Rising Cowboys star sends a message
THE firebrand in Tom Gilbert was on show at several junctures on Friday night, but none more prominently than his scuffle with Daly CherryEvans.
There was no disrespect intended from the 19-year-old, no desire to diminish the Manly star’s status in the game.
He was sending a message — “we will not be pushed around”.
Gilbert’s introduction into the NRL has come equipped with a reputation as an aggressive forward who refuses to take a backward step, regardless of who he is faced with.
That attitude earned him the mantle of the 2019 Intrust Super Cup rookie of the year, but it also contributed to his three-week suspension earlier this season.
Since the up-and-coming forward has returned to the Cowboys’ starting 17 he has managed his impact in games, however his eagerness to get under the skin of CherryEvans seemed to garner the ire of the Sea Eagles skipper.
For Gilbert, it was about showcasing the attitude of the
North Queensland side in the Josh Hannay era that they will not bow to anyone.
“I definitely wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to the Queensland captain, but at the end of the day they were the opposition and I was trying to find my rhythm in the game,” he said.
“I kind of wanted to get the point across that for these last 10 rounds, clubs aren’t coming up here trying to think we’re easybeats.
“We’re trying to turn the season around in terms of the attitude and mentality that our brand of football is going to be for the next 10 weeks.
Despite the 24-12 loss at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Gilbert showed he was adjusting to the intensity of the NRL. Against the Sea Eagles the teen sensation turned in his best first-grade performance, making 26 tackles for no misses and running for 73 metres.
“I think I just know I’m going to have a shorter stint to what I probably had in QCup. I’ve got this period where I just need to get through work and bring energy, so for me if that’s 30 minutes or 20 minutes I know I’ve just got to make my tackles, make my hit-ups.”