Jahream Bula to be joined at Wests Tigers by wife Aaliyah

Jahream Bula has hailed the latest addition to the Wests Tigers’ fullback stocks, who plays the game “much tougher than me”.

Bula, who will play a crucial role in trying to get the club’s campaign back on track against Canberra on Friday night – is celebrating after being joined at Concord by his wife, Aaliyah, who has joined the Tigers’ NRLW side.

Like Bula, Aaliyah – the daughter of former NRL hardman Solomon Haumono – plays centre and five-eighth, but also fullback.

“I’m just glad to see her run out in Tigers colours – it means so much we’re together at the one club,” said Bula, who married Aaliyah late last year.

“She played with Parramatta, and it never felt right going for Parra, but now she’s with the Tigers, it’s a whole lot better.

“I didn’t say anything to her about coming here. It was all through hard work, and now the Tigers have given her this opportunity.

“We do a lot of video after games, she’ll help me and I’ll help her. She’s tough – she’s much tougher than me. But I leave the tackling practice to her dad. He’s the master, he’s very smart and understands the game really well.”

Tigers NRLW coach Brett Kimmorley, who played against Haumono and described him as one of the great powerful defensive forwards in the game, said of Aaliyah: “She trains hard, she’s been around the NRLW before, she’s a great athlete, and while she won’t have some of the traits of her dad, who was a big, powerful front-rower and back-rower, but she can forge her own career. She won’t be in Jahream’s shadow, either.”