Taufua bracing for more tall timber his way

Manly's Jorge Taufua is ready for another 'David and Goliath' moment when he tackles an opposition winger who has a few centimetres on him – this week Gold Coast's Anthony Don.

Don at 188cm doesn't tower over Taufua (183cm) by any stretch, but the Samoan and Tongan international is bracing himself nonetheless.

"I'm probably leading the short bunch of wingers club – the nuggets of a team – as I think the majority of games everyone is taller than me," he told NRL.com.

"I'm probably a target that everyone wants to kick to. So I work a lot with Brad [Parker at centre] and his help gives me a chance to make a clean catch because I can't jump higher than a lot of wingers.

"It's never easy against the taller wingers like David Fusitua, Blake Ferguson, who can both definitely fly high.

"I've just got to do my best to get off the ground and try to prevent them from making a clean catch."

Taufua is doing his part regardless to make Manly a tricky customer for any group of defenders.

While he's missed two games in 2019 already with a right calf injury, he's still managed four line breaks, 14 tackle busts, a try assist and three tries of his own.

"The body is feeling good but I think I need that rhythm of playing again," Taufua said.

The win over the Sharks last round was his first game back since the round seven win over the Raiders.

"My lungs were feeling it a bit after only missing a fortnight. And we've got the short turnaround [five days] this week. But that will be good for me to get straight back into it."

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While he's not all that enamoured about trying to out-smart Don – because he can't out-leap him – Taufua is looking forward to facing his old Sea Eagles teammate in Brian Kelly.

"It's going to be good to come up against Brian. He's been playing on their right so I'm likely to come face-to-face with him as well. I hope to catch up with him after the game."

And he said that while Don, as the Titans' highest try scorer so far with six, is an ever-present danger, coach Des Hasler has been hammering the Sea Eagles about avoiding complacency due to the visitors 2-8 start this season. They are staring at a fifth straight loss if all doesn't go well at Lottoland.

"Especially with the team like the Titans, and the patchy season they've been having, you never know who you're going to get on the day," Taufua said.

"We learned a bit of that via the Broncos [in round nine]. They've been a bit up and down but they gave us a good run and got the win.

"We're remembering that this week."