John Simon (rugby league)
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Simon is an Australian former rugby league
footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. His club career was spent with the Illawarra Steelers
, Easts
, Parramatta
, Auckland
and Wests Tigers
. Simon also represented for Australia and for New South Wales in Origin
. He is of Indigenous Australian descent.
In 1996 Simon moved to the Sydney Roosters
but was unable to dislodge Adrian Lam
from the first grade half spot and he moved to Parramatta for three seasons from 1997 to 1999. His apparent lack of fitness found him out of favour with coach Brian Smith
and midway through 1999 he gained another release to play for Auckland (he was named captain in his second match with the club).
After two seasons with the Warriors, Simon moved to the Wests Tigers where, despite some good performances for the club, he announced his retirement before the end of the 2001 season citing a lack of enthusiasm. The Tigers had been beaten 64-0 by Melbourne that weekend.
was picked in the run-on side when Ricky Stuart
was unavailable due to injury. The Blues won the match but Stuart regained his spot for game II.
It would be another five years before Simon would again wear the Blues
' jumper. During the 1997 season, split at both club and representative level due to the Super League war
, Simon appeared in all three games, once at half and twice off the interchange bench. Simon was the Blues' hero in game II, landing a 26 metre field goal in the 67th minute that clinched New South Wales' 1 point win.
In 1997 Simon made his sole national representative appearance, selected for Australia in the one-off Test against a Rest-of-the-World side at Suncorp Stadium
.
in Kiama in 1997. He coached at a local level, including the Illawarra Titans in a Koori
knockout competition.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. His club career was spent with the Illawarra Steelers
Illawarra Steelers
The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level Rugby League competition from 1982, when they, along with the Canberra Raiders, were admitted into the then New South Wales Rugby Football...
, Easts
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
, Parramatta
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
, Auckland
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
and Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
. Simon also represented for Australia and for New South Wales in Origin
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
. He is of Indigenous Australian descent.
Playing career
A Port Kembla local and Dapto junior, Simon made his first grade debut with the Steelers aged 17 and went on to make 120 appearances for the club between 1990 and 1995. In 2003 he was named in the commemorative Illawarra "Team of Steel" celebrating players from 25 years of the club's history.In 1996 Simon moved to the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
but was unable to dislodge Adrian Lam
Adrian Lam
Adrian Lam is an Australian rugby league football coach and former international player. He is the head coach of the under 20 St George Dragons squad National Rugby League team he signed with them in 2010 and will combine with coaching legend Wayne Bennett.He is a former Papua New Guinea rugby...
from the first grade half spot and he moved to Parramatta for three seasons from 1997 to 1999. His apparent lack of fitness found him out of favour with coach Brian Smith
Brian Smith (rugby league)
Brian Smith is an Australian coach and former player of rugby league football. He is the current head coach at the Sydney Roosters of the NRL. Smith played for St. George and South Sydney Rabbitohs , appearing in a total of 31 first grade games...
and midway through 1999 he gained another release to play for Auckland (he was named captain in his second match with the club).
After two seasons with the Warriors, Simon moved to the Wests Tigers where, despite some good performances for the club, he announced his retirement before the end of the 2001 season citing a lack of enthusiasm. The Tigers had been beaten 64-0 by Melbourne that weekend.
Representative career
He was selected at half-back for City Firsts in 1991 and 1992 and in game I of the 1992 State of OriginRugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
was picked in the run-on side when Ricky Stuart
Ricky Stuart
Ricky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...
was unavailable due to injury. The Blues won the match but Stuart regained his spot for game II.
It would be another five years before Simon would again wear the Blues
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
' jumper. During the 1997 season, split at both club and representative level due to the Super League war
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
, Simon appeared in all three games, once at half and twice off the interchange bench. Simon was the Blues' hero in game II, landing a 26 metre field goal in the 67th minute that clinched New South Wales' 1 point win.
In 1997 Simon made his sole national representative appearance, selected for Australia in the one-off Test against a Rest-of-the-World side at Suncorp Stadium
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
.
Post-career
After retiring, Simon worked in Aboriginal Education, before buying a SubwaySubway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
in Kiama in 1997. He coached at a local level, including the Illawarra Titans in a Koori
Koori
The Koori are the indigenous Australians that traditionally occupied modern day New South Wales and Victoria....
knockout competition.
Sources
- Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
- Whiticker, AlanAlan WhitickerAlan J. Whiticker is an Australian non-fiction author with currently over 30 published books.Whiticker writes primarily on matters pertaining to the history of the sport of rugby league in Australia, but has also published works on subjects as diverse as the Wanda Beach Murders and an adaptation...
& Collis, Ian (2006) The History of Rugby League Clubs, New Holland, Sydney - Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition, News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney