‘She’s watching over me’: The stories of NRL’s 2022 Indigenous jerseys

Blake Taaffe could have been playing up the coast or at a Koori knockout in Dubbo, and she’d be there.

That was Aunty Gina. She is the reason the South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback will write “Gen Gen” on his strapping tape long before he leaves the bowels of Accor Stadium to face the Wests Tigers on Saturday.

She is the reason the Rabbitohs’ Indigenous jersey means so much, with the design from Uncle Joe Walker honouring “our mothers and all women”.

“She was like a second mum, I remember she used to come to almost every game,” Bidjigal man Taaffe said. “It didn’t matter if it was local first grade or if it was just under 17s, she would travel everywhere with me. It’s a pity she didn’t get to watch me play NRL but I’m sure she’s watching over me.”

“She’d come to the coast to watch me play. If it was a knockout, she’d come out there to Dubbo to watch me play out there and stay with us on such a special weekend. She was a bit of a battler, she’d have loved to come to every game and I’m sure she was at most.

“She was a very proud Indigenous woman and she was very close to me. I remember being with her. This is such a special round so for me to be able to represent her.

The Rabbitohs’ Indigenous jersey pays tribute to the women in our lives.Credit:NRL

“I’ve got my own totem on here, the whale, which represents a lot for me and my family so I’m excited to get out there and represent my culture.”

The tree on the Rabbitohs’ jersey represents the birthing tree. The trunk is made up of the totems of the club’s Indigenous players (Cody Walker, Yuin and Bundjalung, goanna; Isaiah Tass, Yuwi, black tailed kangaroo; Alex Johnston, Saibai Island, crocodile; Blake Taaffee, Bidjigal, whale; Latrell Mitchell, Wiradjuri and Biripi, shark and goanna).

As part of the NRL’s Indigenous round, each club will wear a themed jersey designed by Indigenous artists with input from players and club staff. The designs represent the stories of local Indigenous peoples, totems of players and their families, and landscapes of club regions. These are their stories.

Gold Coast Titans

The Gold Coast Titans’ Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Feel The Energy tracks the 15-year journey of the Titans and acknowledges the 34 Indigenous players to have played at the club, the Preston-Jayden Campbell father-son relationship and the establishment of a women’s team. The turtle is a nod to the Torres Strait Islands, the stingray represents the Gold Coast and the dolphin represents a spiritual connection for Indigenous people there.

Manly Sea Eagles

Manly Sea Eagles’ Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

The bottom half depicts the river system spread across the Australian landscape in a nod to the livelihood of Indigenous culture. Circles within represent meeting places. Family is written inside the collar, with respect written on the outside.

Wests Tigers

The Wests Tigers’ Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Artist Tyler Smith’s curved symbols between the chevrons represent the people within the club. The dotted white lines around the chevrons represent the people who will take the club forward. The curved lines below the chevrons represent the waterways on the land upon which the Tigers are based. The two symmetrical designs on the bottom half of the jersey represent elders and, in the Tigers’ case, the two halves of the merger. The totems of the Tigers’ current Indigenous players are on the back of the jersey.

North Queensland Cowboys

North Queensland’s Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Margaret Mara’s My Journey My Way depicts connections to land and sea and tracks the journey from being born to becoming an ancestor guiding people. Mara is a mother of nine and grandmother of 11.

Parramatta Eels

Shaun Lane models the 2022 Parramatta Indigenous Round jersey.

Gamilaroi and Wiradjuri man Sean Kinchela’s design is inspired by Burramattagal people who settled in Parramatta. The boomerang and spear represent three people, one older and two younger people learning to fish. The green and white boomerang represents people. Yellow and orange dots are fishing channels, and lines in between represent fishing lines. Yellow dots around blue boomerangs and meeting places represent fishing channels on the river and fishing rock traps.

Sydney Roosters

The Roosters’ Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

New Growth, New Hope. It is a collaborative effort with Connor Watson’s Cultural Choice Association which combats youth suicide. Indigenous artists from the Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre, at Kariong on the Central Coast, provided elements which were stitched together by Jordan Ardler. Among them are handprints and two boomerangs crossing rivers to represent a newfound connection to country and culture, a rainbow serpent representing creation of new opportunities and a meeting place in running water.

