 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Timothy Simona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20 November 1991 Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg (14 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre, Fullback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: [1] As of 2 August 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tim Simona (born 20 November 1991) is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre , fullback , wing and halfback for the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles in the NSW Cup and previously Wests Tigers in the NRL.
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Simona is of Samoan descent. Simona moved to Australia as a 6-year old. [2] and was a Western City Tigers and Doonside Roos junior. Simona was educated at Chifley College Mount Druitt Campus and Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown. Simona played for the Wests Tigers NYC team in 2010-2011.[ citation needed ]
Simona joined the Wests Tigers first grade squad in 2011. In Round 13, he made an "impressive NRL debut" [3] against the Newcastle Knights at centre in the Tigers 17-16 win at Leichhardt Oval. [4]
Simona played 3 first-grade games in 2012. He was a member of the Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers side that lost the NSW Cup grand final the Newtown Jets. [5] [6]
Starting the season in NSW Cup, Simona returned to first grade in Round 8 after injuries to Blake Ayshford and Chris Lawrence [7] and spent the rest of the season playing either wing or centre. In Round 13 Simona scored his first NRL career try against the Penrith Panthers in the Tigers 20-18 win at Penrith Stadium. [8] On 18 July, he re-signed with the Tigers to the end of 2015. [9] Simona finished the year as the Tigers highest try-scorer with 12 tries in 17 matches. At the end of the season, Simona underwent an operation on his shoulder that was expected to see him out of action for some months. [10] Simona had been selected for New Zealand's 2013 World Cup side, but declined in order to better prepared for the 2014 season. [11]
In April, Simona was named for Samoa against Fiji in the Pacific Rugby League International match, a qualifier for the 2014 Four Nations, but was later ruled out with suspension and replaced by St George Illawarra Dragons player Peter Mata'utia. [12] Simona finished off the year with him playing in 14 matches and scoring 3 tries. On 25 October, Simona made his international debut for Samoa against England at Suncorp Stadium, playing at fullback in Samoa's 32-26 loss. [13] He played in 3 matches and scored 1 try throughout the Four Nations.
On 23 January, Simona was named in the Tigers Auckland Nines squad. [14] He started the regular season by scoring 3 tries and setting up 6 more in the first 7 rounds. In May, he played at halfback for Samoa against Tonga in the 2015 Polynesian Cup, and suffered an ankle injury during the match. He ended the season with 5 tries and 10 try-assists from a personal-best 20 appearances. [15]
Simona again started the pre-season playing in the Auckland Nines. [16] On 7 May, Simona played fullback for Samoa in the 2016 Polynesian Cup, winning 18-6. [17] He made a career-best 21 appearances for Wests Tigers, scoring 7 tries, but admitted to being disappointed with his form. "I spoke one-on-one with my coach, and he told me that I'd had a pretty good year, but I just know for myself as a player that I've got plenty more to prove," he said. [18]
Simona was officially de-registered by the NRL on 10 March, after the NRL integrity unit found that he had breached the rules of the league by betting on NRL games. NRL CEO Todd Greenberg declared: "it is very hard to imagine that Tim Simona will be registered with the NRL at any time in the future". [19] On 11 July 2017, Simona was given an 18 month good behaviour bond by Campbelltown local court. Simona was facing up to two years in jail for his role in selling signed jerseys for auction but taking the proceeds for himself which he then used for gambling and drug use purposes. [20] [21] On 4 December 2017, it was revealed that Simona was attempting to resurrect his career in England with Hull Kingston Rovers, and The Toronto Wolfpack showing interest in signing the player. But both clubs were told Simona's contract could not be registered as he failed to meet the eligibility requirements. [22]
In June, Penrith general manager Phil Gould formally approached the NRL about the player getting clearance to be a welfare officer in the NRL community outreach program. Gould spoke to the media saying "Regardless of any future opportunity to return to the NRL, Tim is doing his best to make up for his mistakes of the past". Former teammate Beau Ryan said to the media "People have got very short memories which is good and bad. I believe at some stage he does need a second chance. Whether that's playing? Probably not, to be honest, I can't see him playing on the field again". [23] [24]
On 13 January, it was reported that Simona was preparing a formal bid to overturn his indefinite ban from the game. It was revealed that Simona was preparing to meet with the Rugby League Players Association. On July 4, the NRL approved his application to return to the game, for Blacktown, the feeder club for the Manly-Warringah Sea-Eagles [25] On 13 July, Simona returned to the field for the first time in over 2 years as Blacktown defeated South Sydney 30-22 at ANZ Stadium in the Canterbury Cup NSW competition. [26] [27]
He signed with French Elite One Championship club Lézignan Sangliers for the 2019-2020 season. [28]
