View source for Willie Talau

{{short description|NZ & Samoa international rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name           = Willie Talau
|fullname       = Viliamu Talau
|image          = Willie Talau.jpg
|image_size     = 200
|caption        = 
|position       = {{rlp|CE}}
|birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1976|1|25}}
|birth_place    = [[Apia, Samoa]]
|height         = {{convert|5|ft|11.5|in|cm|0|abbr=on}}
|weight         = {{convert|14|st|10|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|club1          = [[Taranaki rugby league team#1994-1996: Lion Red Cup|Taranaki Rockets]]
|year1start     = 1994
|year1end       = 96
|appearances1   =
|tries1         =
|goals1         =
|fieldgoals1    =
|points1        =
|club2          = {{nowrap|[[Canterbury Bulldogs]]}}
|year2start     = 1998
|year2end       = 03
|appearances2   = 101
|tries2         = 38
|goals2         = 0
|fieldgoals2    = 0
|points2        = 152
|club3          = [[St Helens R.F.C.|St Helens]]
|year3start     = 2003
|year3end       = 08
|appearances3   = 149
|tries3         = 65
|goals3         = 0
|fieldgoals3    = 0
|points3        = 260
|club4          = {{nowrap|[[Salford Red Devils|Salford City Reds]]}}
|year4start     = 2009
|year4end       = 10
|appearances4   = 25
|tries4         = 4
|goals4         = 0
|fieldgoals4    = 0
|points4        = 16
|teamA          = [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]]
|yearAstart     = 1999
|yearAend       = 06
|appearancesA   = 13
|triesA         = 9
|goalsA         = 0
|fieldgoalsA    = 0
|pointsA        = 36
|teamB          = [[Samoa national rugby league team|Samoa]]
|yearBstart     = 2007
|yearBend       = 08
|appearancesB   = 3
|triesB         = 0
|goalsB         = 0
|fieldgoalsB    = 0
|pointsB        = 0
|retired        = yes
|source         = <ref>[https://www.loverugbyleague.com/stats/players/Willie-Talau loverugbyleague]</ref><ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Willie_Talau/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref>
|updated        = 1 November 2008
| module       = {{infobox person
| embed        = yes
| father       = 
| mother       = 
| spouse       = 
| education    = 
| alma_mater   = 
| relatives    = [[Tommy Talau]] (son)
}}
}}

'''Viliamu''' "'''Willie'''" '''Talau''' (born 25 January 1976) is a former professional [[rugby league]] footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A [[Samoa national rugby league team|Samoa]] and [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] international representative {{rlp|ce}}, he played in the [[National Rugby League]] (NRL) for the [[Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs]], and in the [[Super League]] for [[St Helens R.F.C.|St Helens]], with whom he won the [[Super League XI|2006 Super League]] Grand Final and the [[Challenge Cup]] on four occasions, and for the [[Salford Red Devils|Salford City Reds]].<ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org"/>

==Background==
Talau was born in [[Apia]], Samoa.

==Club career==

===Early years===
Talau attended [[Spotswood College]]. Talau played for the [[Taranaki rugby league team#1994-1996: Lion Red Cup|Taranaki Rockets]] in the [[Lion Red Cup]]. At 21, his father gave him a one-way ticket to Australia to try his luck playing league. While playing in the metropolitan Cup he was spotted by [[Canterbury Bulldogs|Canterbury]], who signed him to play in the [[National Rugby League]]. In the [[1994 Lion Red Cup]] Talau played in nine matches, scoring one try. He then played in all 22 matches for the Rockets in the [[1995 Lion Red Cup|1995 season]].{{cn|date=March 2023}}

===Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs===
Talau made his debut for Canterbury in round 17 of the [[1998 NRL season]] against [[South Sydney Rabbitohs|South Sydney]]. Talau scored a try in Canterbury's famous 1998 preliminary final victory over arch-rivals [[Parramatta Eels|Parramatta]]. Canterbury were down 18-2 with less than ten minutes of the match remaining but won the game in extra-time 32-20.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/nrl-rivalries-canterbury-bulldogs-and-parramatta-eels/|title=NRL rivalries: Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and Parramatta Eels|website=www.loverugbyleague.com}}</ref>
He played in 101 [[National Rugby League]] games for the Canterbury club, scoring 38 tries, including one in the [[1998 NRL Grand Final]] defeat against the [[Brisbane Broncos]].