Canterbury Bulldogs

Canterbury’s Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Pam Brandy Hall’s design represents the stories on Gadigal land. The main circle is the Gadigal Nation. The small circles are tribes. The large blue line is Cooks River, while all other lines represent rivers. The symbols around the large circle represent elders gathering to engage and share stories; the lines and dots are food sources.

New Zealand Warriors

The Warriors’ Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

New Zealand’s Te Amokura jersey takes its inspiration from the manu (bird) of the same name. It is known for its two distinct red elongated tail feathers, represented by two red strips on the back of the jersey. Blue represents the ocean that connects Aotearoa, Australia and the pacific. Green represents the land, and red represents people. The jersey is designed by Te Tairāwhiti based Tā Moko artists Maia Gibbs (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Kahungungu) and Henare Brooking (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa).

Canberra Raiders

The Raiders’ Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Enduring Connections by Luritja woman Kayannie Denigan splits the jersey split into five panels: saltwater, rock formations, eucalyptus leaves, people and places, nature. Six totems of Indigenous players in the squad are featured: the lyre bird (Adam Elliott), goanna (Jack Wighton), emu (Elijah Anderson, Xavier Savage), wedge tail eagle (Jamal Fogarty) and crocodile (Seb Kris, Xavier Savage).

St George Illawarra Dragons

The Dragons’ Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Joanna Niki’s Commitment design shows the fiery breath of a dragon, shaped to reflect the Illawarra and the land of Dharawal country. The whale is depicted as a totem of Dharawal people. Two large circles represent the club’s two home grounds in Sydney and Wollongong. Symbols around them represent the players as hunters. Winding red lines throughout show ongoing commitment to the NRL and community, which is depicted by red, orange, black and white circles.

Cronulla Sharks

Cronulla’s Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

The Kurranulla Sharks design by Elaine Chambers-Hegarty features cultural links to the Koa, Kuku Yalanji and Barada Barna people. The goanna represents Wade Graham (Bundjalung), Jesse Ramien, Andrew Fifita and Nicho Hynes (Wiradjuri); the black snake represents Braydon Trindall (Kamilaroi); and the emu represents Will Kennedy (Kamilaroi).

Melbourne Storm

Melbourne’s Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Yorta Yorta, Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Wurundjeri man Coree Thorpe’s design is inspired by the rainbow serpent. The lines on the jersey represent Storm’s years in the NRL with the orange lines symbolising years when the club has won a grand final. Purple lines represent the people and the players of the organisation. Diamonds adorn each side, symbolising the men and women who form the club.

Brisbane Broncos

Brisbane’s Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Players chose the colours for Shared Dreaming by Casey Coolwell-Fisher. They wanted to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colours, which represent the sea and land. Totems all head towards the Brisbane River. A shield in the centre represents people from different places so, as Albert Kelly says, ‘when we do go to war, we’re all connected as one’.

Newcastle Knights

Newcastle’s Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Worimi man Gerard Black showcases the totems of the 13 nations stretching from the Hawkesbury river to the Queensland border and into western NSW. The artwork is called Birriwal Guwiyn, which means Strong Spirit in Gathang language. Nations and totems represented on the jersey are the Awabakal eagle, Worimi dolphin, Wonnarua eagle, Darkinjung whale, Geawegal dolphin, Biripi shark, Dunghutti mantis, Wiradjuri goanna, Kamilaroi eagle, Anaiwan echidna, Gumbaynggirr ocean, Ngarabal koala and Bundjalung goanna.

Penrith Panthers

Penrith’s Indigenous jersey.Credit:NRL

Penrith’s jersey recognises roles of men and women in the Darug nation. It is designed by Natasha Fordham in collaboration with Panthers Indigenous welfare officer Glen Liddiard. Both male and female handprints representing both genders as equals. The handprints of J’Maine Hopgood (Gurang Gurang) and Chris Smith (Arrernte) are on the front and back respectively. Accompanying them is the handprint of Panthers commercial team member Taylah Murray (Darkinjung). Under the handprints are the Darug totems, a fruit bat for men and ringtail possum for women. Liddiard painted symbols demonstrating unity, connection and a common meeting place.

Stream the NRL Premiership 2022 live and free on 9Now.

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.

Most Viewed in Sport

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article