Why Kirisome Auva’a was happy to ride the bench for the opening month of the season

REVEALED: Why premiership-winning centre Kirisome Auva’a has spent the start of the 2016 season coming off South Sydney’s bench.

NRL Rd 3 - Dragons v Rabbitohs

THERE’S not much South Sydney coach Michael Maguire doesn’t notice — just ask Kirisome

Auva’a.

Before a ball was kicked this season, Auva’a was the favourite to replace Manly-bound Dylan Walker in the centres after missing most of the 2015 season because of a nine-month suspension for domestic violence charges.

Instead of starting the year with added motivation, Auva’a turned up to pre-season training in terrible moods due to a relationship breakdown with his new partner.

Auva’a has spent this season playing in the middle of the field.

Maguire saw this personal issue creeping onto the training paddock and acted swiftly by dumping the premiership-winning three-quarter for their season-opener against the Sydney Roosters.

“Madge knew straight away something wasn’t right,” Auva’a revealed to The Daily Telegraph on Monday.

“We had some hard talks in his office, because at the start of the year it wasn’t quite where it needed to be.

“It was more around my partner and just the arguments. It didn’t go too well and I’d come to training not fully myself.”

After starting the season on the sideline due to his issues at home, Auva’a is now in a better place.

He and his partner have gone their separate ways and he says it’s made a significant difference to his mindset on the field.

South Sydney player Kirisome Auva'a. Picture: Toby Zerna

“The bottom line is we weren’t happy and we just had to give ourselves space,” he said.

“We both had to act grown up and make the hard decision to just leave it at that and be happy being by ourselves.

“In order to be fully aware and positive about your footy life, you’ve got to have a happy home and for me at that stage of the year that wasn’t the case.

“It’s just about how you train and go about what you do on the training paddock and Madge determines if you are fit to play or not.

“Everyone goes through that period in their life and I just went through mine, but you can’t really play the victim card.”

Kirisome Auva’a has been coming off the bench since the start of the season.

This positive outlook from Auva’a has resulted in a return to the NRL via the bench in the past three weeks against Newcastle, St George Illawarra and Canterbury.

He would ideally like to reclaim his centre position, but in an ironic twist he’ll have to overcome his cousin Hymel Hunt to do so.

“We both know it’s just business,” he said of Hunt, who previously played at the Gold Coast and Melbourne before joining the Rabbitohs this season.

“Whoever trains well and performs will get the nod.

“He has been one of our most consistent players since round 1 and I hope he can keep going for the team.

“I’m just happy for him because I’ve been through a similar path where he was and it’s great he is playing week-in and week-out in the NRL.”

As for his own future in first grade, Auva’a is determined to regain coach Maguire’s faith.

It’s a challenge starting against Manly at Brookvale Oval on Thursday night — a match where he’ll come up against Walker for the first time.

“I haven’t spoken to him (Dylan) this week, but we’ve caught up a few times,” Auva’a says about his former centre partner from the Bunnies’ 2014 premiership victory.

“Because I didn’t play in round one I went down and watched him and Api (Koroisau) to support them in their first game in new colours at Manly.

“We are good mates, but we won’t be on Thursday night.”

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