Taufa-Graham picks up twin New South Wales Cup awards

Centre Moala Taufa-Graham was twice honoured with New South Wales Cup accolades at the One New Zealand Warriors’ annual awards dinner in Auckland on Sunday night.

A one-game NRL player with the Sydney Roosters – making a brief 18th man appearance in 2021 – the 22-year-old Aucklander played three NRL games for the Warriors in a season in which he excelled for the club’s NSW Cup side.

The team’s top try scorer with 14 touchdowns, he averaged 148 metres a game which saw him named the overall NSW Cup player of the year as well as being chosen by his peers as the players’ player of the year.

Other nominees for the supreme honour were captain Kalani Going, fullback Taine Tuaupiki and second rower Leka Halasima while Going, Tuaupiki and winger Edward Kosi were also nominees for the players’ player of the year.

Singled out as the NSW Cup clubman of the year was 19-year-old Eddie Ieremia. Able to play in the back row, front row or the centres, Ieremia appeared in each of the team’s 25 games including Saturday’s playoff loss to Penrith.

A a selfless club man, the impressive Ieremia headed off Kosi, utility Geronimo Doyle and hooker-halfback Paul Roache for the award.