After a man of the match performance in the 2021 Tri Series opener, Newcastle Rebels hooker Billy Gilbert is keen to rope in Canberra’s best at the Maitland Sportsground this weekend.
The local representative outfit hammered the Illawarra Steelers 36-4 to claim the Steel City Challenge last month and will now target a powerful ACT squad on Saturday 26 June.
For his part, Gilbert scored a try in the romp, set up a couple of others, and terrorised the hosts with his dogged defence and smart dummy-half play.
“What can I say, we just ripped in,” the Cessnock Goannas rake said.
“And, played a bit of ad-lib footy.
“Aaron Watts is a good coach.
“He didn’t have much time to bring us together – we had training, a few beers and got to know each other.
“You tend to become best mates when you bond like that.
“Even though we won 36-4, the game started out tough.
“As we began to go forward, we threw the ball around, with a few chip and chases thrown in.
“The boys out wide did their thing – thankfully, everything clicked.”
The Country under-18 rep, and former Group 20 Best and Fairest under-18 player, is hoping history repeats itself against the unknown Canberra line-up.
“Mate, I have no idea who’s in their team to be honest,” Gilbert said.
“We just need to concentrate on our game.
“In these types of matches, it’s usually the side, which controls the ball best pretty much wins.
“We’ll try and bash them in defence and run amok in attack.
“That’s about all you can do.”
The knockabout 25-year-old admitted he was “stoked” to gain a spot in the Rebels – in his debut Tooheys Newcastle Rugby League (Real NRL) season.
“I was at a wedding on the turps when I got a phone call from Rob Baker,” Gilbert said.
“The next morning, I thought ‘surely I dreamt that?’
“He eventually sent me a message to say that conversation was real – and ‘you’re in the rep team’.
“Coming from the bush, this is the strongest competition in country NSW.
“To be picked in the Newcastle side is pretty full-on.”
Although proud to attract the selectors’ attention, Gilbert is happy to let his footy do the talking – wherever that leads him.
“I don’t think too much about the future,” he said.
“At the moment, I’ve got a good missus, good mentors in Todd [Edwards] and Aaron [Watts], and a few good people around me.
“So, I’m just enjoying what I’m doing.
“If I go higher [level], or lower, so be it.”
Gilbert is one of six Goannas in the team – joining Tyrone Roberts-Davis, AJ Davis, Wyatt Shaw, Connor Kirkwood and Robert Tuliatu.
The Rebels face Canberra in under-20s and seniors at 1.30pm and 3pm respectively, following under-17 clashes featuring Maitland, Lakes United, Western Suburbs and Cessnock from 11am.
A Plus Contracting and Poly Welding Seniors (coach Aaron Watts):
1 Cameron Anderson (Central Newcastle), 2 Joe Woodbury (Macquarie), 3 Royce Geoffrey (Macquarie), 4 Tyrone Roberts-Davis (Cessnock), 5 James Bradley (Maitland), 11 Mitchell Cullen (c – Kurri Kurri), 7 AJ Davis (Cessnock), 8 Jayden Butterfield (Maitland), 9 Billy Gilbert (Cessnock), 10 James Taylor (Maitland), 15 Jarred Anderson (Kurri Kurri), 12 Wyatt Shaw (Cessnock), 13 Connor Kirkwood (Cessnock); 14 Matt Moon (Macquarie), 16 Joe Gardiner (Macquarie), 17 Robert Tuliatu (Cessnock), 18 Matt Soper Lawler (Maitland)
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