Who should we sign for 2022

[Rich102]

Josh Hodson would be top of my list.
Good player. Great leadership. Tough nut.
Unsigned at the Raiders.
Could lead to other UK signings.

 

[JJ]

I like Hodgson - a lot, but I am also one that doesn't think hooker is particularly our issue. I like Egan starting, and Nikorima off the bench, and the kid is promising.

Leadership is, halves are - Hodgson can help there, and obviously Johnson should help with one of them.

The roster isn't too bad, I keep coming back to leadership - Harris is kind of it on field, and given what happened against the Titans I kind of conclude there's a vacuum off field and among the rest of the playing group

 

[Beavers Headgear]

I’m against the the grain here, Hodgson is well past his best, and the Raiders were a far better side when he was out and starling was at hooker not stifling everybody play. Also had a fair bit to say during the year against management

They highlighted on one of the shows how he would take 1-2 steps before passing out of dummy half and making into easier for the defence

 

[Fufu Andronez]

Id like for us to just put some coaching into Egan first. Let's see what he has and if he can improve before we discard him completely. This isn't a video game where you just buy yourself out of trouble every time, might be time to roll up the sleeves and work hard to get better.

 

[Tongue]

If Egan can develop a running game, stick with him.
But currently, some serious punch missing from dummy half.
Karl Lawton had a little more punch than Egan, but thats history now.

 

[SmashEmBro]

Feels like we’re a bit stuck hooker wise, as all those big name hookers off contract for 2023 can be spoken to in November - I feel like we have to have our mind made up now. Are we keeping Egan based on what he is right now? I like him, but I think if we can sign one of the Braileys, Starling, Mahoney, Smith for about $500k more than what we’re paying for Egan, then we should do it.

I think that’s the pathway that offers the quickest improvement for our team. I.E if next years team is a top 8 team, with a better hooker we’re pushing top 4

 

[LeagueNut]

Looks like we're letting CHT and Egan test the waters, plus we're open to offers for Fusitua.

Warriors halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita will test the market on November 1, with the club holding fire on offering him a new deal.

The 22-year-old is off contract at the end of next season and under NRL rules he’s free to negotiate with other clubs on a deal for 2023 onwards from November 1.

The Warriors could lock up Harris-Tavita’s future by offering him a new deal before the November 1 deadline, but Stuff understands they to want wait until he’s played half a dozen games next season when he’ll partnering Shaun Johnson in the halves.

There is the risk that Harris-Tavita will be snapped up by another club by then, but that’s a gamble the Warriors are willing to take.

The Warriors have made no secret of their desire to sign Joseph Manu from 2023 and like Harris-Tavita, the Kiwi will be allowed to negotiate with any club from November 1. If the Warriors did sign Manu, he’d be playing in the halves.

While there are many other factors involved, it could come down to a straight forward decision of whether they want Manu or Harris-Tavita from 2023 onwards.

Harris-Tavita never really got going this year, because of injuries, just playing in 11 games.

However, his impact in games wasn’t massive. The only two tries he scored came in the game against the Sea Eagles and he only had two try assists.

But he is still a player with his best years ahead of him, so clubs will be looking at what he can offer in the years ahead, rather than what he did this year.

Hooker Wayde Egan is also in the last year of his contract and like Harris-Tavita won’t be offered a contract until early next season.

The club have been committed to Egan as their first-choice hooker and over the back end of this year he was playing some of his best footy for them, but the question will be whether he can continue that form.

It seems certain next year will be Kodi Nikorima’s last with the Warriors. During this season he did want a release from his contract for 2022, so he could stay in Brisbane.

The club relocating to Redcliffe has sorted out that problem, but the Warriors will be back in New Zealand in 2023, although given that his future role at the club is as someone wearing the No 14 jersey, rather than in the halves, he’s overpriced at $500,000 a season.

Stuff understands Sean O’Sullivan has been offered a contract for next season, but it hasn’t been accepted.

Other clubs are interested in him and while he’d prefer to stay, there is more chance of him going than remaining.

Given that Johnson has only played all 24 games of a season once in his career and just 26 games in total over the past two years, the Warriors will need a decent back up in the halves, even with Nikorima able to play there.

It’s worth noting that O’Sullivan played in five of the eight games the Warriors won this year and they didn’t win any of the five games when Chad Townsend played.

No decision has been made yet on whether Tom Ale or Jackson Frei will be offered new contracts.

Meanwhile, the club could be willing to give David Fusitu’a a release if an offer came in for him.

The 26-year-old only played in the first five games this season and missed the rest of the campaign with a hamstring injury.

In 2018 Fusitu’a won the Dally M top try scorer award with 23 tries, but the following year scored six from 16 games and last year just one from seven.

At his best, Fusitu’a is one of the best wingers in the world, but it has been a while since he’s consistently been at that level, although that is partly due to injuries.

It’s not that the Warriors are desperate to get rid of Fusitu’a, who is contracted through to the end of the 2023 season, but if he decided he wanted to go elsewhere, it’s unlikely the club would force him to stay, especially given that Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is now at the club and Marcelo Montoya had a better than expected season.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Dunno what clubs are seeing in SOS, as much as he's not the worst half in the history of the game...he's hardly worth a bidding war.

Joseph Manu at 6. I just dunno aye. Haven't we seen enough history of trying to turn gun outside backs into halves that goes wrong? I know there's some that make it, but has Manu exhibited the sort of ball skills to make us think it'd be a winner?

 

[spear tackle]

Didn't we sign a wing from the Storm last year that is yet to play for us after a season ending injury in the off season?

 

[Mr Angry]

Did someone ask about Tom Ale, Redcliffes best today.

Some kid called Ezra Mam was a class above them all for Souths-Logan.

18, signed with Broncos, damn it.

 

[Tongue]

Someone that we have signed for 2022 and as a reminder of the glory days….

 

[Mr Angry]

Rumour doing the rounds, Briton Nikora wants out and wants to join Shaun at the warriors ASAP.

 

[SmashEmBro]

The Ash Taylor story is growing a bit of legs too.

I like Nikora as a player but we don’t need him, unless we’re going to release two or three backrowers.
I doubt he’s the player Gus was talking about either, so we still have another forward to come.

Exciting times ahead either way

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Ash Taylor? As depth on a small contract, why not I guess.

 

[Meth]

I like Nikora as a player but we don’t need him

Yep. Backrowers is not what we need.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Ash Taylor? As depth on a small contract, why not I guess.

Does he want to play backup?

 

[waipiro]

Didn't we sign a wing from the Storm last year that is yet to play for us after a season ending injury in the off season?

Ratuva. 21 years old and O'Sullivan reckons he is one of the best athletes he has seen in footy so hopefully he is over his injury and we get a chance to see him in 2022

 

[waipiro]

Ash Taylor? As depth on a small contract, why not I guess.

He is a considerable upgrade on SOS and yes you would expect him to be on a value deal if he wants to stay in the GC

 

[waipiro]

Yep. Backrowers is not what we need.

Interesting Nikora is after a release as that normally means he has been offered a better contract....i wonder if we are covering for someone leaving that has yet to be announced?
I am a little worried about Tohu on how he was handing head knocks and injuries this year.....dont want to be paranoid but hopefully he is all good in 2022.

 

[waipiro]

Rumour doing the rounds, Briton Nikora wants out and wants to join Shaun at the warriors ASAP.

He runs a nice angle on attack and that suits shauns passing game