Arana Taumata
Encyclopedia
Arana Taumata is a New Zealand
rugby league
footballer, playing for the Penrith Panthers
in the NRL, and primarily in the five-eighth position.
.
In January, 2009, Melbourne
coach, Craig Bellamy, announced his plan to promote Taumata to a playmaking role with the Storm. In early February, however, Taumata was dismissed by the Storm after a "physical altercation" off-field, his fourth dismissal in four years. It was stated that the NRL was unlikely to register a contract for Taumata for the 2009 season, even if he found another club.
Taumata signed with the Wests Tigers
for the 2010 season
. In June 2010, Taumata was released from his contract with the Wests Tigers
, after spending most of the year in the New South Wales Cup, to sign with the North Queensland Cowboys
. He made his debut for the Cowboys that weekend coming off the bench in their 20-19 loss to the Cronulla Sharks
. It was his first NRL game in almost 2 years. In October 2010 he played for the NZ Maori in their 18-18 draw with England prior to the 2010 Four Nations tournament.
After being released by the Cowboys at the end of the 2010 season, Taumata signed by the Penrith Panthers
on a one year deal for 2011. He played for the Panthers feeder club, the Windsor Wolves
, in the NSW Cup. In June 2011 he was involved in a police investigation into prescription fraud.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer, playing for the Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
in the NRL, and primarily in the five-eighth position.
Playing career
Taumata made his first grade debut for the Bulldogs in Round 16, 2008, against his former club, the Sydney RoostersSydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
.
In January, 2009, Melbourne
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
coach, Craig Bellamy, announced his plan to promote Taumata to a playmaking role with the Storm. In early February, however, Taumata was dismissed by the Storm after a "physical altercation" off-field, his fourth dismissal in four years. It was stated that the NRL was unlikely to register a contract for Taumata for the 2009 season, even if he found another club.
Taumata signed with the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
for the 2010 season
2010 NRL season
The 2010 NRL season was the 103rd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the thirteenth run by the National Rugby League. The season commenced on 12 March and ended with the Grand Final, played on 3 October at ANZ Stadium...
. In June 2010, Taumata was released from his contract with the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
, after spending most of the year in the New South Wales Cup, to sign with the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
. He made his debut for the Cowboys that weekend coming off the bench in their 20-19 loss to the Cronulla Sharks
Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
. It was his first NRL game in almost 2 years. In October 2010 he played for the NZ Maori in their 18-18 draw with England prior to the 2010 Four Nations tournament.
After being released by the Cowboys at the end of the 2010 season, Taumata signed by the Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
on a one year deal for 2011. He played for the Panthers feeder club, the Windsor Wolves
Windsor Wolves
The Windsor Wolves are a Rugby league team based in the town of Windsor, NSW. The club fields both junior and senior teams in the Penrith district competitions and, since 2003, the semi-professional NSWRL Jim Beam Cup competition in NSW, Australia...
, in the NSW Cup. In June 2011 he was involved in a police investigation into prescription fraud.