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Who are we buying for 2021 onwards

Tongue

Juniors
Messages
595
Our old mate the mole posted this, made me lol, especially when you consider the ball is completely in Blair’s court with the option in his favour

VINTAGE BLAIR MAY FORCE NEW WARRIORS DEAL
The Warriors decided months ago that they would not be offering 34-year-old Adam Blair a new deal for 2021.

But much has happened at Terrigal in the past few weeks, with the Warriors stunning the league world with four of their last five games to charge into finals contention.

Blair has been a key figure in the stunning revival under interim coach Todd Payten, playing as if his football life depends on it – because it does.

And if the veteran forward continues to show his current level of enthusiasm, the Warriors and Nathan Brown might just reward him with another 12 months.

My only beef with Blair is his dumb penalties, which seem to come in waves.
I think he still has plenty to offer, and I wouldnt be fussed if he was there for another year.
 

BLN2

Juniors
Messages
383
Yeah couldn't see him leaving the Drags after what they have provided him. Nice to know we can move to other targets.

Jo Ofa is on the chopping block, I'd be sniffing around him for sure. Had a bad year by his standards, but we know what he can do. With Haas playing 80 at prop and guys like Carrigan and Lodge taking the reigns, I wonder how he respond if we chucked him in the 10 jumper and said make us some metres.
 

Fufu Andronez

First Grade
Messages
8,464
Some big names free to chat about season 2022 from November 1 as per Zero Tackle

CENTRE

Bradman Best, Tom Eisenhuth, Luke Garner, Jamayne Isaako, Michael Jennings, Joseph Leilua, Joseph Manu, Esan Marsters, Justin Olam, Phillip Sami, Moses Suli, Jensen Taumoepeau, Dean Whare

FULLBACK

Herbie Farnworth, Clinton Gutherson, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

FIVE-EIGHTH

AJ Brimson, Moses Mbye, Kodi Nikorima, Tommy Talau, Cody Walker

HALFBACK

Adam Clune, Cade Cust, Dylan Edwards, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Mitchell Moses, Cory Paix, Brandon Wakeham, Sam Walker, George Williams

HOOKER

Blayke Brailey, Jayden Brailey, Wayde Egan, Harry Grant, Josh Hodgson, Apisai Koroisau, Reed Mahoney, Jake Simpkin, Brandon Smith, Jake Turpin

LOCK

Nat Butcher, Patrick Carrigan, James Fisher-Harris, Wade Graham, Corey Horsburgh, Luciano Leilua, Siosiua Taukeiaho

PROP

Jesse Bromwich, Kenneath Bromwich, Lindsay Collins, Herman Ese'ese, Kane Evans, Poasa Faamausili, Andrew Fifita, Addin Fonua-Blake, Moeaki Fotuaika, Tom Gilbert, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Peter Hola, Royce Hunt, Ryan James, Jaimin Jolliffe, Oregon Kaufusi, Viliame Kikau, Blake Lawrie, Moses Leota, Sam Lisone, Matthew Lodge, Josh McGuire, Jordan McLean, Jirah Momoisea, Joe Ofahengaue, Agnatius Paasi, Tevita Pangai Junior, Junior Paulo, Franklin Pele, Emry Pere, Daniel Saifiti, Jacob Saifiti, Pasami Saulo, Lindsay Smith, Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Ryan Sutton, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Martin Taupau, Alex Twal, Paul Vaughan, Jarrod Wallace

SECOND-ROW

Billy Burns, Mitchell Dunn, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Beau Fermor, Jackson Ford, Corey Harawira-Naera, Coen Hess, Tui Kamikamica, Ryan Matterson, Jack Murchie, Briton Nikora, Marata Niukore, Haumole Olakau'atu, Josh Papalii, Tariq Sims, Joe Stimson, Elliott Whitehead, Jack Williams

WING

Morgan Harper, Asu Kepaoa, Ken Maumalo, Corey Oates, Jaxson Paulo, Junior Ratuvu, Jason Saab, Gehamat Shibasaki, Corey Thompson, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
 

Rich102

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
11,549
The Warriors squad for next season is almost done, with the last couple of pieces of the jigsaw puzzle needing to be put into place, one of those being a gun prop.

