Zahara's rise from quiet Kiwi kid to Raiders' spiritual leader

In the latest instalment in our special 'Telstra Hersday' series on the stars of the women's game, pan66.com talks to Raiders playmaker Zahara Temara, whose humility and passion for her culture have made her one of the game's most respected leaders.

 

She’s played as many NRLW games as Ali Brigginshaw and achieved just about everything possible in the women’s game but Zahara Temara continues to fly under the radar.

They say actions speak louder than words and this rings true for the NRLW premier, Jillaroos playmaker, Māori All Stars skipper and State of Origin series winner who has long gone about her business in an understated fashion.

Softly spoken with a quiet demeanour and a private Instagram account with just over 2500 followers, the 27-year-old Raiders halfback is content with a reputation built more on tough carries than tough talk.

“I’m a pretty private person and I just find it easier to shut out all of that social media stuff,” Temara told pan66.com as part of the Telstra 'Hersday' series.

“Even when I was younger in the old Vivo and Facebook days, I would never really post, I just don't really care for it.

“If we're out in the community or doing anything for the media I’m all for it.

“But I'm happy with just being a bit reserved and doing my own thing in the background.

“The profile of the game is growing and I have definitely felt that in the past few seasons and in Origin time and it’s really cool to see some of the girls making careers from it.

“You see Kennedy Cherrington and she's doing some pretty cool things but it really suits her personality and character, but I just don't really care for it.”

Born in New Zealand before her family moved to the Gold Coast when she was 11 years old, Temara believes her quiet and composed nature stems from her family values and Māori culture.

A proven clutch performer in the NRLW, Temara’s humility and focus is what separates her from many other players but she insists that should never be misinterpreted for lack of passion.

And although you often don’t see it behind the cameras or on the field, Temara said inside the four walls of the club surrounded by her teammates is when she often finds her voice.

“I was always a pretty shy kid growing up and people generally say when they first meet me that I’m quiet and softly spoken, but I think any of my teammates would tell you the opposite,” she said.

“I’ve definitely grown as a person and a player and I’m not saying that any other culture is not respectful, but I think our cultural beliefs and how we are raised can often be to keep our mouth shut even when people are wrong or to be humble even when you’ve won or want to celebrate.

“So I am a very passionate person but I guess I just show it in a different way.

“And that’s not only my upbringing but also from footy back with the Burleigh Bears ‘OG’ girls like Tazmin Rapana, Tahnee Norris, Karina Brown, they were very quiet, respectful people.

“They were all different cultures but they were very humble and showed me that you can celebrate but when the game is over.

“Sometimes I do really let it out at different times but all I want the girls to know is I’ve got their backs, but I don't really care for all the celebrating sort of stuff.”

Not one to big note herself, Temara said it took some special role models and coaches to take the time to get to know her and understand her passion and dedication to the game.

Selected as the Māori All Stars captain in 2023 and co-captain alongside fellow veteran Shannon Mato earlier this year came as one of the proudest moments of her career.

“There’s been a lot of people who have helped bring out the leader in me and not only my family but people like Jamie Feeney, he was the first one that actually saw the leadership quality in me when I was appointed vice-captain one year for the Roosters,” Temara said.

“Coaches can go a certain way with who they select and Keith Hanley was a big one too.

“He opened a lot of doors for me when he made Shannon and I co-captains for the Māori All Stars team.

“When you're so passionate about something, you’ve got good people around you and just love what you're doing, it makes it really easy and that opportunity opened doors for me with the vice-captaincy for Origin and Darrin Borthwick appointing me captain alongside Simaima.”

Leading a host of young and emerging talent in the nation’s capital, Temara said she feels a responsibility to share her experiences and ensure her younger teammates have what they need to reach their full potential.

“We take a lot of responsibility because we’ve been here since the start and I know especially when I was coming through, my mindset and how I approached a game was like I was always going to be here,” she said.

“But I think we just don't want to see them make the same mistakes we did and we definitely want them to be the best that they can be and reach their full potential and keep striving further.

“It wasn't until a few years ago where my mindset changed because I was playing bad footy and we lose a lot of good players because of mindset and because of all the pressures outside.

“In any team, if you could make every person feel like they can be comfortable, be themselves and embrace that, their game will be better, our team's performance will be better and the game overall will be better.”