New Zealand Warriors fullback Taine Tuaupiki wants to leave the club at the end of the season to head to the English Super League.
That is the shock revelation coming from the United Kingdom overnight, with journalist John Davidson of Rugby League Hub saying he is contemplating the move abroad.
Any move away from the Warriors for the fullback would need to be ticked off by the Warriors, given he only re-signed with the club earlier this year through to the end of 2028.
Exclusive: Warriors fullback Taine Tuaupiki is contemplating a move to Super League next year.https://t.co/AwoY54vMJL pic.twitter.com/FNOi9wANNl
— John Davidson (@johnnyddavidson) September 16, 2026
At the time, Tuaupiki, who committed to a new two-year deal and has fought for the club's number one jumper with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad ever since, was labelled a "terrific source of energy" by coach Andrew Webster.
“He's a terrific source of energy around the squad, and we're thrilled to know he'll be with us for at least another three seasons," Webster said in February of his re-signing.
"He has so much to offer.”
Tuaupiki has played 46 NRL games, of which 21 have come this season.
Now 27 years of age, he debuted in 2023 and has been something of a late bloomer to the competition, but has come into his own over the last two years.
While he kicked off the year on the bench, he quickly claimed the fullback jersey in Round 3 with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad suffering an injury, and has been more or less in the team ever since, only missing a short period when he suffered his own injury.
Nicoll-Klokstad appeared as if he was going to claim the fullback jersey again after that, with Tauapiki returning to the bench in Round 23, but another injury for the veteran saw him come back into the side from Round 25, where he has been ever since.
Tuaupiki started for the Warriors in their qualifying final at Mt Smart Stadium last weekend against the Dolphins, and has been named to do the same this weekend at Eden Park in a sudden-death semi-final against the Newcastle Knights.
This has been Tuaupiki's best year of his career, and not just by games played.
His seven tries scored is a career high, and so too are his 16 line breaks, while he has also claimed the kicking boots and ran for a career-high 170 metres per game - well up on previous numbers which have been between 130 and 150.
That, in truth, was one of the key criticisms of Tuaupiki's game when compared to Nicoll-Klokstad, but closing that gap this year has enabled him to have a far more solid run in the first-grade side.
Whether the Warriors have any appetite to release Tuaupiki at the end of the year remains to be seen, with the club otherwise to face the same balancing act in the number one jumper next year given Nicoll-Klokstad is locked up to the end of 2027.
The former Raider is approaching the end of his career, though, now 31 years of age and, given injury problems, unclear on whether he will play on after 2027.
