Beginning the season as the most experienced player in the Wests Tigers backline, Tim Simona again showed plenty of reasons to be excited with the Club's left edge, with his silky passing and dynamic acceleration highlights of another strong season.
Having battled knee injuries earlier in his career, Tim Simona finished 2016 playing 21 of a possible 24 games — missing three games due to a unsuccessful challenge at the NRL Judiciary for a “crusher” tackle against the Cronulla Sharks in Round 5.
Upon his return, Simona produced one of his best games of the season, running for 151 metres off 14 carries in his side’s 30-22 upset win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Representing Toa Samoa in the mid-year Pacific Test against Mate Ma'aTonga, Simona continued his good form through to the end of the season, where he was selected for the New Zealand train-on squad. With several outside backs missing due to injury, the 24-year-old was potentially in line to make his Kiwis debut, but was unfortunately forced to withdraw from the side to have surgery on a shoulder injury he had been playing with all year.
After a successful operation, Simona has begun his rehabilitation process, and will be right for a strong pre-season of training heading into the start of the 2017 season.
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2016 Year in Numbers
Games |
Tries |
Metres |
Linebreaks |
Tackles |
Tackle Breaks |
21 |
7 |
2009m |
8 |
261 |
33 |
Top Try — Round 1 vs. New Zealand Warriors
Simona’s head-to-head record against Warriors makes for attractive reading — scoring five tries in his last five games against New Zealand — and he showed that advantage in the Club’s season-opener at Campbelltown Sports Stadium. With just two minutes until half-time, Simona found collecting a pass inside his own half with Warriors fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in front of him. However, the fleet-footed centre showed some fancy footwork to turn RTS inside out and burn away to score under the posts, giving his side what would be an unassailable 28-4 lead over the highly-fancied Warriors.
Best Game — Round 17 vs. Penrith Panthers
His 135 metres on the ground were the second-highest total of the season, but it was his potency in attack that had the Panthers on the back foot all night. Crossing for his side’s first off the back of a break and pass from James Tedesco, Simona did it all himself minutes later to swoop on a Matt Moylan cut-out pass and sprint away to score. Off the back of his two tries, Wests Tigers would go on to win the game 34-26 at ANZ Stadium.
Magic Moment — Round 14 vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
He didn’t have to do much more than collect the pass from Mitch Moses and sprint away to score, but there was no hiding the sheer delight of a well-worked plan coming off as Simona capped off a try from the kickoff against the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Spreading it from left to right on their own line, Kevin Naiqama’s half-break saw Moses go on the clear, before Simona showed great awareness to track over from the left wing and race away from the covering Rabbitohs defenders to score one of the team tries of the year.
Milestones and Achievements
Samoan international (v Tonga, May 7, Pirtek Stadium)
100 points for Wests Tigers (Round 17 v Melbourne Storm)
New Zealand train-on squad selection