This week the club re-signed Peta Hiku for another year, but missed out on Jack de Belin, even though it’s still unknown whether he’ll be available to play next season.

As Stuff understands, there are 27 players already signed for next year, although that will drop to 26 if Adam Blair doesn’t take up the option in his contract.

The highest priority when it comes to recruitment next year is to sign another middle forward.

There’s money in the salary cap to get the right player, but the club aren’t going to be rushed into making a signing.

If Penrith decided to give Jack Hetherington permission to talk to other club, he is someone the Warriors would be interested in talking to.

The club has a good relationship with him and he’s played some of the best footy of his career with the Warriors.

However, Hetherington could be reluctant to come to New Zealand as he is close to his family.

If the Warriors end up having to spend another season based in Australia, Hetherington could be tempted to sign a one-year contract with the club, followed by options in his favour.

Jack De Belin was keen on coming to the Warriors, but decided for family reasons to remain with the Dragons. Although come the start of the next season, he could be in prison or an innocent man free to play in the NRL.

When the Warriors talk to players about next year a problem the club have is that they don’t know where they’ll be based and particularly for players with families, they want that certainty.

That’s making it harder for the Warriors when negotiating for a player, especially when another club are showing similar interest and it could be some time before there’s some certainty about whether the Warriors will be based in Australia or Auckland in 2021.

Stuff can reveal both King Vuniyayawa and Leivaha Pulu will be leaving at the end of the season.

It was always likely Pulu would be moving on, given the lack of game time he got over the past couple of seasons.

Vuniyayawa played for the Warriors in the first five games of this season and was offered a deal for next year. However, that offer to the Fijian International has been withdrawn.

Bunty Afoa was invited to start talks with other clubs and even though there was interest by Super League teams, he has decided he wants to see out the last year of his contract.

On paper, next year’s Warriors squad looks an impressive one. It’s a well-rounded team, without any holes and some of the dead wood removed.

In the past, the Warriors have had to pay overs to bring in big name stars and it’s a philosophy that didn’t work.

Sam Tomkins, Issac Luke, Ryan Hoffman and a host of other players failed to live up to their big contracts, while Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Tohu Harris are rare examples of when it paid off.

For the club’s current recruitment and development manager, Peter O’Sullivan, it’s not so much about marquee signings anymore, but getting players who fit inside the club’s ethos and offer good value with their contracts.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/authors/david-long
Jack Murchie and Jamayne Taunoa-Brown are good examples of that and both look to have bright futures ahead of them.

They also want to develop their own players. Warriors’ former general manager of football operations, Dean Bell, told Stuff a few weeks ago that this was something the club had dropped the ball with in recent years.

With Peta Hiku re-signing for another year this week, that pretty much sorts the backline out for next season.

As well as the players already established, the club has high hopes for Paul Turner, Rocco Berry and Junior Ratuva.

Turner will be the backup for Kodi Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita in the halves, but they will be in the market for another player in the halves.

In the forwards Murchie, Taunoa-Brown and Eliesa Katoa have been impressive. Ben Murdoch-Masila and Kane Evans are coming in and ideally the club would have one more experienced middle player come in.

Once that key signing is done, the Warriors should have one of the better squads in the NRL next year.

