Simaima Taufa needed only one game to make an impact for her new club, North Sydney Bears, in the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership but the truth is she’s been making an impact for years.
After transitioning from rugby union to rugby league, Taufa went on in her first year in 2014 to represent both her country and state after being selected as an Australian Jillaroo and NSW Women’s Origin player.
The prop received honours at the 2017 Dally Ms after being named Female Player of the Year and was voted as the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Origin Player of the Year in 2019.
Taufa captained Mounties to consecutive Grand Final appearances in the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership where they defeated South Sydney 12-10 in 2018 but fell short to CRL Newcastle 24-10 in last year’s decider.
With Mounties sitting out the 2020 season because of COVID-19, Taufa made her debut for the Bears in Round Four of this year’s season where she scored a try in the first half on the way to an emphatic 30-0 win over Wentworthville Magpies.
Since then, the Bears have had one draw and another win to earn themselves third place on the ladder but will challenge themselves this weekend when they face frontrunners, the Central Coast Roosters.
Taufa will come up against representative teammates, Isabelle Kelly, Hannah Southwell and Kylie Hilder in the Roosters colours, but will have the back-up of Shontelle Stowers and Kirra Dib in her side.
