After a brief stint in Australia, former St Helens and Hull FC outside back Josh Simm is back in the Betfred Super League ahead of the 2024 season having joined Castleford Tigers.
Simm has had a very up and down career so far starting out with the ultra successful St Helens where he had a few highlights but struggled for first team action. When he did get into the first team, things took a turn for the worst in the 2022 Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan Warriors which spelt the end of his St Helens career.
Now at Castleford, he reflected on his career with BBC West Yorkshire Sport: “When I was playing at Saints, I was behind a few of the lads and I thought I should have maybe had a bit more of a crack. That’s the way it goes.
“I didn’t want to just sit there on loan and so I went away on loan to Hull FC and to Leigh, I wanted to make the best of it and I wasn’t there to sulk. If I wasn’t in the team I wanted to play somewhere else.
“In the end, I got my chance at St Helens and it went really bad. It didn’t go the way I wanted and that is one of the things you learn. I had never had a bad game at that point at professional level and that hit me really hard. It made me grow as a person and grow as a player. So, yeah I have a point to prove and I want to be one of the best outside backs in the competition and I’m going to have to work really hard.”
Asked specifically about that game against Wigan at Elland Road, he explained how he nearly quit after comments from fans online:
“It was one of my first poor games, so yeah it was tough to deal with. It led to some really dark days, I didn’t leave my bedroom and I even said to my mum, ‘I don’t want to play rugby league anymore.’
“You get a lot of messages from supposedly fans. But that’s the game. As I said, it made me grow up. It did really hit me hard and I am now back and ready to do it.”
He now has plenty of confidence and is ready to play anywhere for Cas and be one of the best in the league: “I am not bothered centre or wing but I am here to play centre and I believe I can be one of the best in the league.”
