The Warriors will make major roster decisions as the November 1 deadline approaches. NRL
Andrew McFadden is in for a busy season, as the Warriors must make several key decisions about which players to maintain and whom to pursue.
McFadden, who holds the long job title of general manager recruitment, development, and pathways, collaborates on the club’s squad with head coach Andrew Webster and CEO Cameron George.
The process takes a year, but November 1 is a key date on the calendar since that is when NRL clubs can sign players whose contracts expire at the conclusion of next season, even if they won’t join their new squad until 2025.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Jackson Ford, Jazz Tevaga, Luke Metcalf, Rocco Berry, and Shaun
Johnson and Tohu Harris are all off contract at the end of next year, so are fair game for other clubs to sign from November 1.Shaun Johnson’s announcement has been postponed, and others are expected to quit the Warriors.
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The NRL has created a peculiar situation in which a player can join with a new club while still having a whole season still to play for his present team. It may be convenient for players, but it is inconvenient for clubs and fans.
However, it is what it is, and McFadden may be facing one of the Warriors’ largest senior player turnovers in recent years. As a result, the club must select who to keep, who to let go, and which players to keep an eye on.
The Warriors’ biggest question is whether Johnson will be as good as he was in 2024 or if Father Time will finally catch up with him.
This affects not only whether they award him a contract for 2025, but also what they do with Metcalf.
Metcalf will be in high demand because the NRL is short on talented halves. He may want to stay with the Warriors if he believes he will get plenty of playing time, but if Johnson does not play beyond next season, it will be evident that he will, and he will want to go somewhere.
The Warriors, on the other hand, don’t want to be in a situation where it’s evident Johnson has fallen so much that it’s not worth granting him a contract extension, or he chooses to retire, and Metcalf has already signed with another club for 2025.
Warriors captain Harris will be 32 at the start of next season and will very sure be hoping for one last big payday, but the Warriors will presumably want to see if he’s deteriorating before choosing what to offer.
It’s a cruel reality of professional sport, but Harris has put his body through a lot over the years, and the Warriors wouldn’t want to keep him on contract if he’s no longer capable of handling the rigours of NRL play. With his age, other NRL clubs are unlikely to rush to grant Harris a contract till next season begins.
Ford and Berry are two players who have proved that they have a lot of good football ahead of them and might be picked up early by other clubs. They aren’t among the Warriors’ highest-paid players, so significant salary raises could entice them.
Tevaga could be on the radar of other clubs, but because to injuries, he only played 11 games this year, and all clubs, including the Warriors, will most likely want to see how he performs in 2024 before engaging into discussions. The Warriors can afford to be patient with Lussick.
Watene-Zelezniak was one of the greatest wingers in the NRL this season, and surely a number of clubs would be eager to sign him for 2025 at the earliest chance, so the Warriors would be wise to negotiate a new deal with him as soon as possible.
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