Simona is the cousin of winger Sami Sauiluma also first cousins with Michael Chee-Kam and uncle of Castleford Tigers forward Jesse Sene-Lefao and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles winger Matthew Wright. Simona's younger brother Paul Simona played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Toyota Cup. [29] He is eligible to play for either Samoa through his heritage, New Zealand due to being born there, or Australia as a result of playing junior footy in that country. [2] After his rugby league career was finished, Simona started working as a personal trainer at a gym in Smeaton Grange. [30]
In December 2017, Simona announced that he would be pursuing a career in Boxing after failing to get another rugby league contract. On 8 February 2018, Simona was scheduled to fight in a boxing match at The Hurstville Entertainment Center but was pulled from the card in the week leading up to the event because he failed to get clearance from the combat sports authority. [31]
On 1 September 2019, it was revealed that Simona had forced his then girlfriend of four months to have an abortion after she discovered she was pregnant. The alleged incident occurred back in 2016 when Simona was playing for the Wests Tigers. The woman told the media "Straightaway he said, ‘We're definitely going to get an abortion’, I was in shock, it was one of those moments where you can't quite believe what you're hearing and can't quite process it then and there … He was so cold. That was the absolute beginning point, so from then he wouldn't speak to me unless we were talking about me getting an abortion". The woman went on to say "He refused to talk about the possibility of having the baby and manipulated me by saying things like, ‘How could you do this to me? How could you bring a baby into the world whose father didn't want it? How could you ruin my career like that? You're doing this on purpose". [32]
Wade Graham is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a second-row forward and captained the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has played for Australia at international level.
Masada Iosefa was a Samoan professional rugby league footballer who played as a hooker in the 2000s and 2010s for the Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers in the NRL.
Kevin Naiqama is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who usually plays as a centre or winger for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League and as a fullback or five-eighth for Fiji at the International level.
Matthew Wright is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre, wing and fullback for the Townsville Blackhawks in Hostplus Cup.
Ben Murdoch-Masila is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop, second-row and lock for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Marika Koroibete is a dual-code international rugby league and rugby union footballer. He plays for the Australia national rugby union team, and plays as a winger for the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby.
James Gavet is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who last played as a prop for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League.
Jesse Sene-Lefao is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop or second-row forward for the Sheffield Eagles in the RFL Championship.
Ava Seumanufagai is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who is the captain-coach of Campbelltown City Kangaroos. He has previously played for Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League, Wests Tigers, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL and the Leeds Rhinos in the European Super League.
Sauaso "Jesse" Sue is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop, lock and second-row forward for the Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League.
David Nofoaluma is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a wing for the Glebe Dirty Reds in the Ron Massey Cup.
Junior Paulo is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sami Sauiluma is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup. He primarily plays at centre and wing, but can also fill in at second-row and previously played for the Canberra Raiders and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL.
Isaah Patrick Ferguson-Yeo is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock and second-row forward for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL and Australia at international level. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest locks in the game.
Michael Chee-Kam is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward or centre for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL.
Kyle Lovett is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who previously played for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League and the Leigh Centurions in the Betfred Championship. He primarily played as a second-row, but could also fill in as a centre. Lovett is also an aspiring actor, writing, producing, directing & starring in the short film, "Boys Light Up".
George Jennings is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who last played as a winger for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL).
The 2015 Penrith Panthers season was the 49th in the club's history. Coached by Ivan Cleary and captained by Peter Wallace, the team competed in the National Rugby League's 2015 Telstra Premiership. They also competed in the 2015 NRL Auckland Nines pre-season tournament.
Sione Katoa is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who last played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL.
Zach Dockar-Clay is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker or five-eighth for the North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup.
