In a little over six months last year, NSW Waratahs recruit Irae Simone returned to rugby union, won 13 straight matches to help Northern Suburbs claim their first Shute Shield title in 41 years, received the rookie of the year award and picked up a Super Rugby contract.
Not bad for a kid who admits he’s still finding his feet in the 15-man game.
After a brilliant 2016, 21-year old Simone is now one of the most exciting young prospects in Australian rugby but according to the humble Auckland born centre, he’s only just getting started.
Simone grew up playing rugby league and was picked in the NZ Schoolboys side despite playing rugby for the majority of his senior high school years. He attracted interest from both codes in his final year of school but eventually signed with NRL club South Sydney at the end of 2013.
At just 18, he said goodbye to his family in Auckland and flew to Sydney to pursue his NRL dream.
“It was really tough to say goodbye to everyone, that was the hardest thing for me. I’m most comfortable when I’m surrounded by family so it was tough to leave,” he told Rugby News.
Simone scored 19 tries in 36 games for the Rabbitohs under 20s side and was promoted to the NRL squad for last year’s Auckland Nines tournament, yet behind the scenes, things weren’t so peachy.
“I was pretty well training full time with them but I just wasn’t enjoying it. It wasn’t for me and I really didn’t enjoy my second year at Souths. They were shifting my around the backline constantly and I didn’t really know what position they wanted me to play, there wasn’t much feedback,” he said.
As his frustrations grew, Simone began to consider other options when he received a call from a fellow Kiwi, Northern Suburbs coach Simon Cron.
“I just wanted a change, I wasn’t enjoying league so I spoke to my manager and said I wanted to play rugby. Once I was back in rugby, my mind was set on what I wanted to do,” he said.
“It was a tough decision, probably the toughest decision I’ve made in my life. It was a bit of a step back, going from an NRL squad back to playing club footy but I knew that’s what I needed to do. Sometimes you’ve got to take a step backwards to take two steps forward.
“As soon as I met Simon Cron I was sold. It wasn’t about what they were offering, I could just tell that he was a guy that was going to look after you and wanted the best for you. I speak very highly of him, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had.”
Playing at inside centre in a relatively unknown Norths backline, Simone had an immediate impact but the Shoreman took some time to find their feet, winning just four of their first eight matches.
“After spending a few years in league, I couldn’t believe how big some of the holes in the defensive line were, I got so excited and my eyes just lit up. When I see space like that I either distribute or I take the space myself and that is how I like to play,” he said.
“It took a bit of time to get our skill level to where it needed to be, but everyone at Norths just really bought in, that’s what Simon added to the club, we just had to win every match and that changed everything.”
Suddenly, things clicked. Norths were soon unbeatable and Simone quickly became one of the most dangerous players in the Shute Shield.
The Shoreman won their next 12 straight matches and booked a spot in the Shute Shield decider against minor premiers Sydney University.
Months earlier, officials had selected North Sydney Oval as the grand final venue and close to 12,000 fans turned out to watch the Shoreman attempt to break a 41-year premiership drought.
“We just stayed focussed on what we needed to do and tried to ignore the white noise around us. It was the first grand final I’d ever played in and it was probably one of the best moments of my life, I’ll never forget it.”
Simone’s form in Norths 13-match winning streak caught the attention of another Kiwi and just two weeks after lifting the Shute Shield trophy, Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson offered the centre his first Super Rugby contract.
“I was over the moon when I signed with the Tahs. I felt I had a lot to prove when I left league and I wanted to show what I could do while I was still young so it was pretty amazing but I couldn’t have done it without my Norths teammates, they are the ones that made me look good this year.”
But Simone admitted the hard work is only just beginning as he looks to work his way into the talented Waratahs backline.
He started alongside Israel Folau in the Waratahs final trial against the Highlanders last week but will battle Wallaby Rob Horne and Dave Horwitz for the No.12 jersey.
“There are a lot of things I can work on and that’s what I’m excited about, I want to get to that next level but I know I have a long way to go.”
“I think I’ll be able to learn a lot from the other centres. They’ve been playing the game for a while now and I haven’t been so I have a lot to learn and improve on.
“If I can get my hands on the No.12 jersey though, I won’t want to give it up.”
The Waratahs begin their 2017 Super Rugby campaign against the Force on Saturday night.