together in nsw cup. Highlight definitely watching him grow in confidence in that game where he owned Mulitalo and let him know about it

He was having a go at the opposite winger after carrying the winger over the line for a try with ball in one hand in the weekend lol

The cows game he was playing with a suspected broken clavicle, probably why Webby’s invested in him in the squad

Always thought he’d go on to replace Montoya until he broke his knee. Hope he maintains form and compete with Dallin until we sign or develop a star winger, Roger’s not getting younger either so definitely good to extend him for a few more years