By Nick Wright
Dolphins star Tom Gilbert has his eyes fixed on a round-one berth, salivating at the thought of putting nearly two years of cruel agony behind him.
The Queensland Maroons forward has barely been sighted since dislocating his shoulder in last year’s opening State of Origin encounter, and then suffering a ruptured ACL on his comeback in the 2024 NRL preseason trials.
But on Wednesday morning, Gilbert engaged in his first skills session since his knee injury, as he prepared to join full contact training in the new year.
Tom Gilbert has his eyes fixed on a round-one return for the Dolphins from a ruptured ACL.Credit: Dan Peled
While there were concerns that blood clots he experienced before surgery would delay his return, the lock declared he had no intention of easing back.
“I’ll be close to round one, it’d be 9½ months, and it depends on how I’m tracking and the confidence. It’s a good benchmark to look towards round one, or those early couple of rounds at least,” Gilbert said.
“It’s a bit hard in the NRL to ease yourself back in. I don’t expect myself to be at the level I was … but I think if I’m getting picked to play for the Dolphins, there’s a level of expectation.
“I won’t be going out there to go through the motions. I’m always there to add something.”
Gilbert admitted he had moments of bitterness throughout his gruelling rehabilitation, but he sought advice from across the sporting world.
He leaned on Cowboys co-captain Reuben Cotter – whose back-to-back ACL tears cost him three seasons before his NRL debut – while drawing inspiration from Brisbane Lions star Will Ashcroft.
“Watching the Brisbane Lions win the premiership and Will Ashcroft coming off his ACL, having a long time off the game, and to win a grand final and be the best player on the field, that’s the pinnacle of sport,” Gilbert said.
“It wouldn’t have been easy for him, no doubt.”
Ashcroft, who returned from the same injury to claim the AFL grand final’s Norm Smith Medal, has said his emphatic return was built on motivation to avenge his side’s 2023 defeat – and patience.
According to former orthopaedic surgeon Steve Lawrie, successful recovery from ACL injuries – while decreasing the risk of re-injury – can hinge on that patience.
Lawrie, who has worked with NRL clubs including the Melbourne Storm, said that while all players recovered differently, there were risks in trying to reach peak performance too quickly.
“Some people, especially in contact sports, can take another season to hit peak fitness. You often see when guys come back, especially on an NRL deal, they have the knee strapped for a season,” Lawrie said.
“They don’t step off that side, and they’re not as powerful as what they were beforehand. That often takes another season, but not always.
He compared Warriors centre Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s return from an ACL injury – “he just lit up, it was like he’d never been injured” – to Justin Hodges’ slower recovery.
“[Hodges] took a full season before he could step off that foot,” Lawrie said.
“Waiting 12 months gives a better chance of being pretty right, but it’s really individual.”
While Gilbert hopes to launch the Dolphins’ season against Wayne Bennett and his South Sydney Rabbitohs, he said he would trust his club’s medical staff to time his comeback to perfection.
“Every time I get to go on the field, I have a lot of gratitude to be out there with everyone doing what I love. When it’s taken away from you, you appreciate the small things,” Gilbert said.
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