Injured NRLW star Brooke Talataina makes her first foray into coaching this Friday, when the Wests Tigers ROAR U/18’s side takes on the U/18 Knights in Newcastle.
Wests Tigers ROAR, the women’s equivalent of the Wests Tigers Cubs program, helps ensure that some of the club’s standout young talent remain connected to Wests Tigers and the Pathways program, even after junior representative competitions have concluded.
Still in recovery from a serious knee injury, Talataina takes the Head Coaching reigns, with the side spending valuable time interacting with the NRLW squad prior to the match and over the course of the weekend.
The New Zealand international, 21, is keen to help the teenage talents on their development journeys.
“ I think the ROAR program helps build up the girls as players and develop them, but this experience will also show them the standards of what it is to be an NRLW player,” she said.
“ I think it's really important they see the things that happen behind the scenes, the hard work, and just getting them into the environment of knowing how to better themselves as players, on and off the field.
In undertaking her first experience into coaching, Talataina now sees the game from a different perspective and believes it could be the road she chooses to go down when her playing career concludes.
“It's so different to how it is for us players.
As players, we just train and play but there's so much that happens behind the scenes.
Brooke Talataina
“Seeing how coaching can be is an eye-opener for me but I’m hoping that as the years go on, I'll be able to understand a bit more, footy-wise, while I’m playing and then be able to get into coaching properly.”
In describing her coaching style, Brooke explains that while she can be firm at times, she wants her players to know that she’s there for them if they need her.
“You want them to enjoy their footy and I hopefully make it a really good environment for them to be themselves, but you’ve also got to be firm in certain ways so that they don't take it for granted.
“ I also really do care about how I come across to the players, because I'm so big on creating those relationships.
“ I think I'm pretty firm in certain ways, but I'm also there for the girls.”
Wests Tigers U/18 ROAR squad vs Knights
- Rhiannon Bonner
- Isabel McMenemy
- Modesty Tafeuni
- Lusinita Taviliniu
- Mele-Kyannah Toga
- Mia Tonga
- Agnews (Jewel) Faaui
- May Fuimaono
- Paige Attard
- Fa'alagilagi Faimasui Brown
- Sienna Robertson
- Annelise Hall
- Angel Schaafhausen-Mino
- Dawn Tui
- Aliana (Bubbles) Fasavalu-Fa'amausili
- Alavina Tu'ifua
- Ryah Mokoai
- Olivia Saley
Coach: Brooke Talataina
