Bradford Bulls winger buoyed by brace and eyes run of games

And he is determined to stay out wide for the foreseeable future, with his Bradford career so far proving to be a mixed bag.

The big Australian is undoubtedly a first-choice pick on the left for head coach Eamon O’Carroll and he has scored tries prolifically for Bulls since arriving at the club last summer.

But a controversial ban for alleged biting saw him miss six key games in 2023, while another debatable suspension, after a nasty head collision at Wakefield in March, put him out for another two matches.

Throw in some injuries too, and it means Taufua’s time at Bradford has not quite taken off in the way it might have had he consistently been in the side over the last 12 months.

Speaking to the T&A on Sunday afternoon after the win at Whitehaven, Taufua said: “The suspensions, I’m not too sure what happened there.

“Injuries come with the game, being in and out with those, but it’d be nice to string some matches together now.

“If we can do that as a team too, hopefully we can cement a top-four spot in the division over the next few weeks.”

Bulls currently sit fifth, but only two points behind second-placed Sheffield, after Sunday’s win in Cumbria, with Taufua glad to play a starring role in the visitors’ stirring comeback from 12-6 down at the break.

He said: “We started the game okay, but after going behind, it was clear what the message was in terms of what we need to do in the second half.

“It was a good game back for myself, as it’s been a while since I scored, so it felt good to get a couple of tries.”

Jorge Taufua tends to be prolific when he plays, but that has not been as often as he would like, meaning his last try before Sunday came in this game against Swinton on the first weekend of May. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

He added: “A lot of us did our roles better in the second half and it always feels good to do that when it helps us win.

“The tries are the cherry on top for me and it was a good day for us as a team.”

And it is a team full of spirit, epitomised by Kieran Gill damaging his shoulder in setting up Taufua’s first try, but going on to play the rest of the game.

Gill even scored after that, while Taufua helped him out by moving into the centre, allowing the Castleford native to exert himself less on the wing while in pain.

Former Tonga and Samoa international Taufua said: “I’ve played with Gilly for about a year now and we feed off each other.

“We know each other’s game, so when he got that injury, I was happy to come inside, take that pressure off him, and let him rest that shoulder.

“Gilly’s been good for me as have JD (John Davies) and Jordy (Jordan Lilley) out on that left-hand side.”

All four of them had to deal with the interchangeable conditions on Sunday, with the sun shining ahead of kick-off, only for it to rain from midway through the first half onwards.

Taufua laughed: “I’m used to the grey skies and everything now in England, so whenever the sun is out, I know it’s not going to last long.

“It is what it is, that’s just the country we’re playing in, and I’ve learned to appreciate that.”