NRL

North Queensland Cowboys outside back Murray Taulagi is set to leave the NRL at the end of the season, with the Queensland representative understood to have agreed to a lucrative move to French rugby according to CODE Sports.

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Taulagi is expected to join a Top 14 club on a multi-year contract, with the deal potentially running for three seasons as he begins the next chapter of his career.

The 27-year-old had previously been in discussions with the Sydney Roosters after deciding against extending his stay in North Queensland, but has instead opted to make the switch to rugby union.

Taulagi has long had a strong connection to rugby union, having been a standout schoolboy player in the 15-man code before ultimately being recruited by the Cowboys.

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He will now return to the sport with the opportunity to establish himself in one of the world’s strongest domestic rugby competitions, with a role at either inside or outside centre expected to await him in France.

Getty Images

Getty Images

Taulagi leaves North Queensland after 124 NRL appearances for the club, having made his first-grade debut in 2019 and becoming a regular presence on the Cowboys’ wing.

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He has also enjoyed representative honours during his career, playing for both Australia and Samoa as well as making six appearances for Queensland, the last of which came in 2024.

His departure brings an end to a Cowboys career that has spanned seven seasons, with extension negotiations between the two parties breaking down earlier this year.

The Cowboys have already moved to reshape their outside backs for next season, signing Jesse Ramien and Sione Katoa from Cronulla.

Taulagi’s move to France also leaves the door open for the Roosters to retain veteran winger Daniel Tupou, who had been linked with a potential move to the Super League.

For Taulagi, however, the decision represents an opportunity to return to the code where his football journey began and take on an entirely new challenge in French rugby, with the move potentially bringing his NRL career to an end after the 2026 season.

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