‘Footy was a way out': The inspirational story behind Dolphins' potential saviour
But now, the unheralded Dolphins enforcer is looking ahead as he seeks to repay coach Kristian Woolf's faith in him and help salvage a season plagued by an injury curse.
'Woolfy says he believes in me and that I can do the job, so I just want to prove him right, and prove to the boys I can be here to back them up,' Tawha said, ahead of his side's Thursday night clash with the Cowboys – his fourth NRL appearance.
'It's crazy, someone like that saying they believe in you. Coming from where I come from, you never thought you'd talk to someone of that calibre.
'Now I'm here playing NRL and he's telling me that – I just don't want to let him down.'
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Tawha left Hamilton for Australia as a bright-eyed teenager to ply his trade for the Tweed Seagulls five years ago, before a shoulder injury seemingly ended his NRL crusade.
He moved back across the ditch for a period, before taking up a shock opportunity to play rugby union in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic. He later returned home, where he settled for local football while working as a scaffolder.
But an out-of-the-blue call from Yass Magpies in 2023 turned his fortunes around. There, he was spotted by former Redcliffe Dolphins coach and Brisbane Broncos forward Ben Te'o and produced a breakout Queensland Cup season.
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