Former Parramatta forward Tepai Moeroa will return to rugby league to play with Melbourne Storm for the remainder of the 2021 NRL season.
Moeroa has today secured a release from his contract with the NSW Waratahs and will join Storm in camp at Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast in coming days.
The 25-year-old played 112 matches for Parramatta between 2014 and 2019 and gained representative honours for Cook Islands, the Prime Minister’s XIII and the World All Stars.
He made the switch to rugby, where he had previously played for the Australian Schoolboys, for the 2020 season.
Storm General Manager – Football Frank Ponissi said Moeroa would add depth to Storm’s forward ranks as the club pushes towards the 2021 finals.
"Tepai proved to be a very dependable player when he was with the Eels and we think he will be a good addition to our squad for the rest of this year," Ponissi said.
"He’s still in his mid-20s so he’s in the prime of his football career.
Coming in midway through the season and changing codes will have its challenges, but we expect Tepai will adapt quickly to being back in the NRL.
Frank Ponissi
"We would like to place on record our thanks to the Australian Rugby Union and NSW Waratahs for their co-operation with Tepai’s release from his current contract."
