Rookie sensation Bailey Simonsson believes his Canberra Raiders side has what it takes to go deep into the competition in 2019 and credits the resilience of his side after three straight losses last month.
‘The Green Machine’ suffered losses against the Roosters, Rabbitohs and Cowboys in May, but have since recorded three straight victories after holding on for a 22-20 win over the Sharks last Thursday night.
Simmonson has scored four tries in eight appearances in the NRL, and has become a mainstay in the side after the injury to star centre Joey Leilua.
The 21-year old former rugby sevens player has credited his side’s resilience under adversity and feels a real belief among the group heading into the back-end of the year.
“I remember after the Cowboys game we lost and people started asking questions because it was our third straight, but now we’ve turned it around and got three back on the bounce which shows the mentality at the club,” he said.
“There were some nervous times out there when the Sharks were coming back last week, but fortunately enough we showed some resiliency, stuck strong in our defence and held on for the win.
"Those wins become really important at the back end of the year and there's a belief we can go deep in the competition."
Simmonson was highly-touted as a future All Black and after representing his country in the rugby sevens, he made the switch to rugby league and has cemented his spot in the top grade after a breakout start to 2019.
The Raiders have been hit with a swell of injuries to their backline so far this season with Jordan Rapana, Joey Leilua and Nick Cotric all spending time on the sidelines, so the rise of the young Kiwi has been a welcome one.
“I’ve just been trying to get used to the speed of the game and each week I’ve been finding it a bit easier getting comfortable around the boys and in the NRL,” he said.
“As a back the coach kind of talks about getting our sets started well, so I’m just focusing on doing my job for the team and help us getting the two points each week whether it be coming out of our own end or scoring tries down the other.”
The 4th-placed Raiders will have a welcome week off this weekend for rep round before travelling to Darwin the following weekend to face the Parramatta Eels as they push for their first NRL title in 25 years.