AT A GLANCE

Players signed for 2021 (27)

  • Euan Aitken
  • Tom Ale
  • Bunty Afoa
  • Leeson Ah Mau
  • Rocco Berry
  • * Adam Blair
  • Josh Curran
  • Wayde Egan
  • Kane Evans
  • Jackson Frei
  • David Fusitu’a
  • Tohu Harris
  • Chanel Harris-Tavita
  • Peta Hiku
  • Eliesa Katoa
  • Karl Lawton
  • Ken Maumalo
  • Jack Murchie
  • Ben Murdoch-Masila
  • Kodi Nikorima
  • Agnatius Paasi
  • Hayze Perham
  • Adam Pompey
  • Junior Ratuva
  • Jamayne Taunoa-Brown
  • Jazz Tevaga
  • Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Leaving (6)

  • Gerard Beale
  • Lachlan Burr
  • Nathaniel Roache
  • Taane Milne
  • Leivaha Pulu
  • King Vuniyayawa
No contract offered yet (4)

  • Patrick Herbert
  • Adam Keighran
  • Isaiah Papali’i
  • Selestino Radutaumada
* Adam Blair has yet to decide whether to take up the option in his contract for next season.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/leagu...for-next-season-just-a-few-spots-left-to-fill
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,933
Happy to hear that Bunty is staying on for a year. Hopefully he puts in a big season as he’ll be playing for a 2022 contract whether with us or another club.
 

Penrose_11

Juniors
Messages
1,266
Big Bunty fan and very pleased he’s staying. If Blair signs on as i expect he will, that’ll leave 3 spots to fill. Hooker is certainly where we’re lacking as just Egan and Lawton currently and I see Lawton as very much makeshift. Interesting to know how much cap $$ we have for those 3 spots as $500k for 3 players is very limiting compared to $1mil plus in the pot. Also very interesting that Gould and Brown very quiet in the media around Warriors 2021 and signings etc when there is a lot of discussion re this at present. Definitely the best way to be IMO. I’m sure those 2 will be well involved in the background though and hopefully big signing is imminent
 

Mjab

Juniors
Messages
967
Good luck with that loser Euan Aitken

absolute rubbish

Cant pass (at all) so easy target for defenders
Hogs ball , see how many trys his winger scores F all
defends like a kangaroo caught headlights
done nothing years
we are so glad to be rid of him
Not even sure Brownie can fix up his issues but good luck

I am a fan of Brownie so good luck for next year
I think you guys under the circumstances have done really well this year
good luck on the run home and thanks for all your players and staff sacrifices

many will be going for u guys if you make it
 

WellsNZ

Juniors
Messages
903
AFB would be that top tier prop that we haven't had for so long. Add him and BMM, along with the emergence of Katoa, and suddenly our pack is a group that teams are not going to look forward to playing.

Don't want to get too excited though. Broncos have no money so we can cut them out, but there's still several other "outside of Sydney" teams.
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,933
Big Bunty fan and very pleased he’s staying. If Blair signs on as i expect he will, that’ll leave 3 spots to fill. Hooker is certainly where we’re lacking as just Egan and Lawton currently and I see Lawton as very much makeshift. Interesting to know how much cap $$ we have for those 3 spots as $500k for 3 players is very limiting compared to $1mil plus in the pot. Also very interesting that Gould and Brown very quiet in the media around Warriors 2021 and signings etc when there is a lot of discussion re this at present. Definitely the best way to be IMO. I’m sure those 2 will be well involved in the background though and hopefully big signing is imminent

what’s the full story with Roache? Was he cut loose, decided to leave or hanging up the boots? I can’t see him attracting much interest elsewhere given his injury record. Would’ve maybe offered him a bottom tier contract with performance/fitness incentives.
 

Beavers Headgear

First Grade
Messages
8,720
FWIW, there are whispers going around about him being offered 900k and the Warriors are getting plenty of mention, what you can offer up in return could be the key, maybe an Afoa along with a transfer fee could get the job done
 

BLN2

Juniors
Messages
383
Is that on the Manly forum? He isn't worth $900k even if he was a saint off the field IMO..

That $600-$700k mark in the media is about spot on I reckon. Would add that metre making ability we've been lacking ever since Matulino was going good..
 
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