Tallisha Harden

{{short description|Australia international rugby league footballer}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|name = Tallisha Harden

|fullname =

|nickname =

|image =

|imagesize =

|caption =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1992|7|21}}

|birth_place = Logan, Queensland, Australia

|height = {{convert|178|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}

|weight = {{convert|84|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}

|position = {{rlp|SR|LK|PR}}

|club1 = {{nowrap|Brisbane Broncos}}

|year1start = 2018

|appearances1 = 1

|tries1 = 0

|goals1 = 0

|fieldgoals1 = 0

|points1 = 0

|club2 = {{nowrap|Sydney Roosters}}

|year2start = 2019

|appearances2 = 3

|tries2 = 0

|goals2 = 0

|fieldgoals2 = 0

|points2 = 0

|club3 = {{nowrap|Brisbane Broncos}}

|year3start = 2020

|year3end = 22

|appearances3 = 14

|tries3 = 2

|goals3 = 0

|fieldgoals3 = 0

|points3 = 8

|club4 = {{nowrap|Nth Qld Cowboys}}

|year4start = 2023

|year4end = present

|appearances4 = 18

|tries4 = 0

|goals4 = 0

|fieldgoals4 = 0

|points4 = 0

|teamA = {{nowrap|Indigenous All Stars}}

|yearAstart = 2014

|yearAend = 24

|appearancesA = 7

|triesA = 0

|goalsA = 0

|fieldgoalsA = 0

|pointsA = 0

|teamB = Queensland

|yearBstart = 2015

|yearBend = 22

|appearancesB = 5

|triesB = 0

|goalsB = 0

|fieldgoalsB = 0

|pointsB = 0

|teamC = Australia

|yearCstart = 2015

|yearCend = 22

|appearancesC = 4

|triesC = 3

|goalsC = 0

|fieldgoalsC = 0

|pointsC = 12

|teamD = Australia 9s

|yearDstart = 2019

|yearDend =

|appearancesD = 3

|triesD = 0

|goalsD = 0

|fieldgoalsD = 0

|pointsD = 0

|teamE = Prime Minister's XIII

|yearEstart = 2023

|yearEend =

|appearancesE = 1

|triesE = 0

|goalsE = 0

|fieldgoalsE = 0

|pointsE = 0

|retired =

|source = [https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/tallisha-harden/summary.html RLP]

|updated = 22 September 2024

}}

Tallisha Harden (born 21 July 1992) is an Australian rugby league footballer who captains the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL Women's Premiership.

Primarily a {{rlp|sr}}er, she is an Australian and Queensland representative and previously played for the Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters.

Playing career

=Rugby union=

A former Australian representative indoor volleyball player, Harden began playing rugby union at age 19.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scrumqueens.com/news/world-series-prep-hotting-oceania|title=World Series prep hotting up in Oceania|website=Scrum Queens}} She played for Sunnybank and Queensland before switching full-time to rugby league in 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/womens-sport/broncos-sign-two-more-players-for-inaugural-nrl-womens-premiership/news-story/cce7500579c3d693af9e961f721af247|title=Broncos sign four more players for inaugural NRL women's premiership|date=14 June 2018|website=The Courier Mail}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/rugby/tallisha-harden-using-dual-code-success-to-inspire-indigenous-youngsters/news-story/58344876dbe0415b96fa8f7815521669|title=Tallisha Harden using dual code success to inspire indigenous youngsters|date=5 June 2015|website=The Courier Mail}}

=Rugby league=

In 2013, Harden began playing rugby league.{{Cite web|url=https://www.burleighbearsrlfc.com.au/2019/06/26/harden-riding-with-the-roosters-for-2019/|title=Harden Riding with the Roosters for 2019|date=26 June 2019|website=Burleigh Bears}} In 2014, she represented the Indigenous All Stars.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2015/05/01/bears-women-on-international-stage/|title=Bears women on international stage|date=1 May 2015|website=QRL}} In 2015, 2016 and 2020, she captained the side.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/02/17/womens-indigenous-all-stars-v-maori-all-stars-2020/|title=Women's Indigenous v Maori: Harden, McGregor, Rota named captains|date=22 February 2020|website=NRL}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/womens/top-40/tallisha-harden/|title=Tallisha Harden|website=NRL}}

On 3 May 2015, she made her Test debut for Australia, coming off the bench in a 22–14 win over New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium.{{Cite web|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/womens-sport/persistence-pays-for-gritty-jillaroo-tallisha-harden/news-story/69e7be3b059a9264f80105b7d89d5532|title=Tallisha Harden fights back to win Jillaroos recall|date=18 February 2018|website=The Courier Mail}} On 27 June 2015, she made her debut for Queensland in a 4–all draw with New South Wales at 1300SMILES Stadium.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2015/06/10/queensland-womens-team/|title=Queensland Women's Team|date=10 June 2015|website=QRL}}

