True Roosters: Siosiua Taukeiaho

From a relative unknown to a powerhouse of the engine room, Siosiua Taukeiaho packed in plenty of punch into his eight-season career at Bondi, etching himself as a True Rooster.

Arriving from New Zealand following a sole appearance for the Warriors at the end of the 2013 season as a hard-running centre, Taukeiaho's career lifted off in meteoric circumstances in the Red, White and Blue. 

The hulking front rower's performance in the 2015 pre-season earned him a spot in Trent Robinson's side for Round 1, and in a remarkable rookie season at the Club, Taukeiaho featured in all 27 matches, including three semi-finals. 

Whether on the interchange, at lock or in the second row, the powerfully-built forward's form saw him remarkably earn a Test jumper for New Zealand, taking the field against England in their defeat at Hull.

Season 2016 saw Taukeiaho not only add a further 20 matches to his name as a mainstay in the Tricolours' pack, finishing the year at lock, but also take over the goal kicking duties, missing just eight attempts all year for a 77% success rate.

His stocks continued to rise in the following seasons, and in 2018 - playing the most games in a season since his first at Bondi with 24 - the hulking powerhouse became a constant figure in the Roosters' Premiership campaign. 

Who could forget his game-sealing try in the 2019 ANZAC Day fixture? 

With his side holding a slender 14-10 lead with minutes remaining, a jarring shot forced the ball free - and despite facing a wall of four Dragons defenders, Taukeiaho exploded through to stride away and score a memorable four-pointer. 

Later that season his physicality and aggression proved to be paramount in the Preliminary Final against Grand Final adversaries Melbourne at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with neither combatant willing to take a backward step.

In the very first tackle, a clash with Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona saw the two colossal forwards sent to the sin bin, but that did little to stop Taukeiaho, who provided the final pass for James Tedesco to score the match-winning try. 

Coming from the interchange bench in his second consecutive decider, the Tonga colossus carved out a 47-minute stint that included 184 metres from 13 runs, 25 tackles and a linebreak as the Red, White and Blue claimed their 15th Premiership.

Captaining the Mate Ma'a Tonga Invitational side against Australia, he then led one of the greatest ever Rugby League upsets, defeating the Kangaroos at Mt Smart Stadium in a memorable 

Just months later he replicated his efforts from the 2019 Preliminary Final against St Helens in the 2020 World Club Challenge, bursting through the line to send Luke Keary over for the try that kept the men from Bondi at the top of the world. 

Taukeiaho's final years at the Club were nothing short of remarkable - most notably acting as a mentor for the contingent of promising young forwards, particularly following the retirements of Jake Friend and Boyd Cordner. 

In the first week of finals in 2021, he celebrated his 150th match for the Roosters, becoming just the 17th player in Club history to do so in the thrilling 25-24 victory. 

Season 2022 would be the last in the Tricolours for the powerhouse forward before finishing his career overseas, proving to be a key component in a Roosters outfit that propelled themselves from tenth place to a finals berth. 

In just 50 minutes in his final match, which saw him make a brave return from a serious knock midway through the game, Taukeiaho punched out 18 runs for 177 metres, with over a third of those post-contact and missing just one of 22 tackles. 

While it marked an earlier-than-expected departure, his performance epitomised the very type of player he had become since his arrival; a reliable, hard-working knock-down-the-front-door type forward that every team needs.