Rumour Warriors Player Movements, Re-signings, and Rumour Mill: 2014

[Hitman82]

This thread is strictly for articles, tweets, rumours etc relating to Warriors Player Contracts and Movements.

Go here for recruitment discussion and "I would like us to sign this player" type conversation:

https://www.nzwarriors.com/threads/recruitment-policy-and-strategy-discussion.14295/
Enjoy!​

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Updated 10-06-14
Current squad / Year contract expires:

Simon Mannering 2018
Tuimoala Lolohea 2017
Jacob Lillyman 2017
Shaun Johnson 2017
Konrad Hurrell 2016
Siliva Havili 2016
David Bhana 2016
Charlie Gubb 2016
John Palavi 2016
Sione Lousi 2016
Sam Lisone 2016
Solomone Kata 2016
Brad Abbey 2016
David Fusitua 2016
Sam Tomkins 2016
Feleti Mateo 2016
Sebastine Ikahihifo 2015
Tomasi Aoake 2015
Nathan Friend 2015
Suaia Matagi 2015
Jayson Bukuya 2015
Chad Townsend 2015
Sam Rapira 2015
Sam Lousi 2015
Ngani Laumape 2015
Manu Vatuvei 2015
Glen Fisiiahi 2015
Ben Henry 2015
Ben Matulino 2015
Dane Nielsen 2015
Thomas Leuluai 2015
Dominique Peyroux 2015
Carlos Tuimavave 2015
Albert Vete 2014
Raymond Faitala-Mariner 2014

Mid-Season Losses:
Jerome Ropati (retired)
Kevin Locke (Salford ESL)

New Signings for 2015:
Ryan Hoffman (Storm) 2017
Matthew Allwood (Raiders) 2017


Currently off contract or unconfirmed:
Atelea Nafetali (contractual situation unknown)
Atu Tupou (contractual situation unknown)
Nathaniel Peteru (contractual situation unknown)
Siulongua Fotofili (contractual situation unknown)
Jethro Friend (contractual situation unknown)

Warriors NSW Cup side contracts:
Agnatius Paasi (unconfirmed)
Abraham Papalii (unconfirmed)
Micheal Sio (unconfirmed)



*If anybody has updates to this list, please post in this thread.
*If someone wants to post a list of Warriors NSW Cup and Under 20s squads when they are available I will keep those updated too.
*Players whose contract year is listed in blue were re-signed this season

 

[lolcaeks]

Kevin Locke Racing to find new club

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/9249096/Locke-racing-against-the-clock-to-find-new-club

 

[Xt1ncT]

Kevin Locke Racing to find new club

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/9249096/Locke-racing-against-the-clock-to-find-new-club

Best thing for him IMO. Get away from where he's comfortable and rebuild. He has the potential but it's a shame it's not been realised.

 

[Hitman82]

Best thing for him IMO. Get away from where he's comfortable and rebuild. He has the potential but it's a shame it's not been realised.

Much like Russell Packer - I do feel if Locke went to a new club, he could finally reach potential. I don't have any reason to question his attitude, but for various reasons it is quite possible the post-Cleary regime may not suit his needs. Likewise with other players who may leave over the next few months,

 

[wallacenz]

when i look through that list i think the warriors are really lacking big name, dominant players. manu is the only possible one and, on radio sport today, the host acknowledged what a lot of us think that manu is too inconsistent

this is not meant to be an anti-manu post but a concern about the warriors line up

 

[Hadyn]

A couple of days ago the Mole had good info that Souths had signed up a "very fast outside Warriors back but not Locke".Heart palpitations follow as realisation hits must be talking the Fish.But Fish contracted to 2015 and him being released does not make sense.Yesterday rumour changes to Viliami Lolohea...great relief, the Fish is a keeper.Todays ChCh Press though Lolohea considering Crusaders and T Blackadder is saying he would be a good acquisition for them.
Question:Who have the Rabbits got from us or is this a dud steer from the Mole?Has anybody heard anything?.

 

[Apus]

My guess is that it's all talk about Lolohea, and that neither the Crusaders nor the Rabbits have signed him, but one of them will.

 

[wallacenz]

There is more to it than just letting him go, Bennett doesn't just pull out 4 year contracts for any shmo, that puts Russell in an elite crowd, just look at how many year to year contracts the Knights have at the moment.. IMO he has had that offer for a while but the club didn't want to play and the fact they didn't want to honour his contribution to the club at seasons end shows you exactly where the bad culture starts..

pure speculation but i would think it was just a good deal for both parties. the warriors may not have wanted packer and bennett has been quoted in the past saying prop is not a big money position. 4 years is security for packer who may have been let go and probably at a reasonable price for the knights. hes only 23 so 4 years is a decent bet he'll be able to maintain some fitness into his late 20s.

 

[slaughterhouse.sa]

My money is Viliami , spoke with his uncle yesterday and he reckon's Vili wanted to give OZ a crack, then again who know's when you read todays news:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/9253822/Junior-Warrior-Lolohea-for-Super-Rugby-switch

Good to hear re: Lolohea he has the potential 100%.
He has shown he has a few lapses in concentration but he simply is really athletic.

People forget that Lolohea was rated just as highly as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck at high school.
They played in the same team.

He just needs more drive and hunger to put his hand up.

He just needs a pro-active manager and he will pickup a FG deal.
Not big money - but better than working fulltime lol.

 

[slaughterhouse.sa]

And I though you were a warriors supporter....

Warriors have Fusitua ...who they obviously rate highly and is one year younger.
Then I personally like Solomone Kata - he is undercover but I think is NRL material.

He is a centre but could transition from Wing quite easily.
I wouldnt be suprised if one or both push in to NRL like Laumape did.

 

[mt.wellington]

Didnt take long for this thread to derail haha. To put it back on track...

