Taine Tuaupiki dazzled Manly Sea Eagles for a try at Go Media Stadium. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
NZ Warriors winger Taine Tuaupiki is relishing the opportunity for extended NRL game time, albeit in an unfamiliar position, but is all too aware he has become a prime target for opposition to exploit.
Previously used exclusively as understudy to veteran fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Tuaupiki, 25, has found a starting role wider out, with regular winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak recovering from wrist surgery during the pre-season.
After three tries in two trial games, he was largely ineffective in the season-opening loss to Canberra Raiders at Las Vegas, but bounced back with a well-taken try against Manly Sea Eagles last week, carving up the defence with trademark speed and footwork.
"I'm finding it fun, different," Tuaupiki said. "I don't want to say it's not as hard as fullback, because it has its different difficulties, but definitely less pressure on the wing.
"When you play fullback, you're involved, you have to tell people what to do and you're a bit of a voice in the team, but when you're on the wing, you're just a soldier and you do what you're told.
"I've always told Webby I just want to be in the 17, whether that's fullback, wing or halves, I'm happy to be there."
One of those "different difficulties" comes when the opposition pump high kicks towards the wings, who must leap skywards to contest the ball in mid-air. At just 1.78m (5ft 10in), Tuaupiki gives away considerable height to many of his onrushing rivals.
"I just hope they don't come," he chuckled. "Honestly, it's part of the job, and I can only go into it the best I can with the knowledge and strengths I have.
"If they get the ball back and I've tried my best… I can take a high ball, but the height and competing is the difference, it's pretty obvious. I know, if I make a mistake, [my teammates] will work hard to cover me."
On Friday, he comes up against a true aerial expert in Sydney Roosters winger Daniel Tupou at 1.96m (6ft 5in).
"For 10-12 years, he been one of the best at it, so no better way to challenge yourself than going up against the best, I guess."
In his limited opportunities so far, Tuaupiki has already proved a matchwinner for the Warriors. Last season, with the squad plagued by injuries and Nicoll-Klokstad shifted to the halves, he put the 'magic' into Magic Round, scoring a late try and then coolly converting for a 22-20 win over defending champions Penrith Panthers.
"I obviously understood that Charnze was the No.1 fullback and, to be honest, I didn't think I could play in another position," he said. "I grew up playing other positions, but at NRL level, I didn't know if I was able to do that, because I didn't get the reps or the opportunities.
"Last year, I wasn't too bothered by it, because I accepted that 'Nuck' was the No.1 fullback and when I got my opportunities, I just wanted to win and wanted to do my best to give the team the win. I hoped that was enough for Webby to keep me in the side."
That performance stamped him as a player the club could not afford to lose offshore and, thankfully, his contract was extended through 2026 in the off-season.
Watene-Zelezniak's misfortune has given Tuaupiki a chance at consistent gametime for the first time in his NRL career, although he almost missed that bus when it arrived.
"If I hadn't been on the bench when Dal got injured, I probably wouldn't have got a run on the wing and wouldn't be playing right now, but things just aligned, I got my opportunity and things just stuck," he said.
"When Dal went down, I was there bossing some of the young boys. We had a couple of wingers on the bench and I was telling them to go for a run, one of them was going on.
"When Dal was walking off the field, I was still kicking back in my seat and Dingo [manager Dan Floyd] just sprayed me, 'Get onto the field'. It wasn't until 15-20 minutes into the game that I started taking it seriously - I wasn't expecting it and I was probably mucking around until then."
With his wrist still in a cast, Watene-Zelezniak has become a constant companion for his replacement on the training field, helping him acclimatise to his new position.
"It would be pretty funny, if we mic'd him up during training, he's like my little shadow," Tuaupiki said. "He follows me around and he says, 'Is this getting too annoying?'
"It's helping me heaps. When Dallin's out there, you can never have too much information, because the position is pretty foreign to me."
The best advice Tuaupiki has received from those around him is to simply continue being himself - a theme coach Andrew Webster actively promotes throughout this Warriors group. They recognise he brings something different to their gameplan.
"I think, in the Raiders game, I tried to be someone else," he said. "I tried to be how Dal played and all our other wingers, but heading into last weekend, Webby just said 'Be you' and Dal said 'Bring your best'.
"I'm not really that tough, carry-straight-at-you, gonna-bump-you-off kind of guy. I'm more of a step around, trying to find tired forwards and get around them… a winger you don't really see in the competition, but I like to add my own flavour."
At some point in May, Watene-Zelezniak will return to action, seeking his jersey back, but until then, he has his replacement dreaming of higher honours.
"He was asking me, 'What are my goals for the year… Dally M Winger of the Year?' and I was, like, 'That's not me, bro'.
"He said you never know, you should always strive to keep that jersey. Knowing Dal's there, I know our intentions will always be good - he's always going to want the best for me and vice versa."
