Brisbane Broncos young gun fullback and centre Tesi Niu is reportedly set to make an immediate switch to the Dolphins.
Niu is likely to be on the outside of Brisbane's best 17 for the 2023 season, and it has been confirmed that he has been given permission to explore his options around the competition after the Red Hill-based outfit added Reece Walsh to the picture for the upcoming year following his release from the New Zealand Warriors.
Niu is unlikely to play in the centres either, with Kotoni Staggs and Herbie Farnworth having an iron grip on those two positions.
Despite coach Kevin Walters revealing the race for the number one jersey isn't over, Walsh would appear to have the inside running on the first game of the year.
That comes with Niu having a single year to run on his current deal, which was signed ahead of the 2022 season as a two-year extension to remain with the club.
The 21-year-old, long touted as one of the best youngsters in the game, has struggled to hit his potential yet, and was hampered by injury during 2022 before playing out some strong games as part of a successful Brisbane side through the middle of the season.
According to The Daily Telegraph though, Niu will make the switch to Redcliffe where he will link up with the NRL's 17th team under the coaching of Wayne Bennett and Kristian Woolf, who led Tonga's World Cup squad - a squad Niu played a big role in.
A former junior Origin and Australian Schoolboys star, the Brisbane-born youngster has played 32 games for the Broncos since making his debut in the 2020 season.
Moving to the Dolphins is likely to land Niu in another battle for minutes, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to be the club's first-choice fullback following his release from the North Queensland Cowboys in October.
It means Niu would be left to fight the likes of Brenko Lee, Euan Aitken and young gun Valynce Te Whare for a spot in the centres.
Dolphins CEO Terry Reader confirmed the Dolphins are interested in Niu.
โWe've still got some space on the cap left and spots to fill before March,โ he told the publication.
โThere are still some thrills and spills to come in the player market. People have been waiting to see what happens with the salary cap and that's sort of complete now.
โTesi was given permission to talk to other clubs so we'll see what happens. We've still got spots to fill and there's quality players out there.
โThere's a lot of time before we run out on that field in March and plenty to happen in the player market.
โHistory says January is the biggest month for player movement and I'm sure this year will be no different.โ
The Dolphins kick off their season with a Sunday afternoon blockbuster against the Sydney Roosters.
