'She's our leader': Taufa ready to set tone for Blues

Westpac NSW Blues prop Simaima Taufa is ready to step out of the shadows and make her presence felt as the Blues look to regain the State of Origin Shield at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night. 

The veteran has long been regarded as one of the most important players within the NSW setup, however Taufa prefers to toil away out of the spotlight. 

After missing last year's Origin series due to a shoulder injury, the forward quickly made her presence known in Game One earlier this month and set the tone up front in the Blues commanding victory. 

Now, as NSW look to hoist the Shield for the first time since 2022, Taufa is ready to lead the forward pack as they look to dominate the Maroons.

"When we focus on what we can do and contribute as a team it ends up with the rewards that we've been able to achieve so far," Taufa told NRL.com. "Everyone's got their own role to play and we're focused on making sure we continue to be better because Queensland have made adjustments and they will come out firing.

"As a forward pack we want to lay the foundation so our outside backs are able to execute and showcase their talent. We're working really hard and it's exciting because we know we can be better."

Taufa has been a key figure in the NSW side since she made her debut way back in 2014, when the clash was still known as the Interstate Challenge. 

Since then she has been a mainstay for the Blues and Jillaroos and was the inaugural captain of the Roosters in the first NRLW season in 2018. 

Taufa later moved to the Eels and then Raiders, laying the foundations for a positive culture at the two expansion sides.

While she is widely respected within rugby league, the 31-year-old doesn't boast the profile of some of her NSW teammates.

A quiet and unassuming type, Taufa is an introvert who does not seek the spotlight. 

Her impact on the growth of the women's game, in particular Pasifika communities, however, cannot be overstated according to her teammates. 

"She's such a respected player," Blues forward Kennedy Cherrington said. "She's been around for a very long time and played at a consistently high level for a long time. 

"She was in my Roosters team and my Parramatta team when I first started so I try to play like Simaima but with my Kennedy spin. She's inspirational, she's a leader that leads by example. 

"Simaima isn't necessarily the most vocal, she often keeps to herself but you look to her when things get hard, when you're down and out and you're hurting. You know that she can do it, so I can do it too."

While Taufa is not a loud personality, Yasmin Clydsdale said the veteran's presence is immediately felt in camp. 

The duo have played together for NSW and Australia for a number of years and Clydsdale said her absence was noticeable throughout last season's Origin series. 

"You can tell when Simaima is on the field," she said. "She is a go-getter, she never stops working and last year we did miss that. 

"We missed her work ethic and she lifts people around her up. I love playing with her, nothing's too hard for her, she's always there and she's a leader in so many ways on the field.

"Off the field she's cool, calm and collected. We have a lot of personalities so having her on the field, when she talks everyone listens. That's not something that everyone has and she really brings that to our side."

Having set the tone up front for the Blues in Game One, Cherrington and Sarah Togatuki were injected off the bench to make an instant impact against tiring opponents. 

In her own words, Cherrington hoped to "bring the mongrel" and it's a mantra she's carrying into Game Two. 

Queensland have bolstered their pack for the must-win clash, by adding veteran Chelsea Lenarduzzi to the bench and coach Tahnee Norris has challenged her forwards not to allow a repeat of Game One. 

The Blues are bracing for a reaction at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night but with Taufa setting the tone up front, Cherrington is ready to follow her mentor into the furnace. 

"She's our leader," Cherrington said. "She sets the tone from the get-go, then [Togatuki] and I come on and inject some life and energy into the team. 

"That is our job and I can proudly say we did that in Game One. The same thing applies this week. They set the tone, we finish it."

A victory on Thursday night will deliver NSW their first triumph on home soil since 2019 and their first Origin win since 2022, when it was still a standalone match. 

If that is how things play out, there is no doubt Taufa will have played a major victory in the result. 

Not that you'll hear the forward boasting about it herself. 

"Everyone's got their role to play," Taufa says simply. "It's a whole team effort."

Be there for Game Two of the Women's State of Origin at Allianz Stadium on May 15. Get your tickets now.