BY VIV

Finally some signing news for the NRLW team. Recently the Raiders announced that Simaima Taufa and Zahara Temara have signed contract extensions to take them to 2026 for Temara and 2027 for Taufa.

Taufa was our first (player) signing for the NRLW and has been immense in leading the team on and off the field. She won Player of the Year for the Raiders last year and has become a fan favourite. At 29 years old this deal will likely see Taufa finish her career at the Raiders, the only concern being managing her injury load. She has had problems with her knees and ankles before joining the Raiders and underwent shoulder surgery at the end of last season. On the other hand, the injuries don’t hold her back. In an interview at the Raiders awards night Taufa was asked if it was tough season carrying injuries, her response “aaah I wouldn’t say it was tough”, feel free to speculate in the comments about what Braddon Maccas is putting into their chicken nuggets.

Temara has been a rock for the team and her kicking game was the difference last season. From slotting the field goal in our win against St George to her smart kicking in general play, our season could have ended much differently. It was great to hear her talk so warmly about the Raiders club and Canberra community. In the interview, she talked about the difference in approaching a multi-year deal. They’re a new concept for the NRLW with the contracts only being able to be offered in the most recent CBA. Having the security of tenure just as she reaches the peak of her career means that Temara has the opportunity to focus on her development and shape the team in her image. 

Hopefully these signings are the first of the rest of the squad announcements. Preseason will start in early June and at this stage, we only have 12 players (officially announced) for the season. Taufa mentioned Chante Temara and Emma Barnes as the future of the club so I await the confirmation of that to lock down our spine. There were murmurs that Liz Tafuna had signed with us after the combine, only for her to sign with the Roosters. Then we found out Las Vegas combine winners MarCaya Bailous and Megan Pakulis visited Raiders HQ, but they also visited other NRLW clubs so who knows where they will end up. The other big NRLW news was the expansion announcement to include the Warriors and Bulldogs from 2025, more clubs mean more competition for players so it’s even more important to lock up the talent we want to keep in the team. As Taufa points out, we’ve got a premiership to chase.

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