Aisea Halo and Kyren Taumoefolau. Photo: Michael Thomas/ActionPress
He's been the breakout star this season for Moana Pasifika, but the brighter Kyren Taumoefolau shines, the closer the buzzards get.
Taumoefolau was attracting plenty of attention and fears were growing he may be poached from his current club.
While Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga acknowledged player movement was part and parcel of modern rugby, he was weary of not becoming a feeder side for other Super Rugby squads.
"We provide a platform, we do it in a unique way that's unique to us as Pasifika people, and then the players get the opportunities that they get and they've worked for it."
Moana lost their two best performers in 2023 with Levi Aumua being signed to the Crusaders and Timoci Tavatavanawai heading to the Highlanders.
Taumoefolau's was signed on until the end of 2026 at Moana.
"We'd love to sign everybody and keep them here for as long as we can, but in this day and age it's difficult. And then the agents doing their job and chucking them around left, right and centre.
"So, we're all in discussions at the moment and that's as much as we can do and we'll just see how that goes."
Taumoefolau qualifies for both Tonga and New Zealand, having already made his international debut for Tonga in 2023 and was also being touted as a future All Black.
"That's his decision. Obviously, we are here for Pacific Islands and we want to try and develop those nations. Kyron in a position where he's got choice and that's all you want as a person.
"You want to have options in life and just got to realise those all come to fruition by the way you play on the field."
Umaga said the noise presented a new challenge for Taumoefolau.
"That's that mental side of dealing with that expectation, before he was playing for Tonga and trying to get into the Moana Pasifka side, then someone has an idea around you could be an All Black.
"I know what it feels like when your name gets mentioned in that level. That's a different level of conversation and even though you try and block that out, it's hard in this day and age to do that.
"He's a good young man and he'll learn how do you deal with not just the negative communication that's going around, the positive stuff too but he can't get too far ahead of himself in this game."
A tough task awaited Umaga's men as they prepared to meet the Crusaders in Christchurch this weekend, with Taumoefolau sidelined for the match with a shoulder injury.
Umaga said there were plenty of positives to take from last week's 50-35 loss to the Chiefs, though their start wasn't one of them.
"I think it's just a couple of mindset things around how we start our preparation before the game.
"We can be really competitive, but if we have any doubts and a part of the machine doesn't work, then it makes it a hard day. We don't want to give such big leads."
Skipper Ardie Savea said Christchurch is probably the toughest city to play in in Super Rugby and dismissed suggestions the franchise has lost any of its aura.
"They've been champions for so many years and they've got quality players, coaches and that's kind of their fortress.
"So for us it's a huge task but something that we can go there and try and test ourselves and test them as well."
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