Taufa eyes maiden Raiders finals berth after historic Broncos takedown

It took more than three years to get the result, but when it finally came, the Raiders didn’t just beat defending premiers Brisbane, they sent a message to the rest of the NRLW with a commanding 28-4 victory. 

For the first time, Canberra had toppled Brisbane, ending the Broncos’ 15-game winning streak that dated back to Round 3 last year.

The Raiders had never beaten the Broncos since joining the competition in 2023, making Sunday’s result one of the most significant wins in the club’s history. 

Front and centre as she has been in every one of her 34 games for the Raiders was co-captain Simaima Tuafa... leading by words and actions, refusing to take a backward step against a team that hadn't tasted defeat in 385 days.

“Honestly, I’m extremely proud of the girls. There’s been a tough couple of weeks on us reviewing our own individual performance and knowing we weren’t at our full potential,” Taufa told NRL.com.

“To be able to come out there leading into that week we had really tough sessions and honest conversations within ourselves and how we needed to turn this season around.

“The girls showcased why our DNA was also a hard, gritty defensive team and if we stick to staying that well-oiled machine, anything is possible for us.

“(The Broncos) are a benchmark for a reason and the calibre of players that they’ve got, it just speaks volumes.

“They've got an incredible bunch of girls so to be able to get that first win I was just genuinely really excited and happy, just so proud of the collective group because it was a whole team effort."

The Raiders entered Round 6 on a three-game losing streak but Taufa is adamant their self-confidence remained strong.

“The belief in ourselves has always been there, but it was just more challenging ourselves and our resilience as a group," she said.

“You know it’s a game of rugby league, errors are made, but it’s how we bounce back and defend those sets and those errors. And I felt that the group showcased what we were capable of and what we knew we already had. 

“To get a win like that just solidified what we already knew we were capable of as a squad.” 

With five games left in the regular season, the Raiders are right in the mix for a maiden finals berth after finishing fifth, seventh and 11th in their first three seasons.

“We play each and every week with the desire to get there in the grand final and to ultimately win it,” Taufa said.

“The desire is still there and it’s never wavered from this group because we know we’ve got the team to get us all the way to the end.”