When Siosifa Amone came to Waratah camp for pre-season, he was close to 150 kgs. Now, the prop is a cult hero after his hard work turned into a match-winning stint for his home state.
Amone scored a double, including in the last minute as the Waratahs defeated the Highlanders 37-36 in a thriller at Allianz Stadium.
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The 22-year-old moved back to Sydney after initially getting his Super Rugby debut with the Western Force through their Academy.
The Norths product was well out of shape for a Super Rugby player in coach Dan McKellar's eyes, pushing Amone as the prop dropped 24 kilograms to earn a spot in the 23.
His dedication paid off as the tighthead showed off his new-found explosiveness to barge over from a smart lineout player in the 67th minute before scoring the winner with 38 seconds remaining.
“It’s unreal. All the long days in the pre-season, TC (Tom Carter, Head of Athletic Performance) getting into the boys, it all comes down to this moment here,” Amone said post-match via Stan.
“It’s great to be back on home soil and getting the debut for the Waratahs.
“It’s a dream come true playing for the Tahs.”
Both tries came right in front of Amone's family, with his brothers travelling down from Brisbane for the NSW debut.
“My whole family are leaguies so it’s great to see them get around union,” he said and smiled.
McKellar paid credit to Amone after the game for his dedication to his craft and the team.
“I’ve been asked about the players no one knows about. Your Sifa Amones …two tries off the bench but good contributions in other areas apart from the tries,” McKellar said.
“He's dropped like twenty-four kilos [over pre-season training]. He didn't look like a Super Rugby player in September.
“Now he looks like a good one.”
