Following reports that Taine Tuaupiki might quit New Zealand Warriors and make a 2027 switch to Super League, the club have moved to shut down that suggestion but they have admitted that he does have an option to leave in 2028.
Contracted until the end of the 2028 season following a February contract extension, it had been reported that New Zealand Warriors’ full-back Taine Tuaupiki could leave the club and head to Super League next year.
That’s now been rubbished by club CEO Cameron George, who insists that Tuaupiki is a Warriors player and that he will be staying in New Zealand for 2027.
As reported by Code Sports, George said: “Despite the rumours or otherwise, Taine is contracted to the Warriors for the next two years.”
However, George did admit that the 27-year-old would be allowed to look at a Super League move for 2028, though he again added that the club have no intent on letting him leave.
“He does have an option for the Super League in 2028, however there’s no appetite from our end of losing Taine,” George qualified.
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New Zealand Warriors’ full-back situation for 2027 after exit talk silenced
Tuaupiki has been a standout in 2026, helping lead the Warriors to a second-place finish on the ladder, though they lost in New Zealand last week to the Dolphins after a Herbie Farnworth-inspired performance from Kristian Woolf’s side.
The Wahs will host the Knights on Sunday morning with Tuaupiki set to start at full-back, as he has done on 19 of his 21 appearances this season, and such prominence in a strong NRL team made reports of a UK move to surprising.
However, Code Sports report that those in Tuaupiki’s camp believe he could become among the very highest-earners in Super League if he were to make the move with the 27-year-old currently ona reported $500,000 per year deal, which is approximately £215,000.
Whilst Tuaupiki has locked in the full-back slot and the club have confirmed no intent to see him leave, it does mean that Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has been usurped and he is a player who is off-contract at the end of the 2027 season, meaning clubs from both Super League and the NRL can open talks with him.
It had been reported in March of 2025 that the full-back was considering a Super League move before he signed the current deal he is on with the Warriors so the versatile 31-year-old, who has been capped internationally 19 times, could again become an option for teams in the northern hemisphere.
