Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | Wellington, New Zealand | 15 April 1989|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 184 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 87 kg (13 st 10 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Halfback, Five-eighth, Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: [1] As of 25 February 2018 |
Arana Taumata (born 15 April 1989) is a New Zealand rugby league footballer, primarily in the five-eighth position.
Taumata was born in Wellington, New Zealand to Māori parents. He has four brothers and three sisters.[ citation needed ]
Originally from Wellington, Taumata of Māori descent was brought to Australia as a 15-year-old to join the Brisbane Broncos. He was sacked by the Brisbane Broncos for disciplinary breaches and also spent time at the Sydney Roosters before making his first grade debut with Canterbury-Bankstown in round 16 of the 2008 NRL season, against his former club the Sydney Roosters. [2]
In January 2009, Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy announced his plan to promote Taumata to a playmaking role with the Storm. [3] In early February however, Taumata was dismissed by the Storm after a "physical altercation" off-field, his fourth dismissal in four years. [4] It was stated that the NRL was unlikely to register a contract for Taumata for the 2009 season, even if he found another club. [5]
Taumata signed with the Wests Tigers for the 2010 season. [6] In June 2010, Taumata was released mid-season from his contract with the Wests Tigers after spending most of the year in the New South Wales Cup, to sign with the North Queensland Cowboys. He made his debut for the North Queensland club that weekend, coming off the bench in their 20–19 loss to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. It was his first NRL game in almost two years. [7] In October 2010 he played for the New Zealand Māori in their 18–18 draw with England prior to the 2010 Four Nations tournament.
After being released by the North Queensland club at the end of the 2010 NRL season, Taumata signed by the Penrith Panthers on a one-year deal for 2011. He played for Penrith's feeder club, the Windsor Wolves, in the NSW Cup. In June 2011 he was involved in a police investigation into prescription fraud. [8]
After the police investigations, Taumata was found guilty of stealing a prescription pad from the Panthers club doctor, and using it to attempt to buy Valium. As a result, Taumata had to comply with an 18-month good behaviour bond. However Penrith General Manager Phil Gould offered Taumata a lifeline in the off-season and signed Taumata for another year, stating that it was his final chance to stake a claim for a first-grade jumper, with the condition that he undergo intensive counselling and labouring work. [9]
After a stint in the Penrith Panthers feeder club, the Windsor Wolves in 2012, with the team reaching second on the NSW Cup ladder, Taumata played his first rugby league game at the top grade level in almost two years, on 17 June 2012, for the Penrith Panthers against the Gold Coast Titans. Taumata scored a try in the 59th minute of the Round 15 game - his first try at the top grade level for the Penrith club. This was also Taumata's debut appearance for the club at first grade level. [10]
In 2013, Taumata said that he left the Penrith club and was not playing rugby league. He said had received, "no support from the club... I felt let down in many ways." Phil Gould said of Taumata's period with the Panthers, "At the time I feared he would kill himself or kill someone else the way he was living his life. That's why I stepped in to get him the help he needed. Thankfully I think those days are now well behind him. I have not heard from Arana for some time." [11]
Taumata played for Newtown in 2014 before moving to Tumut in 2015.
Taumata was removed as Captain Coach of Tumut after round 10 of the group 9 season for disciplinary reasons. Taumata had broken the clubs '3 strike policy' and was told his services were no longer required. [12]
Taumata was mentioned in July 2017 to be playing with Moore Park Broncos in a local Sydney A-Grade competition, in an article comparing State of Origin players to local competitors. [13]
In 2018, Taumata joined Intrust Super Premiership NSW side the Wentworthville Magpies. [14]
Taumata finished his NRL careers as one of the least successful players in the history of the game. Taumata collected the wooden spoon with Canterbury in 2008 and ran second last with both the Cowboys and Penrith in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Most recently Taumata has taken to representing NSW Central Coast Rugby Union side the Terrigal Trojans. Taumata failed to gain selection in the sides 2020 premiership.
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Greater Western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The team is based 55 km (34 mi) west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith are the current reigning NRL Premiers, having won the title five times, including the last three times consecutively.
Nathan Frederick Cayless is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, and has coached in the 2010s. He played at representative level for New Zealand (captain), and at club level in the National Rugby League (NRL) for the Parramatta Eels, for whom he was a long-time captain, as a prop. He captained the New Zealand national team to a Rugby League World Cup victory over Australia in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, and coached at club level in the Intrust Super Premiership for the Wentworthville Magpies from 2016 to 2018.
The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve grade competition, and is now the premier open age competition in the state. The New South Wales Cup, along with the Queensland Cup, acts as a feeder competition to the National Rugby League premiership. The competition is the oldest continuous rugby league competition in the Australia.
The 2006 NRL season was the 99th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the ninth run by the National Rugby League. The lineup of teams remained unchanged from the previous year, with fifteen clubs competing for the 2006 Telstra Premiership. Throughout the 26 rounds of the regular season ten teams from New South Wales, two from Queensland and one each from Victoria, the ACT and New Zealand competed for the minor premiership. Eight of these teams qualified for the four-week finals series, with the Brisbane Broncos eventual victors over the Melbourne Storm in the grand final. Melbourne finished the regular season first so were awarded the minor premiership, but this was later revoked due to the Melbourne Storm salary cap breach.
Greg Eastwood is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer. A New Zealand international forward, he played in the NRL for the Brisbane Broncos and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and in the Super League for the Leeds Rhinos.
James Maloney is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and current assistant coach for the North Queensland Cowboys.
Yileen "Buddy" Gordon is an Australian rugby league footballer who plays for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NSW Cup. Gordon formerly played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Penrith Panthers. He was sacked by the West Tigers in February, 2014 for breach of contract. He currently plays in the Centres and has previously played in the back-row or at centre.
Isaac John is a former New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who previously played for the Mount Pritchard Mounties in the Intrust Super Premiership. A Cook Islands and New Zealand international representative, he played as a five-eighth and halfback and previously played for the New Zealand Warriors and Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League, and the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the Super League.
The history of the Penrith Panthers stretches back to the 1960s when a team from Penrith entering Sydney's elite competition was first mooted. After admission to the NSWRFL premiership in 1967, the club struggled on-field until reaching the finals for the first time in the 1980s, and reaching the grand final in the 1990s. The Panthers were a part of 1997's Super League competition before continuing in the re-unified NRL competition. To date they have won five premierships: 1991, 2003 2021, 2022 and again in 2023.
Travis Robinson is a Lebanon international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre and wing for the Newtown Jets in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League. He is the twin brother of New South Wales Waratahs player and fellow Lebanese international Reece Robinson.
Scott Sorensen is a New Zealand international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward and lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL.
George Jennings is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who last played as a winger for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Moses Leota is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop and lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. He has played for both Samoa and New Zealand at international level.
Kurt Capewell is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Hame Sele is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop forward for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Matt Eisenhuth is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL.
Oregon Kaufusi is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League.
Ray Stone is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock for the Dolphins in the National Rugby League (NRL). He previously played for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL.
Jesse Arthars is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or centre for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Brent Naden is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre and winger for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).