Bryce Gibbs (rugby league)

Bryce Gibbs
Gibbs in 2005
Personal information
Full name Bryce Kenneth Gibbs
Born (1984-11-05) 5 November 1984
Camden, New South Wales, Australia
Height 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 108 kg (17 st 0 lb)
Playing information
Position Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2003–11 Wests Tigers 155 3 0 0 12
2012–14 Cronulla Sharks 42 1 0 0 4
Total 197 4 0 0 16
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2007–12 City Origin 4 0 0 0 0
As of 22 June 2014
Source: Central, Rugby League Project

Bryce Gibbs (born 5 November 1984 in Camden, New South Wales) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently playing for the Appin Dogs in the Group 6 Rugby League.[1] He previously played for the Wests Tigers with whom he won the 2005 NRL Premiership, and for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby League (NRL). He has been called, "a passionate clubman, popular among teammates and a front-rower with good line-speed and a willingness to get his hands dirty."[2]

Background

Born in Camden, New South Wales, Gibbs played junior football with the Leumeah Wolves and Macquarie Fields Hawks before being signed by the Wests Tigers.

Playing career

Wests Tigers

Gibbs made his NRL debut against Penrith in August 2003, scoring a try with his first touch of the ball. "I came off the bench for the Tigers against Penrith at Penrith. I got the ball and scored and thought ‘how good’s this’," Gibbs later said.[3]

In 2004 Gibbs was suspended for five matches following an incident in which he made contact with Brisbane Broncos five-eighth Casey McGuire.[4]

Gibbs scored a try in the Wests Tigers' victory in the 2005 NRL Grand Final, but never scored another for the club.[5] As NRL Premiers Wests faced Super League champions Bradford Bulls in the 2006 World Club Challenge. Gibbs played from the interchange bench in the Tigers' 30-10 loss.

In 2008, Gibbs won the award for being the Wests Tigers' Best Defensive Player.[6]

"He knows the game unbelievably well. He's a real footballer, and if he was a bit smaller and faster, he would have been a halfback or five-eighth because he knows the game so well."

−Brad Fittler [7]

A fractured kneecap saw Gibbs playing injured throughout the semis in 2010. He was unable to play in the early rounds of the next season.[8] Around the same time, he signed a contract to remain with the Wests Tigers until the end of the 2014 season.[9] However, by the middle of 2011, Wests Tigers had released Gibbs in order to make room for Adam Blair, and he signed a three year contract with the Cronulla Sharks from the start of 2012.[10]

Gibbs later said of his release, "I found out they didn't want me when I picked up the paper. The paper report said the club was punting me, Liam Fulton and Chris Heighington, but I didn't know what was going on. I can remember walking into the weights room and all the boys started laughing and saying, 'You are gone.' It wasn't a joke though because it was true. It was pretty embarrassing and devastating."[11]

By the time Gibbs left the Wests Tigers, he had been a regular in the starting team for a number of years, and was one of the clubs most experienced players, having played in 155 games. He was noted for his, "determination in defence."[12] Former team-mate Keith Galloway said of him, “I learnt so much from Bryce in terms of coming off the line in defence. He used to always shout at you if you were not pulling your weight.”[13]

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

"He’s one of the great characters of the modern game, which is a bit of a lost art these days."

−Peter Sharp [3]

With new club Cronulla having a good start to 2012, and old club Wests Tigers a poor one, Gibbs was described by Ben Ross as, "the glue to any team he’ll be in. He gets the boys together and we have a lot of fun around him and he makes us more of a team than people would really see."[2] After missing some early games due to injury, Gibbs was chosen to play for City Origin.

Midway through 2012, having yet to score since the 2005 Grand Final, Gibbs declared he would not cut his hair until he had another try. He said, "my kids have actually never even seen me score. I’ve got a couple at training but that’s about it. I’ll get one this year. I’m not going to get my hair cut until I do."[3]

Gibbs at the 2015 NRL Grand Final

Gibbs did not appear for the Sharks until round 17 of 2013 season due to an injury when he put his foot through a glass door, resulting in 30 stitches and damage to his Achilles tendon. He said, "I was going to try and stitch it myself. The missus was filthy, there was blood everywhere. It looked like a murder scene. I tried to sleep it off but it was a bit painful and throbbing."[14]

As of the start of the 2013 season, Gibbs had played 134 games without scoring a try, the most of any player who had scored at least one try in his first grade career.[15] In Round 26 against the Canberra Raiders at Canberra Stadium in the Sharks 38-18 win, Gibbs scored a try, 142 matches since his last try.[16]

On 13 November 2014 Gibbs announced his retirement from rugby league after 12 years and just under 200 NRL games.[17]

Highlights

References

  1. ↑ http://www.southwestvoice.com.au/bryce-gibbs-retires-nrl-will-play-appin-dogs/
  2. 1 2 Ben Horne (10 April 2012). "Wests Tigers are divided, says Fifita". Roar. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Phil Rothfield (11 May 2012). "Cronulla Sharks prop Bryce Gibbs off with the ferries in Shire". Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  4. ↑ Newton struck out for 12 weeks - League - www.smh.com.au
  5. ↑ "Bryce Gibbs Matches played for the Wests Tigers". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  6. ↑ Chris Karas (8 October 2008). "Sports News". The Weekly Times. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  7. ↑ Nicolussi, Christian (19 April 2012). "Gibbs has seriously good form". Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  8. ↑ "Gibbs could return for Wests Tigers". AAP. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  9. ↑ "Bryce Gibbs extends contract until end of 2014". ZeroTackle. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  10. ↑ "Sharks take the bait and sign Wests Tigers' big boppers". WA Today. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  11. ↑ James Phelps (26 February 2012). "Bryce Gibbs has a point to prove when he lines up against old club Wests Tigers on Sunday week". Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  12. ↑ Glenn Jackson (15 September 2011). "Giant Tigers cubs ready to roar off bench to cap impressive debut seasons for club". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  13. ↑ Wayne Cousins. "GALLOWAY WANTS TO BE 'THE ENFORCER'". weststigers.com.au. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  14. ↑ Michael Carayannis (22 May 2013). "'There was blood everywhere. It looked like a murder scene'". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Bryce Gibbs Statistics". Rugby League Tables. 8 April 2013.
  16. ↑ http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8720001
  17. ↑ Former Wests Tigers And Cronulla Sharks Bryce Gibbs Announces Retirement, Triple M, 13 November 2014
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