From night shifts to NSW Cup star: Makaia Tafua’s full-time rugby league gamble pays off

Young Warriors hooker Makaia Tafua is stepping into next season with a single focus, after quitting the night-shift labour work he once juggled alongside footy.

Tafua, a 21-year-old Linwood Keas junior, was one of three South Island players locked in by the Warriors until 2028, a group the club describes as outstanding examples of the strength of its Christchurch pathways.

The Christchurch-born rising star made 22 New South Wales Cup appearances for the club. Tafua’s rise has been rapid since joining the system during the Covid era, progressing through SG Ball, Jersey Flegg, and into the NSW Cup.

Speaking with Latonya Lole on Pacific Huddle, Tafua says going “all in” on rugby league is already transforming his career. He says last year, he worked a night-shift labour job installing water mains and fire hydrants.

“I'd go to training on Thursday, then to work [that] night and then finish at 6am. Then go back to training in the morning on Friday, then fly out and try to sleep on the plane. I thought it wasn't worth it in the long run,” Tafua says.

“I started really well at the start of the year and then sort of dipped low by then. So, this year I wanted to put all my eggs in the footy basket and go all in. This year I front-loaded all the energy I had towards footy and tried not to work as many hours. It sort of paid off.”

Listen to Makaia Tafua’s full interview below.

His commitment is reflected in the club’s confidence in him. Speaking with Zero Tackle, Andrew McFadden, One NZ Warriors’ General Manager Recruitment, Pathways and Development, points out Tafua’s maturity and steady rise through the grades.

“Makaia, Jason [Salalilo] and Bishop [Neal] are all terrific examples of the talent coming out of our academy in Christchurch. Makaia and Jason have grabbed every opportunity through the grades to earn exposure with our New South Wales Cup side,” McFadden says.

That exposure included a standout season in reserve grade, where Tafua was part of the side that strung together a 15-game winning streak en route to the NSW Cup title. Tafua also credits recent rookie-camp learnings for shaping how he approaches the season ahead.

“A lot of the mental side of footy, they touched base on it and opened my eyes up to how much that plays a factor into your performance on the footy field as well. That was pretty useful,” Tafua says.

“We do these mental meetings at the Warriors and I took one of the quotes back to the boys and they all related to it. It was an Olympian athlete and the quote was, ‘I deserve to do my best’.

“Relating it to our preseason, we do all the hard work, training behind the scenes and I thought we could relate to it because we got that in the bank and we deserve to do our best.”

Looking ahead, Tafua is energised by the chance to commit fully to the sport he has played since childhood. He admits he never imagined reaching this point so young.

“I've been playing [rugby league] since I was three or four. Always been around it. My dad played footy and all my cousins played footy around me. I

“It's unreal, that being your job. Going out, playing footy and being around the boys that you've played footy with most of my life. I'm looking forward to playing this season, real excited.”