{{Short description|NZ & Tonga international rugby league footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} {{EngvarB|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Taniela Tuiaki |image = Taniela Tuiaki (26 April 2009).jpg |caption = <small>Tuiaki in 2009</small> |retired = yes |position = {{rlp|WG}} |birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1982|5|2}} |birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand |height = {{convert|185|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|work=Wests Tigers|url=http://www.weststigers.com.au/default.aspx?s=player-profile-display&id=457|title=Player profile|access-date=23 August 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414001126/http://www.weststigers.com.au/default.aspx?s=player-profile-display&id=457|archive-date=14 April 2009 }}</ref> |weight = {{convert|105|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} |club1 = Wests Tigers |year1start = 2006 |year1end = 09 |appearances1 = 78 |tries1 = 42 |goals1 = 0 |fieldgoals1 = 0 |points1 = 168 |teamA = Tonga |yearAstart = 2006 |yearAend = |appearancesA = 3 |triesA = 3 |goalsA = 0 |fieldgoalsA = 0 |pointsA = 12 |teamB = New Zealand |yearBstart = 2007 |yearBend = |appearancesB = 4 |triesB = 1 |goalsB = 0 |fieldgoalsB = 0 |pointsB = 4 |updated = 20 August 2009 |source =[https://web.archive.org/web/20090916232311/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/player?playerid=108735&teamid=3400 League Central]<br />[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Taniela_Tuiaki/summary.html Rugby League Project] }}
'''Taniela Tuiaki''' (born 2 May 1982 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played on the {{rlp|wg}} for the Wests Tigers in the NRL.<ref name="Taniela Tuiaki">{{cite web|url=http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Taniela_Tuiaki.html|title=Taniela Tuiaki|publisher=Rugby League Project|date=29 June 2008|access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref><ref name="Tigers ride Tuiaki freight train">{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22219417-23214,00.html|title=Tigers ride Tuiaki freight train|work=Fox Sports|date=10 August 2007|access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref>
==Playing career== ===Club === Tuiaki played junior football with North Curl Curl. He made his NRL debut after switching from Rugby Union,<ref>{{cite news|last=Gee|first=Steve|work=Herald Sun|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,25863857-14823,00.html|title=Wests Tigers winger Taniela Tuiaki tops NRL linebreaking and tackle busting stats|date=31 July 2009|access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> playing on the wing for the Wests Tigers against the New Zealand Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium in round 11 of the 2006 season. He scored two tries on debut, and was a regular on the wing for the next three and a half years.
Playing in every club game for 2007, Tuiaki scored 6 tries in the last 7 weeks. In the second half of the season, he spent a three-week stint in the second row. He managed 20 games in 2008, scoring his first treble against the Warriors at Leichhardt Oval on 29 June.
In round 23 of the 2009 season, Tuiaki scored three tries, taking him to the top of the try-scoring table for the season with a total of 21.<ref>{{cite news|last=Magnay|first=Jacquelin|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/tuiaki-show-rolls-on-with-hattrick-and-he-has-more-tricks-in-thetank/2009/08/16/1250361982283.html|title=Tuiaki show rolls on with hat-trick, and he has more tricks in the tank|date=17 August 2009|access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> A broken ankle in round 24 while playing against the Parramatta Eels sidelined Tuiaki for the remainder of the season.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=ABC News|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/22/2663535.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090824151734/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/22/2663535.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 August 2009|title=Tuiaki gone with broken leg|date=22 August 2009|access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> At the time he was leading or well-ranked in many NRL stats, including line-breaks and tackle busts.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gee|first=Steve|work=Herald Sun|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,25863857-14823,00.html|title=Wests Tigers winger Taniela Tuiaki tops NRL linebreaking and tackle busting stats|date=31 July 2009|access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref>
In 2009, Tuiaki was named winger of the year in the Dally M awards<ref>{{cite news|work=Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|title=Dally M Awards – full list|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/dally-m-awards-full-list/story-e6frexti-1225770762010|access-date=10 September 2009|date=8 September 2009}}</ref> and the Big League team of the year.<ref name="rl 2009">Middleton, David (Editor); '''''2009 Official Rugby League Annual'''''; published 2010 for the National Rugby League by News Magazines, Alexandria NSW, 2015</ref> He also set the record for most tries scored in a season by a Wests Tigers player.
