Rangy redheaded back-rower Tom Symonds’ NRL and Super League career was chequered by injuries, but stints with the Roosters and Sea Eagles nevertheless garnered rep jerseys and a grand Final appearance.
Tom, you’ve basically been with the RLPA since you retired in 2018 – can you tell us more about your time with the organisation?
Yes, it was a bit of an unexpected retirement – a medical retirement – I was over in Super League at the time and thought I had a few years left in me. Fortunately, post-footy I moved straight into the gig with the RLPA. It’s been a good fit.
I was really passionate about the RLPA when I was a player, so it was a natural evolution. It’s been a really good experience to see the progression of the RLPA over the last 10 years.
About two years ago I started as GM of the Past Players and Transition program, that was a new department after our last CBA negotiation with the NRL. During that negotiation, we pushed really hard for more resources and attention for players in that transition period and ultimately in retirement: support services, benefits, connection events.
Looking back at your playing career, was being a Rooster always part of your plan growing up?
I grew up a Roosters tragic, it was something I was born into. I played junior footy for Bondi United, where my grandad was one of the founding members, so I was very entrenched into the local community and my family are all Roosters fans.
I got to lots of Roosters games with my old man, we grew up in Bronte, went to school at Marcellin College at Randwick and spent a lot of time on the Eastern Suburbs beaches at Bondi, Bronte and Clovelly.
You made your debut at 20 but the club had a pretty tough year in 2009. How was it cutting your teeth in the NRL amid all that turmoil?
Looking back I have a laugh at what we went through that year as a club on and off the field. Obviously the results were poor, we got the spoon and some of the off-field stuff was pretty crazy. But naturally I was just stoked to be a part of it – you take your debut anytime.
Some of the older players were probably not enjoying the season so much, but I was frothing just being able to get some games under my belt. I really enjoyed the year, I was fortunate enough to play with some great players, but the year itself is probably memorable for the wrong reasons.
Cementing a spot in your remaining three years at the Roosters proved difficult – was that mostly due to injuries?
That certainly had a massive impact on me being able to get my career going consistently. I finished 2009 requiring surgery, then in 2010 I was selected in the starting team in Round 1 and had a pretty major injury so missed half the year again.
I started 2011 in first grade, there was a bit of competition and I couldn’t find a patch of staying [injury-free]. It’s out of your control most of the time, just a bit unfortunate.
You moved to Manly and landed on your feet – it must have felt like all the rehab and hard work coming back from injury had paid off?
Yeah for sure. That was a really fun year and I probably needed a little break to give me some confidence.
At Manly I was surrounded by a lot of veterans who were great footy players, but it wasn’t as structured, professional and tactics [based] as some clubs like the Roosters had moved to.
It was actually helpful to my progression because the coaches at Manly just said, ‘Come and play [your natural game] and if you’re playing well, you’ll be in the team’.
It simplified things for me to get a bit of extra faith shown in me, and I didn’t have to play a defined role other than doing what I did well.
How do you reflect on the 2013 grand final now? It was a great game, but the Sea Eagles let a decent lead slip against your former club…
Having just left the Roosters and having played with nearly all those players, we ended up playing them multiple times that year – including twice in the finals – so it was a funny year with that rivalry.
But I certainly don’t look back fondly on the grand final because we didn’t get the job done even though we were up by 10 with about 20 minutes to go … you shouldn’t lose from there. I haven’t watched the game, but lots of people remind me that we got plenty of stiff calls in that second half – I tend to agree.
Did Geoff Toovey’s coaching style suit you, more a players’ coach than a renowned tactician?
I was a footy ‘nuffy’ – and still am to a degree – so at that point of my career ‘Tooves’ was probably perfect for me. If I needed a rocket he could give me one and I just needed someone who could keep it simple and show some faith in me.
Back in those years footy was a bit more structured and I wasn’t the most traditional back-rower, but [for example] Glenn Stewart being there and the way he played and his skillset, it gave me a blueprint that if you’ve got different things in your game you can bring them to the table.
The injury curse resurfaced during your Super League stint with Huddersfield?
I’d always wanted to go to Super League – there was an opportunity to go over on a loan when I left the Roosters – then during 2016 another chance came up.
We had a change of coach at Manly and midway through the year I got tapped on the shoulder and told I wasn’t going to be playing. That led to me thinking I’d better make a move sooner rather than later.
A fresh change to go to Super League appealed, me and my partner at that time decided to give it a go and see the world.
I really enjoyed it at Huddersfield, but unfortunately injuries meant that I played bugger all. That really sucked, I hated that … I was very dedicated to the team and my teammates, so it was tough not getting to play.
Outside of that, I really enjoyed it and I’ve still got a soft spot for Huddersfield, I’m still in contact with some of the guys I played with – I just wish I’d been able to contribute a bit more during my time there.
Despite all of your injuries, you still managed a few rep highlights with City Origin and the Prime Minister’s XIII?
Part of me feels that I didn’t reach the heights that I could have, but a couple of those jerseys are nice to look back on. I loved the City environment with ‘Freddy’ Fittler, who gave me my debut at the Roosters and was a fan of the way I played.
The PM’s game was cool, too, getting the PNG experience, the players I got to play with and being coached by Ivan Cleary.
