John Simon (rugby league) facts for kids

John "Jack" Simon (born May 29, 1972) is a former Australian rugby league player. He played as a halfback in the 1990s and early 2000s. John played for several clubs, including the Illawarra Steelers, Sydney City Roosters, Parramatta Eels, Auckland Warriors, and Wests Tigers. He is also of Indigenous Australian descent and proudly represented Australia and New South Wales in the State of Origin series. His brother, Craig Simon, also played professional rugby league.

John Simon's Rugby League Journey

Early Days and Steelers Success

John Simon grew up in Port Kembla and played junior rugby league for Dapto. He was very talented and made his first-grade debut for the Illawarra Steelers when he was just 17 years old in 1990. He played 120 games for the club between 1990 and 1995. In 1994, he was honored with the BHP Medal, which is given to the Illawarra Steelers' best player of the year.

Moving to New Teams

In 1996, John moved to the Sydney City Roosters. However, he found it hard to get a regular spot as a halfback because of another great player, Adrian Lam. So, he decided to move to the Parramatta Eels for three seasons, from 1997 to 1999.

A Tough Game for Parramatta

In 1998, during a very important game called the preliminary final against Canterbury, Parramatta was leading 18-2 with less than 10 minutes left. Canterbury scored a try, making the score 18-6. John had two chances to kick a field goal, which would have helped Parramatta win, but he missed both times. After his second miss, he was taken off the field. Canterbury then made an amazing comeback and won the game 32-20 in extra time.

New Opportunities and Retirement

Later in 1999, John moved to the Auckland Warriors. He even became captain in only his second game with the team. After two seasons with the Warriors, John joined the Wests Tigers in 2001. Despite some good games, he decided to retire before the end of the 2001 season. He said he had lost some of his passion for the game.

Honors After Playing

In 2003, John Simon was named in the special Illawarra "Team of Steel." This team celebrated the best players from the club's first 25 years. It showed how important he was to the Steelers' history.

Representing His State and Country

Playing for New South Wales

John was chosen to play for City Firsts in 1991 and 1992. In 1992, he got to play for New South Wales in the first game of the State of Origin series. This happened because another player, Ricky Stuart, was injured. New South Wales won that game, but Ricky Stuart returned for the next match.

Five years later, in 1997, John played for the Blues again. This was during a time when rugby league had some big changes. John played in all three State of Origin games that year. He was the hero in game two, kicking a field goal from 26 meters away in the 67th minute. This kick gave New South Wales a close 1-point win!

Playing for Australia

In 1997, John Simon also got to play for Australia. This was his only game for the national team. He played in a special match against a "Rest-of-the-World" team at Suncorp Stadium.

Life After Rugby League

After retiring from professional rugby league, John Simon started working in Aboriginal Education. This job helps support and educate Indigenous Australian students. Later, in 1997, he bought a Subway restaurant in Kiama. He also coached rugby league at a local level, including the Illawarra Titans in a special competition called the Koori knockout.