Still suffering from the injury suffered at the end of 2009, Tuiaki failed to make any appearances in the 2010 season. There were some doubts whether Tuiaki would ever make a full recovery, and Wests Tigers signed him to an incentive-based contract for 2011, with bonuses for playing in set number of games.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=Gone for season but not forgotten: Tigers re-sign Tuiaki to incentive-based deal|author=Glenn Jackson|url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/gone-for-season-but-not-forgotten-tigers-resign-tuiaki-to-incentivebased-deal-20100819-12s11.html|access-date=29 September 2010|date=20 August 2010}}</ref>
Despite undergoing three operations, the ankle had still not gained full strength when Tuiaki announced his retirement before the start of the 2011 season, saying, "It's a real disappointment. I can't keep running, even after all these surgeries – it's not getting better."<ref>{{cite news|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=Ankle injury forces Tuiaki to call it quits|author=Adrian Proszenko |url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/ankle-injury-forces-tuiaki-to-call-it-quits-20110205-1ahkq.html|access-date=6 February 2011 |date=6 February 2011}}</ref>
===Representative === Tuiaki represented Tonga in two international matches against England in 2006, scoring a try in each game.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC Sport|title=England 32–14 Tonga|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/international_and_australian/6130068.stm|access-date=30 November 2007|date=12 November 2006}}</ref><ref name="England 40-18 Tonga">{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/international_and_australian/6091444.stm|title=England 40–18 Tonga|publisher=BBC|date=29 October 2006|access-date=30 November 2007}}</ref>
In October 2007 Tuiaki was cleared to play for New Zealand against Australia in the 2007 Centenary Test.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=Moimoi and Tuiaki cleared to play|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/moimoi-and-tuiaki-cleared-to-play/2007/10/04/1191091265897.html|access-date=30 November 2007|date=4 October 2007}}</ref> He went on to play in the three match series loss to the Great Britain Lions in England in October–November 2007, scoring a try in the final game.<ref>{{cite news|work=Fox Sports news (Australia)|title=Lions sweep New Zealand|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22739164-23214,00.html|access-date=11 November 2007|date=11 November 2007}}</ref>
He was named in the New Zealand training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.<ref name="Kiwis select Sonny Bill">{{cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12196_3949034,00.html|title=Kiwis select Sonny Bill|publisher=Sky Sports|date=8 August 2008|access-date=8 August 2008}}</ref>
Tuiaki was named in the Tonga squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.<ref name="Samoa, Tonga and Fiji name squads">{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/7658506.stm|title=Samoa, Tonga and Fiji name squads|publisher=BBC|date=8 October 2008|access-date=9 October 2008}}</ref> Although he was not selected for the final New Zealand squad, Tuiaki was not allowed to play for Tonga as the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) deemed him ineligible. Tonga appealed the decision but the NSW Supreme Court declined to grant an injunction which would enable Tuiaki and Fuifui Moimoi to play in Tonga's opening match.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Australian|title=Court refuses Tongan pair Fuifui Moimoi and Taniela Tuiaki to play against Ireland|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24557382-2722,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121215184518/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24557382-2722,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 December 2012|access-date=2 January 2009|date=27 October 2008}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.weststigers.com.au/default.aspx?s=player-profile-display&id=457 Taniela Tuiaki at ''Wests Tigers''] *[http://www.nrl.com.au/Players/tabid/10390/default.aspx?playerid=74 Taniela Tuikaki at ''NRL.com''] *[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Taniela_Tuiaki/summary.html Taniela Tuiaki at ''The Rugby League Project'']
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuiaki, Taniela}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century New Zealand sportsmen Category:New Zealand national rugby league team players Category:New Zealand rugby league players Category:New Zealand people of Tongan descent Category:Sportspeople of Tongan descent Category:Rugby league players from Auckland Category:Rugby league second-rows Category:Rugby league wingers Category:Tonga national rugby league team players Category:Tongan rugby league players Category:Wests Tigers players