Usually, we hear from rugby players who fall in love with the sport and want to play professionally for as long as they can. Former Samoan Tongan rugby player Tiaan Tauakipulu’s story is a little different. He and his family worked hard to give him the chance to pursue his dream, and it wasn’t long before he landed a spot playing playing Super Rugby. But between injuries and the mental demands of the game, Tauakipulu soon found himself burnt out. Faced with the choice of continuing down a path he and his family had invested so much in, or taking a new and daunting direction outside of everything he had ever known, he had to decide what came next.Tinirau and Sam unpack Round 24 of the NRL and the suggestion of adding a third-place playoff during Grand Final week. With players already facing a packed year of footy and little downtime, is there really room for another game?Sam also looks back on witnessing an old-school, battle-hardened Bull Sharks side in South Africa, and why his 19-year-old self was secretly grateful he didn’t make the team that day.And in the NRLW, the Roosters and Broncos meet in a rematch of the 2025 Grand Final. Shellie Long breaks down the clash and the rest of the action.