Tyrell and Taliah Fuimaono eye history as the first brother-sister combination to play for the same NRL club
After almost giving the game away two years ago, Dragons backrower Tyrell Fuimaono will create a slice of NRL history alongside his sister Taliah later this year.
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Tyrell Fuimaono has signed a new two-year deal with the Dragons and will create a piece of NRL history alongside his sister Taliah when she makes her NRLW debut for the club later this year.
The Fuimaono siblings will become the first brother-sister combination to play for the same club at the same time after Taliah inked a deal to join the Dragons women’s squad.
With Tyrell now staying with the Dragons until the end of 2023, the Red V have become the NRL’s newest family club.
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“She’s always been a superstar in her own right, but she’s had not much luck and plenty of bad luck with injuries and whatnot,” Tyrell said.
“I’d be happy for her to play anywhere, because that’s something she’s been striving to achieve. But for it to happen at the same club makes it all that little bit sweeter.”
For Taliah, her maiden NRLW campaign has been a long time coming — she’s had to battle multiple shoulder and knee injuries through the years as she’s progressed through the grades.
But the cunning five-eighth, who represented the Indigenous All Stars earlier this year, is eager to make up for lost time.
“I had a shoulder reconstruction, then did my ACL when I came back and redid my shoulder the year I came back from the ACL,” Taliah said.
“It’s like every time I got on the front foot I got setback.
“It’s very special, especially for my mum. We all sacrificed a lot, it’s a special time for me and my family. Tyrell and I are really close, he’s been a big father-figure in my life. I can’t tell you how special it is for me and the family.”
Taliah will link up with Dragons stars Kezie Apps, Keeley Davis and Quincy Dodd as Mat Head’s roster begins to take shape for the postponed competition, which will kick off in October.
Tyrell’s own career at the Dragons began after a similarly tough period to what his sister endured — the backrower revealed he almost gave his NRL career away at the end of 2019 after a split with the Panthers.
“I was at a crossroads if it was worth the mental duress I was experiencing, the highs and lows of football or a career,” he said.
“I was working on the roads and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, whether I was going to keep playing footy or throw it in completely.
“I went and gave it a try, but I knew if I didn’t give footy another crack I’d have regrets. If it didn’t work out at least I’d be sure of the decision to throw it in, so I’m glad I went out on a limb there.
“I ended up coming down on a chance and making something of it. That was a contributor to wanting to stay. We have a good group here now and I have some good mates and we’re building towards something pretty great.”
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Originally published as Tyrell and Taliah Fuimaono eye history as the first brother-sister combination to play for the same NRL club
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