The fast player signed to the Rabbitohs is NOT Glen Fisi'iahi...

 

[Harlz]

Just re sign Shaun Metcalf and get Zane Tetevano in for rusty packer, done

 

[edd]

but who or what is to blame for his not scoring, line break assists and try assists were quite high from Locke, higher than TL's, people have been saying he should be backing up Mateo why isn't TL backing up Mateo he stands right next to him, TL should be putting Mateo through a gap and supporting him, people say Neilsen isn't passing to Manu, but there is far more to it down that side of the field and the sort of ball that goes out there and I think it is partly player thing but mostly it is structure
It cracks me up when you see them roll left to set something up on the right just to see Manners or Odd end up with the ball, I don't know quite who to blame for those ones, is it Hurrell being too slow, is it Shaun Johnson not finding the mark, is it Manners or Odd getting in the way.
Most of the games this year you would see Shaun Johnson as the main pivot with TL mostly the link to Shaun Johnson, the one game TL becomes the main pivot was the Dragons game,WTF, you see it in stats, 48 receives v 35, 6 kicks each, there wasn't many games this year where TL gets the ball more than Shaun Johnson and he averaged around half as many kicks for the season but in the final game when the season is on the line he kicks takes 50% of the kicks??? and we run heaps of play down the left and see barely any clean ball go right.
The game plan for the season was too expansive and didn't play to our strengths, if anything it highlighted where our real attacking deficiencies were.
It's very hard to pinpoint if it is the player looking average or the structure making them look average.
There was definitely a lack ruthlessness about the team but I don't think it was because they weren't trying, the effort was there it just didn't seem like it sometimes, if it hadn't been there, we would have been getting hiding after hiding

That's one of the best dissections I've seen in a while.

 

[edd]

Very good yes, but IMO not exceptional. If he tried that U20's try in first grade he'd be burnt at the stake by fans if it didn't come off and it's such a low percentage play in first grade it probably wouldn't come off.

He was caught dead in goal, managed to scramble along the sideline to a point where it was kick or get tackled into touch. He grubbered, regathered and scored a try. Legend...

If he didn't try anything its a handover, or a line drop out.

So again an unfair criticism of Locke....

He really has some fans around here alright... Ha Ha.... I can see why he's looking for a release...

 

[Sebastian]

Didnt take long for this thread to derail haha. To put it back on track...

The fast player signed to the Rabbitohs is NOT Glen Fisi'iahi...

In that Roosters game. Where we beat them. Fish looked head and shoulders the best back on the field. His try saver on SKD was pure unadulterated player magic. His break away try was as fast as i have seen. Roosters didn't even bother to chase. Like i've said before he has the potential to be our best outside back. Potentially ever.

 

[edd]

In that Roosters game. Where we beat them. Fish looked head and shoulders the best back on the field. His try saver on SKD was pure unadulterated player magic. His break away try was as fast as i have seen. Roosters didn't even bother to chase. Like i've said before he has the potential to be our best outside back. Potentially ever.

"It's not what your given, it's what you do with it that counts. Because no one was ever inspired by unused potential."

Potential is nothing if it's not unleashed... If he has the potential to be our best ever, then, if he plays even one average game next season, I'd sac him... Purely on principle.... Ha Ha... Just jokes..

I'm not that harsh once you get to know me...

 

[Sebastian]

"It's not what your given, it's what you do with it that counts. Because no one was ever inspired by unused potential."

Potential is nothing if it's not unleashed... If he has the potential to be our best ever, then, if he plays even one average game next season, I'd sac him... Purely on principle.... Ha Ha... Just jokes..

I'm not that harsh once you get to know me...

In Fish's case i don't think untapped potential really comes into it. More so his opportunities. He's been injured for too long. He needs time on the field to establish himself. One injury free season would do wonders. I think injury rather than potential is the key. I'd hate to think such a talent like him could be injury prone. Let's hope not. Anyway.

 

[Rick O'Shay]

Locke's been carrying injuries all season... Fish hasn't scored one try since he got injured? I'm not sure its a fair criticism..

The only injury Locke has been carrying is the fucking big chip on his shoulder. Watch his body language on the field and his lackadaisical attitude. He lost it last year and has made no attempt to put his hand up and show some leadership either this year. All too easy in the U20s but sorry Kev (and Shaun Johnson) it's a tad harder in first grade and believe it or not, you have to work hard and have the right mental attitude to be successful. Talent won't do it alone.

Not sorry to see him go, IMO Tomkins will give us more value if only in his professional value and commitment to winning. Again, watch his body language on the paddock and in interviews aftermatch.

 

[slaughterhouse.sa]

Thought kata might've got into the jks ahead of ATG- looks a class above him- seems pretty green tho?
Bit disappointed in fusitua this year- he looked great in the titans trial- so good I thought he would've cracked fg this year but never played that well in the Vulcan or u20s games I saw.
Don't really like him as a fullback- think they should leave him to concentrate on the wing.

He probably isnt eligible for the Jk's - isnt he like straight from tonga.
Played one years of rugby like Konrad.

Agreed - he obviously fancies himself as a fullback as most good wingers do.
Why - a goodfullback gets paid 200K more than a winger lol (as michael gordon)

Also they get plenty of open space (and for stat whores) they get plenty of run metres.[DOUBLEPOST=1381221596][/DOUBLEPOST]

Year but Lolohea is the best of them all... He's the one we want to be keeping IMO...

Obviously the Warriors dont believe he is otherwise he would of got upgraded...and most pundits seems to identify Fusitua has a better option.

 

[Far Away Fan]

Didnt take long for this thread to derail haha. To put it back on track...

Yes, *please* put it back on track.

The 2014 thread has only just started, please get tough and lay down the law on this one? Set a precedent for the year to come?