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Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz
Taine Tuaupiki at Warriors training with Te Maire Martin. The pair both grew up on the west coast of the Waikato.
NRL: Cowboys v Warriors. Where: Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville. When: 7:30pm, Saturday, March 18. Coverage: Live on Sky Sport 4, live updates on Stuff from 7:10pm.
In an emotional behind the scenes video, the Warriors have captured the heartwarming moment when Taine Tuaupiki was informed he was just days away from achieving his NRL dream.
Tuaupiki, 23, will make his NRL debut for the Warriors against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville on Saturday, replacing the unavailable Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (HIA protocols).
Standing in front of his playing group, Warriors head coach Andrew Webster addressed the team before announcing, on Tuesday, that Tuaupiki would be making his NRL debut.
“I think it’s a really special moment when a guy gets to fulfil his dreams,” Webster said in the Warriors video. “Taine, you’re debuting this week.”
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Tuaupiki, who was born in Australia but grew up in Taharoa on the Waikato’s west coast, was brought back to New Zealand on a train and trial deal over the summer after lighting up last season’s Queensland Cup for the Burleigh Bears.
He was then signed to a full-time first-grade contract after playing a staring role in the Warriors’ NRL trial against the West Tigers.
SKY SPORT
The Warriors suffered their first loss of the season against the Roosters in round two.
“Oh man, I’m a bit rattled,” Tuaupiki said after receiving a raucous applause from his Warriors teammates.
During the video, the man Tuaupiki replaces, Nicoll-Klokstad, can be seen smiling on and cheering.
Tuaupiki, who won the 2022 Queensland Cup’s Petero Civoniceva Medal for the competition’s best and fairest and rookie of the year, then revealed he was pushed towards options other than the Warriors for 2023.
But it was the advice and encouragement of Webster that convinced the pint-sized flier – who stands at just 178cm tall and 83kg – to head to Auckland.
NRL Photos/Photosport
Taine Tuaupiki was upgraded to a first grade contract after impressing in the trial win over the West Tigers.
“Webby, a lot of people that were close to me, they wanted me to take other options,” Tuaupiki told Webster and the playing group.
“Myself and my family were pretty much the only ones that wanted to take this option purely on what you said.
“Ever since I’ve been here I’ve loved it, all the boys, all the coaching group, the energy … I can’t wait to get the opportunity to hopefully show you boys what I can do,” Tuaupiki said in the Warriors video.
Tuaupiki scored a try, made a line break, ran for 148 metres and made five tackles without a miss during the Warriors 30-18 victory over the Roosters in the New South Wales Cup last Saturday.
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