Former St George Illawarra Dragons NRL player Talatau Amone made his return to the footy field over the weekend at Kiama Showground, suiting up for Kiama Rugby Club in their stunning 33–27 win over Shoalhaven - ending their opponents’ incredible 43-game unbeaten streak.

The 23-year-old had previously played 54 NRL games for the Dragons before he was stood down by the league for 12 months in 2023 following his involvement in a hammer attack in Warrawong in 2022.

While Amone has been training with Kiama for several weeks, he made his official debut in one of the biggest games of the year - a grand final rematch against Shoalhaven, who had not lost a match in over 1,000 days and had claimed the last three Illawarra District Rugby Union titles, including last year’s final against Kiama.

Amone in his Kiama Rugby debut. Photo: Paul Davidson

“He was good friends with some of the boys in the team, and they told him to come down and have a run,” said Kiama Rugby Club president Mark Redding. 

“He didn’t play last week, but this week he played great against Shoalhaven - and that really helped us out.”

Redding said it was the support of the playing group that helped the club welcome Amone with confidence.

“Some of our blokes knew him and gave him their backing, so that was fine by us,” he said. 

“We know our fellas, and if they’re willing to support him, we’re happy to do the same. He’s fit in really well, gotten involved, and has been great for us.”

Amone played fullback in the win and was given three points in the IDRU Player of the Year Award.

As a team, Kiama put together a strong defensive performance - something they had been focusing on throughout the preseason after last year's 36–5 grand final defeat to the same side.

Kiama player Dante Patrick, who scored a try in the match, admitted there were nerves heading into the game.

“It was a different type of nerves from last year’s grand final,” Patrick said. “It was a mix of nerves and excitement because we had nothing to lose - but we really wanted to come home with the win.”

Kiama started strong, holding Shoalhaven to just a two-point lead at halftime before the match turned into a second-half shootout.

“We scored first in the second half, then they scored - it was back and forth,” Patrick said. “It was a bit unexpected since both teams are known for their defence.”

Patrick said the win was a huge confidence boost, but it also highlighted areas for improvement.

“It’s definitely a morale booster for the club - to know we’re not one-hit wonders, that we’re actually contenders at the top,” he said. “But at the same time, we pride ourselves on our defence, and conceding 27 points wasn’t good enough.”

He stressed the importance of staying grounded ahead of upcoming games.

“We’re happy with the win, but we’re not too satisfied. We can’t go into the next few games against University and Vikings thinking we’re on top just because we beat a team that hadn’t lost in three years. We’ve got more work to do.”

Kiama will look to build on their momentum when they face UOW on Saturday, 24 May.