Martin Taupau

Martin Taupau

Personal information
Born	(1990-02-03) February 3, 1990 Auckland, New Zealand
Height	190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	111 kg (17 st 7 lb)
Playing information
Position	Prop, Lock
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2010–13	Canterbury Bulldogs	21	1	0	0	4
2014–	Wests Tigers	32	3	0	0	12
	Total	53	4	0	0	16
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2013	Samoa	1	0	0	0	0
2014	New Zealand	5	0	0	0	0
As of 6 November 2014
Source: Rugby League Project

Martin Taupau (born 3 February 1990) is a New Zealand rugby league player who currently plays for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League. Taupau has represented Samoa and New Zealand at international level.

Background

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Taupau moved to Australia as a 10-year old and played junior rugby league for the Padstow Panthers and Greenacre Tigers.^[1] Taupau attended Endeavour Sports High School^[2] and represented the Australia Schoolboys team in 2008.^[1]

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2010-2013

2010

In Round 5 of the 2010 NRL season, Taupau made his first grade debut against the New Zealand Warriors off the interchange bench in the Bulldogs 30-24 loss at ANZ Stadium,^[3] in what was his only appearance of the season. Taupau was selected in the Samoan train on squad^[4] and the Junior Kiwis that year. Taupau captained the Junior Kiwis.^[5][6]

2011

Taupau finished the 2011 NRL season with him playing in 3 matches for the Bulldogs. Taupau spent most of the 2011 season playing in the NSW Cup, and was named in the New South Wales Residents.^[7]

2012

In Round 23 against the Brisbane Broncos, Taupau scored his first NRL career try in the 22-14 Broncos win at ANZ Stadium.^[8] Taupau finished the season with him playing in 6 matches, all victories.

2013

In 2013, Taupau played as a starting prop for the first 7 rounds of the season in a period when James Graham was suspended.^[9] On 20 April 2013, Taupau made his international début for Samoa against Tonga in the Pacific Rugby League International at Penrith Stadium, playing off the interchange bench in Samoa's 36-4 loss.^[10] On 16 June 2013, it was announced that the Bulldogs had granted Taupau a release to join the Wests Tigers from the 2014 season on a 3-year contract to the end of 2016.^[11] Taupau finished the Bulldogs 2013 NRL season with him playing in 11 matches.

Wests Tigers 2014-

2014

In February 2014, Taupau was selected in the Wests Tigers inaugural 2014 Auckland Nines squad.^[12] In Round 1 against the St George Illawarra Dragons, Taupau made his debut for the Wests Tigers in the Tigers 44-24 loss at ANZ Stadium, scoring a try in the match.^[13] Taupau’s good form for the Tigers made him being selected to debut for the New Zealand Kiwis in the May 2014 Anzac Test at SFS. Taupau debuted off the interchange bench in the Kiwis 30-18 loss.^[14] Taupau was one of just two players to play in every Wests Tigers game for the season, and was the club's second best for metres gained with the ball playing in 24 matches and scoring 3 tries.^[15]

At the end of the year, Taupau played in all four of the Kiwis games as they won the 2014 Rugby League Four Nations. In the final, Taupau left the ground with a suspected neck injury, but had already made three tackle breaks, three offloads, and was described as "the toast of the team." The New Zealand Herald said, "Time and again Taupau threw himself into the Australian line to see would-be defenders reeling."^[16]

References

External links

• Bulldogs profile