Sio Siua Taukeiaho Explained

Sio Siua Taukeiaho
Fullname:Sio Siua Taukei'aho
Nickname:TKO[1]
Birth Date:1992 1, df=y
Birth Place:Auckland, New Zealand
Height:186cm (73inches)
Weight:108kg (238lb)
Year1start:2013
Appearances1:1
Tries1:0
Goals1:0
Fieldgoals1:0
Points1:0
Club2:Sydney Roosters
Year2start:2014
Year2end:22
Appearances2:167
Tries2:13
Goals2:63
Fieldgoals2:0
Points2:178
Club3:Catalans Dragons
Year3start:2023
Year3end:24
Appearances3:10
Tries3:1
Goals3:0
Fieldgoals3:0
Points3:4
Teama:Tonga
Yearastart:2015
Yearaend:22
Appearancesa:15
Triesa:2
Goalsa:26
Fieldgoalsa:0
Pointsa:60
Yearbstart:2015
Appearancesb:1
Triesb:0
Goalsb:0
Fieldgoalsb:0
Pointsb:0
Source:[2]
Updated:12 July 2024

Sio Siua Taukeiaho (born 3 January 1992) is a professional rugby league footballer who last played as a or for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League. He plays for Tonga and played for New Zealand at international level.

He previously played for the Sydney Roosters and New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL). He won back-to-back NRL premierships with the Roosters in 2018 and 2019.

Background

Taukeiaho was born in Ōtara, South Auckland, New Zealand.[3]

Playing career

New Zealand Warriors

Taukeiaho is of Tongan descent and played for the Otara Scorpions in 2010 before being signed by the New Zealand Warriors.[4]

He played in the 2011 Toyota Cup winning Junior Warriors and was named in the Junior Kiwis that year.[5]

He made his first grade debut in round 26 against the St. George Illawarra Dragons on 7 September 2013.[6]

At the end of the 2013 season he requested, and was granted, his release from the Warriors.[7] Taukeiaho would then tweet on 27 September 2013 that he signed with the Roosters for two years.[8]

Sydney Roosters

Taukeiaho came into the 2015 NRL season as the Roosters' replacement for the departed Sonny Bill Williams. Taukeiaho was a surprise inclusion on the interchange to start the 2015 season, his great early form cemented his spot as he went on to play every game of the season, scoring 2 tries.[9]

On 30 September 2018, Taukeiaho played in Eastern Suburbs 21–6 victory over Melbourne in the 2018 NRL grand final.[10]

Taukeiaho made a total of 20 appearances for the Sydney Roosters in the 2019 NRL season as the club finished second on the table and qualified for the finals. Taukeiaho played from the bench in the 2019 NRL Grand Final as the Sydney Roosters won their second consecutive premiership defeating Canberra 14–8 at ANZ Stadium.[11] [12]

He played a total of 21 games for the Sydney Roosters in the 2021 NRL season including the club's two finals matches. The Sydney Roosters would be eliminated from the second week of the finals losing to Manly 42-6.[13] [14]

Catalans Dragons

On 14 October 2023, Taukeiaho played in Catalans 2023 Super League Grand Final loss against Wigan.[15]

On 12 July 2024, it was announced that Catalans Dragons had terminated his contract, along with two other players namely Jayden Nikorima and Damel Diakhate, for being "...involved in an incident deemed to be ‘highly unacceptable’ by the French club and contrary to their values..."[16] After his release from Catalans, Taukeiaho attempted to sign with the Canterberry-Bankstown Bulldogs but the request was blocked by the NRL for the rest of the season.[17]

International

Taukeiaho played for Tonga against Papua New Guinea in an end of year test match in the PNG while on 2 May 2015 in the Gold Coast, he played for Tonga in their Polynesian Cup clash with Pacific rivals Samoa.[18]

On 2 November 2019, Taukeiaho captained Tonga against Australia as they went on to win 16–12, causing one of the biggest upsets in international rugby league history.[19]

Statistics

!Year!Team!Games!Tries!Goals!Pts
2013 New Zealand Warriors1
2015 Sydney Roosters2728
20162012758
2017171310
2018241514
2019215326
2020201310
2021212244
20221828
2023 Catalans Dragons1014
Totals1781463182
source: [20]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sio Siua Taukeiaho Making Most of NRL Shot with the Roosters After Escaping His Tough Childhood. Dailytelegraph.com.au. 2015-11-01.
  2. Web site: Siosiua Taukeiaho. Shawn Dollin and Andrew Ferguson. 25 October 2015. Rugbyleagueproject.org.
  3. Web site: Rooster Sio Siua Taukeiaho now causing the right kind of trouble for opponents . Sydney Morning Herald . 28 March 2015 . 11 December 2022.
  4. Web site: Team - Player Profile . m.thewarriors.com.au . 3 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20130907052955/http://m.thewarriors.com.au/team-player-profile/Sio%20Siua%20Taukeiaho/5181 . 7 September 2013 . dead.
  5. Web site: Junior Kiwis Fielding Huge Line-up . Scoop . 16 October 2011 . 31 May 2022.
  6. Web site: Siosiua Taukeiaho . Roosters . 31 May 2022.
  7. Web site: Taukeiaho granted early release. 4 February 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131002070421/http://www.warriors.co.nz/news-display/Taukeiaho-granted-early-release/85119. 2 October 2013 .
  8. Web site: Taukeiaho. Sio Siua. SIO SIUA TAUKEIAHO MOVES TO THE ROOSTERS. Twitter. Sio Siua Taukeiaho. 29 October 2013.
  9. News: Mark Ashton. Young Kiwi attacks Warriors. 31 August 2015. Sportal. 31 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150902113705/http://www.sportal.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/young-kiwi-attacks-warriors-sio-siua-taukeiaho-sydney-roosters-new-zealand-warriors-nrl/pwp5b23g6sra18f1g8vtbdqaw. 2 September 2015. dead.
  10. Web site: Roosters run riot to deny NRL grand final repeat for the Storm. TheGuardian.com. 30 September 2018.
  11. Web site: NRL grand final player ratings: Roosters and Raiders hits and misses. SMH. 6 October 2019.
  12. News: Sydney Roosters beat Canberra Raiders to win NRL Grand Final. BBC Sport.
  13. Web site: 'They don't rate us': How injury toll eased pressure for revitalised Roosters. www.nrl.com. 16 September 2021.
  14. News: Manly Sea Eagles hammer Sydney Roosters 42-6 to advance to NRL preliminary finals. ABC News. 17 September 2021.
  15. Web site: Wigan Warriors crowned Super League champions after downing Dragons. www.theguardian.com.
  16. Web site: Love Rugby League. 12 Jul 2024. Catalans Dragons terminate contracts of three players including high-profile duo after ‘incident’.
  17. Web site: Walker . Callum . 2024-07-25 . Club blocked from signing sacked Catalans Dragons veteran Siosiua Taukeiaho . 2024-07-25 . Total Rugby League . en-US.
  18. Web site: Taukeiaho & Langi Named In Tonga Squad . Roosters . 26 April 2015 . 11 December 2022.
  19. Web site: Tonga Invitational v Australia.
  20. Web site: Siosiua Taukeiaho - Playing Career - RLP . 2024-08-11 . www.rugbyleagueproject.org.