New Zealand Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is reportedly set to make a bombshell call on his future which could very likely see him depart the NRL at the end of the season.
A dual-international for the Cook Islands (three games) and the New Zealand Kiwis (ten matches), Nicoll-Klokstad has been one of the best players at the Warriors since returning to the club in 2023 after a four-year stint with the Canberra Raiders.
A key component of the club reaching the 2023 Preliminary Final before going down to the Brisbane Broncos, the 29-year-old is still in the prime of his career and has plenty to give on the football field.
However, reports have indicated overnight that 2025 may mark his last season in the NRL.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the off-contract Nicoll-Klokstad is set to reject a contract extension offer from the New Zealand Warriors and will instead sign with a Super League club for next season.
It is understood that his preference is to move to the Super League with the Catalans Dragons "seriously interested" in recruiting him following the departure of French international Arthur Mourgue and the pending retirement of Sam Tomkins, per Love Rugby League.
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If he departs the Warriors, Andrew Webster will hand the fullback reins to the club's 2024 Rookie of the Year Taine Tuaupiki, who signed an extension with the club until the end of 2026 at the end of last year.
Primarilly a fullback, the 25-year-old has only played 15 first-grade matches - mainly on the wing - but has shown plenty of promise and fans would fondly remember him producing a memorable man-of-the-match display against the Penrith Panthers which saw them win in Magic Round last year.
“Whether he's coming into the NRL side or playing in the New South Wales Cup, Taine gives us so much quality,” said coach Andrew Webster about Tuaupiki.
“It's not just the quality in his play but the energy and enthusiasm he provides every day.”
