Damian_Gibson
Damian Gibson
Wales international rugby league footballer and coach
Damian Gibson (born 14 May 1975) is a former Wales international rugby league footballer. Primarily a fullback, Gibson was the North Queensland Cowboys first ever try scorer.[3]
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| Born | (1975-05-14) 14 May 1975 (age 48) Emerald, Queensland, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (13 st 1 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Fullback, Centre, Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Gibson was born and raised in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.
He attended Emmaus College before being signed by the Newcastle Knights.[4]
After spending 1994 with the Newcastle Knights, where he represented the NSW City under-19 side, Gibson signed with the newly established North Queensland Cowboys. In Round 1 of the 1995 ARL season, Gibson made his first grade début as a 19-year-old in the North Queensland Cowboys first ever game. He scored the club's first ever try in the 16–32 loss to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and was named in the Norwich Rising Star Team of 95.[5] He spent two seasons with the Cowboys, scoring 7 tries in 31 games and was the North Queensland Cowboys Top Tryscorer in 1996.
In 1997, Gibson joined the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League, scoring three tries and being named their Player of the Year.[3] He transferred to the Halifax Blue Sox in 1998, where he spent the majority of his career. During his first stint with Halifax, he scored 40 tries in 113 games. In June 1998, he made his international début for Wales, in a 15–12 loss to England.
In 2002, he joined the Salford City Reds, spending one season at the Willows before moving to the Castleford Tigers in 2003, following the Reds' relegation.[6] He re-joined Halifax in November 2004 after being released by the Castleford Tigers following their relegation from Super League and went on to score 15 tries in 30 appearances in 2005. After four more seasons at Halifax, Gibson joined the Sheffield Eagles in 2009, retiring at the end of the season.
ARL
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 |  North Queensland |
20 | 3 | 1 | 100.0 | 0 | 14 |
| 1996 | North Queensland |
11 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 16 |
| Career totals | 31 | 7 | 1 | 100.0 | 0 | 30 | |
Super League
| Season | Team | Matches | T | G | GK % | F/G | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 |  Leeds |
- | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 12 |
| 1998 |  Halifax |
25 | 6 | 0 | — | 0 | 24 |
| 1999 | Halifax |
31 | 11 | 0 | — | 0 | 44 |
| 2000 | Halifax |
28 | 10 | 0 | — | 0 | 40 |
| 2001 | Halifax |
29 | 13 | 0 | — | 0 | 52 |
| 2002 |  Salford |
29 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 12 |
| 2003 |  Castleford |
23 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 12 |
| 2004 | Castleford |
23 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 12 |
| Career totals | 188 | 52 | 0 | — | 0 | 208 | |
Following his retirement, Gibson served as an assistant coach for the Exiles rugby league team, Leeds Rhinos,[7] Welsh national team, and the Dewsbury Rams. While at the Rhinos, he coached the club's under-18 and under-20 sides and was on the coaching staff for their 2011 Super League Grand Final winning season.[3]
- "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- "Player Summary: Damian Gibson". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- "Leeds Rhinos | News". Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- "Damian Gibson - Warwick & District Junior Rugby League - SportsTG". websites.sportstg.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018.
- "Castleford sign Gibson". BBC Sport. 5 November 2002. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- "Leeds Rhinos appoint Damian Gibson to coaching staff". BBC Sport. 26 November 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2024.