Mark Taufua
 | ||||||
| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Larry Taufua | |||||
| Nickname | Fu, Taff | |||||
| Born | 24 October 1981 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia | |||||
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | |||||
| Weight | 106 kg (16 st 10 lb) | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Prop, Lock | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2007–11 | Newcastle Knights | 67 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 2012–13 | Cronulla-Sutherland | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 88 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2009–13 | Samoa | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Source: Rugby League Project | ||||||
Mark Larry Taufua is a retired Australian professional rugby league player. He is of Samoan descent, and lasted played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League. He previously played for the Newcastle Knights. He primarily played prop and lock. His younger brother Larry Jnr, played for the Newcastle Knights in the Jersey Flegg Cup in 2006 and 2007.
Playing career
After playing junior rugby league in Maitland for the Woodberry Warriors, Taufua switched to rugby union, playing for The Waratahs in the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union competition. He was a Newcastle and NSW Country rugby union representative when in 2006 Brian Smith, the Knights coach at that time discovered him. After debuting in the NRL midway through 2007, at 25, Taufua continued to improve. In 2008, a Newcastle Herald article nicknamed him "The Samoan stealth bomber" after "teeth-rattling tackles and bone-jarring charges" against the Melbourne Storm, and in 2009, played in every game for Newcastle except their first-round loss to the Gold Coast Titans. He only missed a few games in 2010 due to injury.
On 7 June 2011, Taufua signed with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks for 2 years, starting in 2012.[1]
Throughout the 2013 season, Taufua struggled to obtain game time in the NRL, due to the likes of Luke Lewis, Paul Gallen, and Andrew Fifita, before him, but had a fitting end to his career with a stellar season as starting prop in a NSW Cup Premiership side, captained by Chad Townsend. [2]
He announced his retirement from the game after the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
Taufua now plays for West Newcastle Rosellas in the Newcastle Rugby League
Representative career
In 2009 he was named as part of the Samoan side for the Pacific Cup.[3]
In April 2013 he played for Samoa in their Pacific Rugby League International against fierce pacific rivals Tonga.
Later in the year, Mark played for Samoa in their successful 2013 Rugby League World Cup campaign.
Personal life
Mark Taufua is the second eldest son of Feiloivao Lilomaiava Taulave (Lave/Larry) Taufua, who is a Paramount Chief of Faleatiu, A'ana, Samoa. Taufua's father was also a Heavy Weight boxer in New Zealand during the late 70s, where his alias was "Prince Tattoo" (due to his traditional Samoan tattoo known as Tatau or Pe'a. His mother Lulu Sapaea Faofua (Taufua) of Laulii died in 1996 due to cancer.
References
- ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/newcastles-mark-taufua-signs-with-cronulla/story-e6frfgbo-1226070529735
- ↑ http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/cronulla-sharks-overpower-windsor-wolves-to-claim-nsw-cup-title-20131006-2v1z7.html
- ↑ Poching names strong Samoan squad therhinos.co.uk, 6 October 2009