===St Helens===
He signed for St. Helens in late 2003. He made his Super League début on 24 August 2003 against [[Hull F.C.]] Talau scored two tries in the [[2004 Challenge Cup]] Final, and participated in St Helens' 2006 treble, scoring in both the [[2006 Challenge Cup]] Final and the [[2006 Super League Grand Final]]. Talau scored 11 tries in 29 games during the 2006 season. As 2006 Super League champions, St Helens faced 2006 NRL Premiers the Brisbane Broncos in the [[2007 World Club Challenge]]. Talau played at centre in the Saints' 18–14 victory. He played in 2008's [[Super League XIII#Grand Final|Super League XIII Grand Final]] defeat by the [[Leeds Rhinos]].<ref name="2008 Grand Final">{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7642170.stm|title=2008 Grand Final|publisher=BBC|date=4 October 2008|access-date=5 October 2008}}</ref>
[[File:Willie Talau 2008.jpg|thumb|right|Talau with Samoa at the [[2008 Rugby League World Cup|2008 World Cup]]]]

===Salford===
Talau joined the [[Super League]] side the [[Salford Red Devils|Salford City Reds]] for the start of the 2009 season.<ref name="Salford snapped up Talau from Saints">{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/salford/7657003.stm|title=Salford snap up Talau from Saints|publisher=BBC|date=7 October 2008|access-date=10 October 2008}}</ref><ref name="Reds in Talau swoop">{{Cite web|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/rugby_league/s/1069907_reds_in_talau_swoop?rss=yes|title=Reds in Talau swoop|publisher=Manchester Evening News|date=1 October 2008|access-date=1 October 2008}}</ref> He retired from the sport at the end of the 2010 season.

==International career==

===New Zealand===
He played for the [[Junior Kiwis]] as a youth.

Talau played in 13 games for the [[New Zealand national rugby league team]] from 1999 to 2006,

Talau was selected for the [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand team]] to compete in the end of season [[1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations]] tournament. In the final against [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]] he played at centre in the Kiwis' 22–20 loss.

He was selected in the Kiwis squad for the [[2000 Rugby League World Cup|2000 World Cup]], playing in the [[2000 Rugby League World Cup final|World Cup final]] defeat to the Kangaroos at [[Old Trafford]].<ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/world-cup-2000/final/australia-vs-new-zealand.html Report]</ref><ref>{{cite news 
  | last = Burke
  | first = David
  | title = Hello Sailor; Australia 40 New Zealand 12
  | work = Sunday Mirror, The
  | publisher = MGN Ltd
  | date = 26 November 2000
  | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20001126/ai_n14516453/
  }}</ref>

===Samoa===
In 2007 Talau switched allegiances to [[Samoa national rugby league team|Samoa]]. The following year he represented Samoa in the [[2008 Rugby League World Cup]], playing two matches.<ref name="Samoa, Tonga and Fiji name squads">{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7658506.stm|title=Samoa, Tonga and Fiji name squads|publisher=BBC|date=8 October 2008|access-date=9 October 2008}}</ref><ref name="Samoa name World Cup Squad">{{Cite web|url=http://www.leagueunlimited.com/article.php?newsid=16750|title=Samoa name World Cup Squad|publisher=League Unlimited|date=5 August 2008|access-date=6 August 2008}}</ref>

==Legacy==
In 2008 he was named in the [[Taranaki Rugby League]] Team of the Century.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_671468">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/sport/671468/Dream-team-of-century-is-named|title=Dream team of century is named|date=14 October 2008|work=[[Taranaki Daily News]]|access-date=24 September 2011}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*''[http://www.saints.org.uk/saints/player.php?num=16398 Willie Talau St Helens Career Page]'' at the Saints Heritage Society.
*[http://www.bulldogs.com.au/main.php?page=player&id=625 Willie Talau Bulldogs Profile]

{{Navboxes
|title= St Helens squads
| bg=white
| fg=red
| bordercolor=red
|list1=
{{St Helens - 2004 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{St Helens - 2006 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{St Helens RLFC - 2006 Super League Champions}}
{{St Helens - 2007 World Club Challenge winners}}
{{St Helens - 2007 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{St Helens - 2008 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
}}
{{New Zealand squad 2000 Rugby League World Cup}}
{{Samoa 2008 Rugby League World Cup squad}}
{{Taranaki Rugby League Team of the Century}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Talau, Willie}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Samoan sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century Samoan sportsmen]]
[[Category:Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players]]
[[Category:Junior Kiwis players]]
[[Category:New Zealand national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:People educated at Spotswood College]]
[[Category:Rugby league centres]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Apia]]
[[Category:Salford Red Devils players]]
[[Category:Samoa national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Samoan emigrants to New Zealand]]
[[Category:Samoan rugby league players]]
[[Category:St Helens R.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Taranaki rugby league team players]]