In June 2018, Harden represented South East Queensland at the inaugural Women's National Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/05/29/womens-national-championships-the-perfect-origin-appetiser/|title=Women's Nationals the perfect Origin appetiser|date=29 May 2018|website=NRL}} On 14 June 2018, she joined the Brisbane Broncos NRL Women's Premiership team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.broncos.com.au/news/2018/06/14/broncos-add-more-elite-talent-to-nrlw/|title=Broncos Add More Elite Talent to NRLW|date=14 June 2018|website=Brisbane Broncos}} In Round 3 of the 2018 NRL Women's season, she made her debut for the Broncos in a 32–10 win over the New Zealand Warriors.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/09/18/broncos-v-warriors-nrlw-round-3-preview/|title=Broncos v Warriors: NRLW Round 3 preview|date=21 September 2018|website=NRL}}

In May 2019, she represented South East Queensland at the Women's National Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/05/22/line-ups-named-for-womens-national-championships/|title=Line-ups named for Women's National Championships|date=22 May 2019|website=NRL}} On 29 June 2019, she signed with the Sydney Roosters NRLW team and was named their Player of the Year at the end of the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.roosters.com.au/news/2019/06/26/nrlw-2019-squad-tracker/|title=Harden & Smith added to Roosters 2019 NRLW Squad|date=26 June 2019|website=Sydney Roosters}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.roosters.com.au/news/2019/10/08/james-tedesco-claims-second-consecutive-jack-gibson-medal/|title=Tedesco claims second consecutive Jack Gibson Medal|date=8 October 2019|website=Sydney Roosters}}

In October 2019, Harden represented Australia at the 2019 Rugby League World Cup 9s and earned a recall to the Jillaroos Test side after a four-year absence, coming off the bench and scoring a try in a 28–8 win over New Zealand at WIN Stadium.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/10/07/dragons-12-named-in-kangaroos-squads/|title=Dragons dozen named for Australia|date=7 October 2019|website=St George Illawarra Dragons}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-25/rugby-league-australia-jillaroos-beat-new-zealand-kiwi-ferns/11641806|title=Australia's Jillaroos beat New Zealand's Kiwi Ferns 28-8 in Wollongong|date=25 October 2019|website=ABC}}

In September 2020, Harden re-joined the Brisbane Broncos NRLW side.{{Cite web|url=https://www.broncos.com.au/news/2020/09/23/aussie-sevens-star-among-latest-nrlw-signings/|title=Aussie Sevens Star Among Latest NRLW Signings|date=23 September 2020|website=Brisbane Broncos}} On 25 October 2020, she started at {{rlp|sr}} and scored a try in the Broncos' 20–10 Grand Final win over the Roosters.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/25/dominant-brisbane-claim-third-straight-nrlw-premiership|title=Dominant Brisbane claim third straight NRLW premiership|date=25 October 2020|website=The Guardian}}

On 20 February 2021, she captained the Indigenous All Stars in their 24–0 loss to the Māori All Stars.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/02/14/womens-all-stars-preview-new-look-teams-have-plenty-of-talent/|title=McGregor, Harden to lead talented teams|date=20 February 2021|website=NRL}}

On 11 May 2023, Harden signed for the North Queensland Cowboys on a one-year contract.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2023/05/11/cowboys-sign-jillaroos-and-maroons-star-harden/|title=Cowboys sign Jillaroos and Maroons star Tallisha Harden|date=11 May 2023|website=NQ Cowboys}} On 28 June, she was named as the inaugural co-captain of the Cowboys, alongside Kirra Dibb.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2023/06/28/nqcowboys-annoynce-nrlw-captains-kd-th/|title=Cowboys announce NRLW captains|date=28 June 2023|website=NQ Cowboys}}

In Round 1 of the 2023 NRL Women's season, she made her debut for the Cowboys, starting at {{rlp|pr}} in a 16–6 loss to the Gold Coast Titans.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2023/07/22/final-team-list-eight-cowboys-named-to-make-nrlw-debuts/|title=Final team list: Eight Cowboys named to make NRLW debuts|date=22 July 2023|website=NQ Cowboys}}

On 9 December 2024, Harden re-signed with the Cowboys for the 2025 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2024/12/09/cowboys-extend-seven/|title=Cowboys extend seven|date=9 December 2024|website=NQ Cowboys}}