While much of the focus of the Warriors’ clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday night will be on the departing Shaun Johnson, it’s easy to forget another of the NRL club’s stalwarts will also say goodbye to Mt Smart.

Eight years after his first appearance for the Warriors, Jazz Tevaga will get the chance to say goodbye to the club where it all started, before he departs for pastures new in 2025.

After coming up through the grades through the Warriors’ academy, the 28-year-old has so far played 136 times for his hometown club.

However, as the Warriors make way for the next generation – and with no shortage of exciting forwards on their books for next year and beyond – Tevaga will be the one to make way, after the club decided against extending his deal beyond this current season.

By his own admission, the news was hard to take for Tevaga. But now with the end in sight, he’ll also get the chance to thank the club’s supporters for their support over the first eight years of his NRL career.

“Obviously, when I had the conversation with the club, it was a pretty hard pill to swallow,” he said. “I was pretty emotional for a couple of weeks. But I’m excited to finish strongly with the boys.

“No doubt, there’s going to be a lot of emotion running out there for the last time in a Warriors jumper. I don’t know how I’m going to react, I hope I don’t cry on TV in front of everyone. I’m going to miss this place.

“I always thought I’d be a one-club man. It was hard to see myself playing for another club, because I’ve been here for so long.

“But that’s just the way it is, it’s business. These guys have got a lot of young talent coming through that they need to keep here.

“That’s just the way it rolls sometimes, I understand the game. I’ve been in the game [for] a long time, I’ve seen some long-serving Warriors leave.

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“It’s just the way it rolls. That’s why I was emotional, it was the reality of leaving.”

While there will be players to play for the Warriors with more ability than Tevaga, you’d be hard pressed to find one with as much love for the club.

Jazz Tevaga celebrates helping his beloved Warriors to a win over the Canberra Raiders in Christchurch in March. Photo / Photosport

In 2022, he famously declared the Warriors had “more jerseys than trophies” in frustration after defeat to the Newcastle Knights.

While at times the Warriors’ care for the club has been called into question, no such claims should ever be levelled at Tevaga.

And if there are sections of Warriors fans who did take Tevaga for granted, he’ll have the chance to make them eat their words as early as next year.

While no club is as of yet confirmed to have secured his signature, Tevaga let it slip that not only has he managed to find a new club, but they’re also in the NRL, rather than switching codes or heading to the UK.

The only issue for the man himself will be having to face the Mt Smart faithful as an opponent.

“Our supporters are very staunch supporters. Selling out the stadium every week, every home game we’ve had here has been massive,” Tevaga said.

“The support we get in the street has been huge. I’m really going to miss this place.

“I’m not looking forward to coming back here next year. But hopefully we come and pump you brothers.”

Jokes aside, though, Tevaga’s achievements shouldn’t be squawked at.

Aside from a century of appearances, Tevaga is also one of few Warriors to claim silverware at the NRL’s Dally M awards.

When Roger Tuivasa-Sheck picked up the nod for the game’s best player in 2018, Tevaga was on stage with him as the Dally M interchange player of the year.

In arguably one of the best moments in Warriors history, Tevaga had the best seat in the house.

And while he’s never been one to take himself too seriously, Tevaga knows exactly what he’s done in a Warriors jersey.

“I did well to scab 100 and something games off the Warriors,” he joked. “I did all right.

“I’m proud of what I’ve done.”

Alex Powell is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.