VIDEO: Simmons looking to help lift Waratahs

Wallaby lock Simmons, who was dumped by the Reds last year, is hoping that his experience will be a big asset to the Sydney side, who are looking for a big improvement after their 16th-place finish in the overall Super Rugby standings last season.

"I just want to bring my experience [to the Waratahs]," said Simmons in an interview on rugby.com.au.

"It's a little bit [of]…a fresh start, there's a new challenge and opportunity down here and I don't want to come in and be a passenger, I want to bring everything I've got, my game, and my experience."

Simmons was one of the leaders in at the Reds for a number of seasons, but he is still finding his feet amongst his new teammates at the Waratahs.

"I suppose having such a short pre-season, it's a bit of both with knowing when to talk, figuring out the groove," he said.

"I'm figuring out who's who still, I've only had one day so still trying to figure that out but at the same time [because] we've got such a short time.

"We've got to come in 100 percent and bring that experience from day one, you can't just sit back and go, 'people will figure it out,' when that's part of being experienced – bringing that straight away."

The 28-year-old has noticed a determination in his new teammates to right the wrongs of the past.

"Even from day one, everyone wants to move on and start brand new, a new team sort of feel [compared] to what's happened in the past,” he said.

"Everyone's trying to leave last year.

"They want to dump that and move on. We never want that feeling again and they want to move forward from there."

Meanwhile, star fullback Israel Folau has returned from sabbatical and started training with the team this week.

Kurtley Beale, Michael Hooper and Bernard Foley are still enjoying their break after a heavy workload in 2017.

Source: rugby.com.au