Ex-St George Illawarra player seeks NRL return after rooftop hammer attack sentence
Former St George Illawarra prodigy Junior Amone is looking to revive his NRL career after his agent warned clubs his client will complete a court-imposed intensive remedial order next week.
Amone’s $500,000 contract was torn up at the end of 2023 after he was sentenced to a two-year intensive corrections order and 300 hours of community service for his role in a rooftop hammer attack on a Wollongong shopkeeper.
The NRL deregistered the young playmaker as a result, but his manager Mario Tartak wants to help his client restart his NRL career by sending an email to clubs during the week obtained by this imprint.
“I wanted to highlight one of my clients; Junior Amone, who completed his Intensive Correction Order (ICO) on October 25, 2025,” Tartak wrote in an email to clubs this week.
“This means Junior can apply to re-register to play in the NRL. Meanwhile, Junior has maintained his fitness and competitive edge by playing rugby for Kiama, where he recently helped his team win the grand final. Junior has already played 54 NRL matches and represented Tonga in 3 Test matches before withdrawing.
“He is an incredibly talented fly-half who is looking forward to the opportunity to return to the game at only 23 years of age. If you are interested in discussing Junior’s return or potential opportunities for next season, please let me know. I would be happy to arrange a chat during our pre-season preparations in November.”
Junior Amone is on ice for Dragons.Credit: Getty
Amone was found guilty in court in October 2023 of assault causing actual bodily harm, stalking or intimidation, and damaging or destroying property.
The court heard he and his father, Talatau Amone, armed themselves with hammers and attacked a shopkeeper near their home in the Wollongong suburb of Warrawong after a dispute over a vehicle parked on the nature strip. His father was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison with a non-parole period of 12 months.
