Troubled former NRL player Talatau Junior Amone found himself back in court this week, facing the consequences of a disgraceful pub incident where he allegedly spat in a woman’s face. The 22-year-old, who had his $500,000 contract with the St George Illawarra Dragons torn up last year, was arrested in August 2024 after an argument with a woman at Hotel Illawarra in Wollongong turned ugly.
Disturbing CCTV Footage Revealed in Court
The Wollongong Local Court heard details of the incident, which was captured on the pub’s CCTV cameras. According to Amone’s lawyer Angela Cook, the banned player had been out drinking that night with no intention of crossing paths with the victim, with whom he had previously had a “fleeting intimate interaction.”
However, when the woman approached Amone as he played the poker machines, a heated argument quickly erupted. Court documents revealed Amone had asked the woman “do I know you?” to which she replied “don’t play dumb with me.”
“Sensitive” Comments About Stalled Career
Ms Cook told the court that the woman had made “insulting” comments about Amone’s family and his abruptly halted NRL career. “It was sensitive at the time and remains sensitive,” she said. “There was a significant crumbling and impact on a career that he had pursued and pursued and pursued and it had fallen apart.”
An enraged Amone then hurled obscenities at the woman before spitting directly in her face in a moment the magistrate described as “disgusting and reprehensible.”
Hammer Attack Ended NRL Dreams
Amone’s once-promising NRL career spectacularly imploded in 2023 after he attacked a tradesman with a hammer in a fit of rage. The-then Dragons five-eighth chased the man, who had parked on a neighboring property, smashing his car windscreen before pursuing him onto a roof. The terrified victim fell, hitting an air conditioning unit on the way down.
For that violent assault, Amone was sentenced to a 24-month intensive correction order in June 2024. He remains unable to be registered as an NRL player until at least 2026.
Punishment to “Repay Harm to Community”
While a custodial sentence was ruled out, Magistrate Michael Love indicated he was considering additional community service to allow Amone to “repay the harm done to the community” through his actions. The fallen star had been diligently completing community service as part of his existing correction order.
The guilty plea is indicative of contrition and remorse.
Angela Cook, Defence Lawyer
Amone’s lawyer argued that his guilty plea demonstrated genuine remorse and contrition. She noted he was actively pursuing psychological treatment for “adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressive symptoms.” The case was adjourned until February 25 for sentencing, with the magistrate requesting a further report from community corrections.
The ignominious incident marks yet another low point for Amone, who just a couple years ago was considered one of the NRL’s most exciting up-and-coming stars. Instead, he has become a cautionary tale about how quickly poor decisions and uncontrolled anger can derail even the most promising of careers. As he awaits his fate, Amone has ample time to reflect on his spectacular fall from grace and the long road to redemption that lies ahead, both in sport and in life.
