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Korbin Sims has unfinished business in Brisbane before Dragons move
July 30, 2018
Korbin Sims will join his brother Tariq at the Dragons at season's end but the 26-year-old Broncos forwards has a September 30 date at ANZ Stadium circled as his immediate focus.
When Sims said at Broncos HQ on Monday that he was "forced out" of the club he was quick to add that it was by the realities of the business side of rugby league and not because he felt unwanted or unappreciated.
The stark reality was that for Sims to secure a long-term deal and look after his young family into the future it was always going to be with another club in the wake of Brisbane wrapping up a suite of young forwards on long-term deals.
He will join the St George Illawarra Dragons on a three-year deal and said there were no hard feelings about his impending exit from Brisbane after two seasons at the club under Wayne Bennett.
"[Recruitment chief] Pete Nolan and the club, and Wayne himself, made it very clear that they wanted to keep me here to build on what we’ve been working on as a club," Sims said.
"Unfortunately the business side of things takes over ... but there are no grudges. I have really loved my time here and hopefully, the next five weeks leading into the finals is going to be very enjoyable as well."
Sims wants to get acquainted with September football. The Fijian international broke his arm prior to last year's finals series and is on a quest to achieve a goal that has eluded him so far in the Telstra Premiership.
He doesn't want to just play one final for the Broncos and declared that the club had the squad to be celebrating after the September 30 premiership decider.
"In [114] games I still haven't played a game of finals yet so I am still champing at the bit to get in there," he said.
"Circumstances last year with me breaking my arm wasn't ideal for the team or myself but this year I think we have the right crop of guys to go all the way.
"The win against Penrith and the gritty win we had [over the Sharks] typifies what the club is working towards."
Sims, who hails from the NSW South Coast town of Gerringong, played with Tariq at Newcastle and said his older sibling was stoked to reunite with him at their junior stomping ground.
"He's pretty happy and I am pretty happy as well about going back there and playing with him. It is always fun playing with your brother," he said.
"I am very lucky to go from such a quality club at the Broncos to another quality club in the Dragons.
"They've been doing really well this year, so it is going to be an easy transition football-wise. I've just got to get into the culture they are building down there. With my brother being down there and what he has told me about the club, I am pretty sure I will fit in."
Sims has watched Burgess brothers Tom, George and Sam feed off each other for the Rabbitohs at NRL level. While he won't get the chance to do that with Ashton and Tariq as a trifecta of Sims brothers, two out of three ain't bad.
"Unfortunately all three of us couldn't play together like the 'Burgi bros' at the NRL level but with two of us playing together [Tariq] is going to bring the best out of me and hopefully I can bring the best out of him," he said.
If that goes to plan Korbin, who is eligible for the Queensland Maroons, could also line up against Tariq, who debuted for NSW this year, in the Origin cauldron.
"That will be quite a headline down at the 'Gong," he said.
Source: NRL.com
