Former Manly Sea Eagles enforcer Martin Taupau has reportedly agreed to terms on a contract with the Brisbane Broncos for the 2023 season.
The case of Taupau this off-season has been one of the NRL's strangest.
The veteran forward, who wasn't re-signed by the Sea Eagles after coming off-contract, at one point towards the end of last season revealed he had not been approached by any clubs.
There has since been speculation that he could have linked up with another Sydney club, with both the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Parramatta Eels in the mix.
It was reported during the season that Taupau had been approached for an immediate release to the blue and gold, but the Sea Eagles were unwilling to facilitate the move.
It has left Taupau training on his own in preparation for 2023 with hopes of signing a deal, and according to Triple M and Channel 9's Ben Dobbin, he has put pen to paper for 2023.
Breaking- Strong mail Marty Taupau set to sign effectively immediately for 2023 with the @brisbanebroncos. Has agreed to terms after touring the club in the last 24 hours. @TripleM_NRL @9NewsQueensland @RushHourBris @wwos
— Ben Dobbin (@MyMateDobbo) January 20, 2023
It's understood the deal would only be for the one season.
The 32-year-old Auckland-born prop played 156 games for the Sea Eagles between 2016 and 2022, having previously played for the Wests Tigers and Canterbury Bulldogs during the first five years of his career, which started in 2010.
He has also played 24 Tests for New Zealand and 9 for Samoa, bringing invaluable experience to the Broncos should the club land his services.
The 222-game veteran was below his best in 2022, but was not helped by Des Hasler, who didn't play him for nearly as many minutes as in previous years, with Manly instead prioritising the promotion of young forwards Sean Keppie, Taniela Paseka and Toafofoa Sipley, while Josh Aloiai also hit his stride.
Brisbane have plenty of strength in their starting pack, with Payne Haas, Thomas Flegler and Patrick Carrigan likely to wear numbers 8, 10 and 13 respectively in 2023, but have little in the way of experience or depth, which is where Taupau would come in and make an immediate difference.
The Broncos bounced down the table from a top-four spot after 19 rounds in 2022 to missing the top eight, and coach Kevin Walters will be desperate to stop a similar result this season.
