Born: Mangere, NZ
Home town: Auckland
Enjoys: Sleeping, eating and more sleeping
10 years from now I'll be...hopefully playing in the NRL
Describe yourself in three words: Young, fun, chilled
If I wasn't playing rugby league, I'd be...laying in bed playing PlayStation
Favourite movie: The Notebook, Cool Runnings
Favourite holiday destination: My bed
Role models: Mum & dad
Twitter handle: @jasontaumalolo
Biggest career achievement so far: Playing NRL
Best off-field achievement: Meeting my girlfriend
Biggest career challenge so far: Trying to stay in first grade
What do you like most about playing league? Getting to do what I love for a living
Most respected opponent: Chris Grevsmuhl
Favourite rugby league player of all time: Sonny Fai
First team you ever played league for: Mangere East Hawks
Pre-game ritual: Nothing better than having brekky in bed listening to music
Training/ fitness tip: Never give up
Training diet tip: Be careful what you eat
Goal for 2013: Make the most of my chances in NRL
Born in Auckland, Taumalolo moved to Townsville at the age of 13 and attended Kirwan State High School. He earned a scholarship with the Cowboys and would go on to represent the Queensland under-18s and Australian schoolboys at the age of 16.
Taumalolo was just 16 when he played his first NYC game in 2010 and he became the youngest player ever to make his NRL debut for the Cowboys, aged 17 years, two months and 21 days, when he came off the bench against the Bulldogs in 2010.
He would make his second NRL appearance for North Queensland almost a year later when he came off the bench in a loss to South Sydney in round 24 and starred for the Cowboys in round 25 against Cronulla, coming off the bench for the third time to score two crucial tries as well pick up 125 metres in attack.
Taumalolo played for the Junior Kiwis in 2010 and 2011.
In 2011, he was awarded the Rugby League Player's Association's Toyota Cup Player of the Year award, was named in the Toyota Cup Team of the Year in the second year in a row and New Zealand Rugby League’s Junior Player of the Year.
He is also a two-time winner of the Cowboys’ Toyota Cup Player of the Year Award.
