Suspension lessons help Cowboys firebrand Tom Gilbert grow
“I probably should’ve assessed the situation of the tackle a bit better, it probably wasn’t mine to win.”
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
SUSPENSION was not ideal, however it gave Tom Gilbert plenty of time to reflect on what it takes to succeed in the NRL.
The 19-year-old forward has embodied an aggressive approach to the game whenever he has taken the field — be that for the North Queensland Cowboys or the Townsville Blackhawks.
However that style of play landed him in hot water in just his second first-grade match, and he was rubbed out for three weeks as a result of a dangerous contact charge against the Warriors.
Now Gilbert says it’s time to use his strengths wisely and not perform in a manner that lands him in front of the rugby league judiciary again.
He said he was initially worried his suspension could rob him of further chances to add to his NRL tally, but now that he is back in the Cowboys 17 he is eager to implement the lessons he has been forced to quickly learn.
“I’m not going (change the way I play), but Greeny (coach Paul Green) has been working with me about being smart with my aggression – no stupid penalties, no unnecessary stuff,” Gilbert said.
“I probably should’ve assessed the situation of the tackle a bit better, it probably wasn’t mine to win. I accepted the punishment and when I’m in similar positions it will definitely be in the back of my head and that’s about being smart and being a first grader now.
“Having that burden of not coming straight back into the side made me work a bit harder. I wanted to be back in there straight away, it’s a goal of mine to finish starting off in the team this year.
“Sometimes when you go back to working hard it’s easier, it’s pretty simple, you just have to find efforts at training and ways to be smart and train harder.
“When I resorted back to that I was just going through the motions at training and doing it well, I guess it gave myself that confidence I would one day be back in the side.”
Gilbert’s next goal is working on the consistency his experienced teammates Josh McGuire and Jason Taumalolo have put out week after week, despite the lopsided scorelines.
The team, according to Gilbert, have proved they can play at a high level for 40 minutes — but that does not cut it in the NRL.
That is why he is beginning to embrace the mentality of preparing as if you were playing for the duration of the match, whether he was in the starting side or coming off the bench.
“Greeny usually gives us a role to play in the team each week, and mine is coming off the bench and continuing the great work the starting middles have been doing,” Gilbert said.
“I’m going to try really hard to keep the same energy that Jase, Moose, Franky (Molo) and Macca (Jordan McLean) have been doing.
“Josh McGuire and Jase, they’re the same kind of blokes that let their actions speak louder than words.
“As a young player I want to help them as much as I can, they’re putting their bodies through a lot and not getting the rewards they deserve – they deserve to be winning each week with the way they’re playing.
“It’s about us young boys, and all of us as a squad, standing up and helping those guys and we just haven’t been doing it lately.”
Originally published as Suspension lessons help Cowboys firebrand Tom Gilbert grow