He's returned to his favoured No. 6 jumper and Dragons livewire Talatau Amone insists he was never left kicking stones despite being controversially benched by coach Anthony Griffin earlier this season.
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The emergence of Amone and Tyrell Sloan dominated discussion around the Dragons heading into the 2022 campaign, with both earning starting berths over the opening two rounds.
A disappointing loss to Cronulla in round three saw Amone demoted to the bench for the following four games, with Sloan having yet to return to first grade after being dropped to NSW Cup.
It led to inevitable whispers the pair was left rattled by the move, Amone even being linked to NRL newbies Redcliffe, but the 20-year-old says he and his best mate aren't ones to sulk.
"It hurt but we've had a lot of ups and downs in our lives and that's just how it is, things happen and we move on," Amone said.
"We've got each other's back and we'll always back each other. That's the main thing. He was there for me, I was there for Sloany when it happened and now we're just moving forward.
"It was pretty tough but it wasn't my first time experiencing getting dropped. It's part of the game. You don't get into the team and just expect to keep that jersey.
"If you're playing good you'll be there, if you haven't had the best of games you'll be dropped. You've just got to ride the wave and work hard to get back there."
With Griffin opting for utility fixes in Moses Mbye and Jack Bird in the spine, injury to the latter allowed Amone to return to five-eighth in a gritty win over the Tigers a fortnight ago.
He kep his spot on Bird's return against Melbourne last week and has been named in the No. 6 for saturday's Magic Round clash with Gold Coast.
"While it "definitely hurt" Amone says an honest dialogue with Griffin has ensured the bench sojourn hasn't strained their relationship.
"Hook helped me with it a lot," Amone said.
"He's really good with all the young boys in guiding us, letting us know what we need to work on, how we can improve and what we need to fix in our game.
"Ever since I've come into [the first grade squad] he's always let me know what I needed to do to make my debut, what I had to do to get into the team, what I needed to do to get into the No. 6.
"He let me know what the reasons [for being dropped] were and what I had to do to get back into that spot. He was really clear about what I had to work on and I've been working hard on it the last couple of weeks.
"Now I've got my opportunity back in my natural position, I just want to take it with both hands and make the most of it."
The shifting fortunes have put some focus on Amone's future, with the Dolphins reportedly lurking with a view to his services for 2024.
The Wests Devils product is contracted until the end of next season, though the club is keen to extend him alongside Sloan and fellow youg gun Jayden Sullivan who are locked down until the end of 2024 and 2025 respectively.
It's nerve-wracking for the Dragons faithful, but it's not playing on Amone's mind.
"I don't look too far ahead," he said. "I've heard talk about it but it doesn't really faze me. I'm just focused week on week, day by day, and trying to get better and keep that No. 6 jersey.
"I'm still signed with the Dragons for two years so my focus is on playing good footy and doing whatever I can for the team."
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