Tommy Talau
Tommy Talau is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a and er for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League.
Background
Talau was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is the son of former New Zealand and Samoan international, Willie Talau.Talau played his junior rugby league for the Moorebank Rams. He attended Westfields Sports High School and joined the junior ranks of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. In 2018 he captained the Bulldogs' Under-18 team in the grand final of the S. G. Ball Cup. In the same year he was selected in the Australian Schoolboys rugby league team. At the end of the 2018 season he moved from the Bulldogs to the Wests Tigers, signing a development contract.
Career
2019
Talau made his first-grade debut starting at in round 22 of the 2019 NRL season for the Wests Tigers in their 32-12 loss against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval. He became the first player born in the 2000s to play for the Tigers.2020
In round 7 of the 2020 NRL season, Talau scored two tries as the Wests Tigers defeated Canterbury-Bankstown 34-6 at Bankwest Stadium.Talau played 12 games and scored eight tries for Wests Tigers in the 2020 NRL season as the club missed out on the finals by finishing 11th.
2021
Talau played a total of 22 games for the Wests Tigers and scored 11 tries in the 2021 NRL season as the club finished 13th and missed the finals.2022
On 25 October, Talau signed a one-year deal to remain at the club until the end of 2023. Talau missed the entire 2022 season with a ruptured ACL injury.2023
On 26 June, it was announced that Talau had signed a two-year deal to join Manly starting in 2024.Talau played a total of twelve games for the Wests Tigers in the 2023 NRL season as the club finished with the Wooden Spoon for a second straight year.
2024
In round 12 of the 2024 NRL season, Talau scored two tries for Manly in their 26-20 upset victory over Melbourne.In round 14, Talau scored four tries for Manly in their 32-22 loss against Penrith.
Talau played 23 matches for Manly in the 2024 NRL season and scored 18 tries as they finished 7th on the table and qualified for the finals. Manly would be eliminated in the second week of the finals by the Sydney Roosters.