Quick Facts
Biography
Jorge Taufua (born 23 October 1991) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. He is a Tongan national and New South Wales City representative winger.
Background
Born in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Taufua is of Tongan and Samoan descent. Taufua played his junior football for the Toongabbie Tigers and Wentworthville Magpies whilst attending The Hills Sports High School before being signed by the Parramatta Eels. Taufua played for the Eels' Toyota Cup team in 2010. In 2011, Taufua signed with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. He played for the Sea Eagles' Toyota Cup team in 2011 before moving on to the Sea Eagles' NSW Cup reserve-grade team in 2012.
Playing career
2012
In Round 4 of the 2012 NRL season, Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey selected Taufua to make his NRL debut from the interchange bench for the Sea Eagles against the St George Illawarra Dragons but he didn't get on the field in the Sea Eagles 6-17 loss at Kogarah Oval. In Round 5 against the Parramatta Eels, Taufua made his official NRL debut for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles on the wing and scored a try in the Sea Eagles 29-20 loss at Parramatta Stadium. Since being selected on the wing, Taufua established himself as Manly's left winger, replacing long time winger, and 2008 NRL Grand Final hero, Michael Robertson, who had left the club. On 20 June 2012, Taufua re-signed with the Sea Eagles for 2 years to the end of the 2014 season. While some considered Taufua unlucky to miss out on the Rookie of the Year award for his impressive debut season, it was towards the end of the season and during the finals series that Taufua's potential became fully evident. Despite many of his teammates showing the effects of a season crippled by injuries and off-field dramas, Taufua produced a string of astonishing performances, including a man-of-the-match performance in the Sea Eagles 22-12 semi final win over the North Queensland Cowboys. Unfortunately for Taufua, and Manly, they saved their worst performance of the season for the Preliminary Final against the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park just a week after defeating the Cowboys 22-12 at SFS. The Sea Eagles bumbled and fumbled their way through a savage 40-12 loss to the eventual NRL premiers. Taufua finished his debut year in the [NRL with him being named the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 2012 NRL season rookie of the year with him playing in 23 matches and scoring 10 tries. On 19 October 2012, Taufua was charged with assault for allegedly spitting at a Queensland Police officer at a night club on the Gold Coast. Taufua was then banned in court from entering any licensed venues in Queensland. As a result, a special court hearing was needed (held on 7 March 2013) to allow him to play for the Sea Eagles in their opening match of the 2013 NRL season against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, which is a licensed venue. The outcome of the hearing saw a variation to the original ruling. While still banned from entering any licensed venues, Taufua was allowed into such venues for the purposes of his employment as a rugby league player.
2013
Taufua started 2013 with a bang by scoring 7 tries in the first 5 matches, including a hatrick in Sea Eagles 32-0 win over the Newcastle Knights at Brookvale Oval in Round 2. In April 2014, Taufua earned his first representative selection when he played on the wing for NSW City Origin in their 18-12 loss to NSW Country Origin in Coffs Harbour. Taufua's form on the wing for Manly also saw him spoken as a possible selection for New South Wales in the State of Origin series, though he ultimately missed selection. Taufua played on the wing in the Sea Eagles 26-18 Grand Final loss to the Sydney Roosters scoring the first try in the match. Taufua finished the 2013 NRL season with him played 26 matches and being the Sea Eagles joint top tryscorer with David Williams on 20 tries. Taufua played for Tonga in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup playing in all 3 matches and scoring a try against the Cook Islands in the 22-16 win at Leigh Sports Village.
2014
In February 2014, Taufua was selected in the Sea Eagles inaugural 2014 Auckland Nines squad. Taufua was selected to play for City Origin on the wing against Country Origin in the 26-all draw in Dubbo. A day before the Sea Eagles Finals Week 2 match against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Taufua was dropped by coach Geoff Toovey after he was struggling under the high ball in the Sea Eagles 40-24 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs a week earlier in Week 1 of the 2014 finals series. Taufua finished off the 2014 NRL season with him playing in 16 matches and scoring 10 tries for the Sea Eagles.
2015
On 21 March, Taufua was involved in an alcohol fuelled fight with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs player Jacob Loko outside the Hotel Chambers on Elizabeth Street in the Sydney Central Business District. Taufua was later hit with a $10,000 fine and an alcohol ban till 31 December. On 2 May, he played for Tonga in their Polynesian Cup test-match clash against Pacific rivals Samoa, playing on the wing and scoring 2 tries in Tonga's 16-18 loss at Cbus Super Stadium. As he was about to score a third try that would put Tonga in front by two points with 3 minutes left remaining in the match, he was taken into touch from a hit by Samoan forwards Frank Pritchard and Sam Kasiano. He finished off the 2015 season having played in 17 matches and scoring 10 tries for the Sea Eagles. On 17 October, he represented Tonga again, this time in their Asia-Pacific Qualifier match against the Cook Islands for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, playing on the wing and scoring a try in Tonga's 28-8 win at Campbelltown Stadium.
2016
On 1 February, Taufua was named in the Sea Eagles' 2016 NRL Auckland Nines squad.