After being deregistered by the NRL in March 2017, for betting on matches. Tim Simona is reportedly planning to make a formal bid to the Rugby League Players Association, in attempt to be cleared to return to the game.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg at the time of the de-registration said “it is very hard to imagine” in reference to Simona ever receiving clearance to return.
Ever since, for the past two years, Tim has owned all of his mistakes and has been proactive in giving his best to make up for them.
Spending time working with many charities, including the Salvation Army and Camp Quality. Taking up personal training and helping out clients with special needs. As well as going to a series of sessions with a gambling psychologist and working on putting an end to the addiction.
Source: @timsimona/Instagram
Tim has put the work in and shown his willingness and determination to be better and do better.
During the saga in 2017, the indiscretions made were the main things discussed and rightly so. But, the addiction itself was something that wasn’t often mentioned.
Gambling can take you down a dark hole once you start.
Waking up thinking that today is your lucky day. Sometimes getting wins, that makes you want to keep going. But, every time you do it, you keep putting yourself deeper and deeper down that hole whilst continuing to tell yourself that “today is my lucky day”.
Gambling can grab you in a weird way and for a long time.
Once you get caught up in it, you find any way necessary to get that fix. Making you powerless to it and self pride stops you from helping yourself. You’re conscious through it all but still fully within in the grips of the addiction.
With no visible signs, gambling is one addiction that you can keep secret from anyone.
The real hell is the psychological addiction, not the physical one.
Source: @timsimona/Instagram
Learning all the lessons the hard way, Tim went away the past two years and got the help that he needed.
Putting the work in to change himself and going through the right rehabilitation programs to be rehabilitated.
Tim has done everything in his power to at least earn an opportunity to ask for a second chance.
Whether it’s sharing his story and working with young players coming through, and working his way up through reserve grade, before a eventual return to first grade.
The NRL could easily set a path to registration. A path that would give Tim a chance to gain trust from clubs and the NRL again. As well as, prove that he has changed, grown and learnt from his mistakes.
