Super League target Marty Taupau to leave Manly Sea Eagles at the end of 2022 for potential shock move

Long-term Super League target Marty Taupau will be leaving the Manly Sea Eagles at the end of the season.

The hulking forward has been at the Sea Eagles for seven seasons, but had been linked with a move to the Parramatta Eels earlier in the year, before the transfer window closed.

That being said, Taupau has been long linked with a move to Super League with a number of clubs having been offered the rampaging forward over the past few seasons. It does, however, remain to be seen if any Super League club will now make a move for the powerhouse or whether or not Taupau will have to drop down to the New South Wales Cup or even retire.

Capped 24 times by New Zealand, Taupau has excelled for Manly in what has been a difficult period of time for the club, especially following the fiasco with the pride jerseys which saw seven players boycott their game against the Sydney Roosters.

Of course, that in turn created a backlash from which the Sea Eagles have yet to move on from, but, for Taupau, 2022 is his last season in the maroon jersey before moving on to pastures new.

Taupau hasn’t got a future with the Sea Eagles from next year as the club instead focuses on young talent including Taniela Paseka, Toafofoa Sipley, Sean Keppie and Ethan Bullemor.

Despite being the wrong side of 30, Taupau still has a lot to offer rugby league and especially Super League sides, with some clubs taking punts on older imports that have worked out tremendously well.

For example, Chris McQueen at the Huddersfield Giants has been a revelation since making the move to the John Smith’s Stadium, likewise Steve Menzies all those years ago at the Catalans Dragons and Bradford Bulls.

Taupau could be a gamble, but it is one that would have great odds of paying off.