Simon Mannering

At what stage did you know you wanted to do building post league?

It was always in the back of mind but thought I would look to do something involved in football post playing then Covid happened and the football thing wasn’t really a possibility so signed up for a building apprenticeship instead.

What were the tough things you needed to do post league to get into work & how did you navigate?

I was very lucky, after having a year off post playing I reached out to my brother in law who is a builder and he introduced me to his boss Trevor Salter from Salter Builders and did a little bit of work experience with him before pursuing an apprenticeship.

What would you recommend players doing while they’re playing so they’re set up?

While playing I found it hard to commit time to be on a building site as sport was the priority so I ended up starting a diploma in construction through Open Polytechnic, this was all correspondence so could do it on my own schedule, although it wasn’t the same as being on the tools in terms of experience I have found what I learned from the diploma very useful and a good insite into other careers in the construction industry outside of being a builder.

What was the biggest mindset shift going from professional sport to starting again in a trade?

I guess starting from scratch. You’ll definitely be feeling like a fish out of water for a while but the best thing to do is ask questions and be open to taking advice. I feel these two things will speed up your learning

Were there any skills from footy that helped you on site or in your apprenticeship?

A little bit I guess, but the practical skills are something completely different to what you learned in sport and thats the exciting thing about it.

How did you decide which trade to get into — and what drew you to building?

Just always had an interest in construction. A lot of my friends are builders and I also like the practicality of it where you can use the skills you learn at work on your own home.

Was there a support person or mentor that helped your transition?

There wasn’t really one in particular. Jerry Seuseu is the welfare officer at the club and he helped me a lot with the diploma in construction while I was playing and even post footy. Then my first boss Trevor Salter was a big support and facilitated a lot for me to get into and complete my apprenticeship and then my brother in law who I work with now is great to learn off and build alongside

What’s been the most rewarding part of working in the trades so far?

I was lucky enough to build my own place early on in my apprenticeship with the support from my old boss Trevor as well as my brother in law. It was a steep learning curve and took a while to complete but was great feeling to finish it.

What advice would you give to younger players who are unsure what they’ll do after footy?

Not to rush into anything, I had a pretty clear idea in my head of what I wanted to do but if you don’t that’s ok, try as many things you need to figure out what you want to pursue.

How did you find the physical demands of the trade compared to playing NRL?

I do find building quite physical and a bit hard on the body at times but the physicality is also partly why I enjoy it. If being on the tools becomes too much on then having the carpentry qualification behind me will put me a good place to pursue other careers in the construction industry.

Were there any moments where you doubted the decision — and what kept you going?

Yes at times, a couple of years into the apprenticeship I thought is this really what I want to do? But further down the track I am glad I stuck at it and learnt skills that I’ll hopefully have for life.

How do you keep learning and improving in the trade — courses, mentors, on-the-job?

I’m not sure if you ever stop learning as a builder, there’s always a new way of doing something that you hadn’t seen before or new products coming out. I feel I’ve still got plenty to learn and thats what I enjoy about being in the trade.

Are there any long-term goals you have in the building industry?

No long term goals at the moment, just want to keep learning and improve as a builder

If you could go back to your early years in the NRL, what would you do differently to prep for life after league?

I felt like I did an ok job of preparing myself for after footy so wouldn’t really change too much. But for kids these I’d make the most of the opportunities that are provided in sport to prepare yourself for your post playing career. I think if you use your time wisely you can still prioritise your playing career whilst learning something that will make retirement a bit easier.