Latest news with #Shibasaki
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Contract decision looming large for in-demand Broncos star Gehamat Shibasaki
Gehamat Shibasaki has gone from unwanted to hot property on the player market and now a tough call awaits the Brisbane and Queensland star. The 27-year-old, known as 'Gem', is off is contract at the end of next year and on a modest salary but his manager Wayde Rushton has told Wide World of Sports that the Broncos have been unable to offer him a deal beyond that. On Tuesday, Shibasaki said his next deal was not on his mind right now. His stellar season has been founded on 'staying present' and not looking too far ahead. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Other clubs will be able to field offers for Shibasaki, who is now one of the game's form centres, from November 1. 'When it comes to (November 1) I will think about that but what I have been doing is narrowing my focus to now. That has been a big part of my success so far,' Shibasaki said. He added that 'the Broncos mean a lot to me' but he is expected to be offered a hefty pay increase by other clubs and financial decisions will have to be made. 'That is another thing I have got to sit down with my family and talk about,' he said. 'You look at my age now and I am coming to the older side of things. I will focus on that when the time comes.' The fairytale rise of Shibasaki has been steep but there is another mountain he wants to climb. The message from the blockbusting centre to his increasing number of fans will be music to their ears. There's a premiership for the fifth-placed Broncos to win. 'That's been the goal since the pre-season once I did get that contract done,' Shibasaki said ahead of Friday night's home clash with Parramatta. 'The next step was to play and aim for that premiership at the end of the year. We still have seven more weeks left and then finals kick in. This is the time where we knuckle down and get ready for that. After linking with Wynnum Manly, Shibasaki started the 2025 pre-season started with no NRL contract. He earned a train and trial deal and then a development list contract, which he is still on, then an upgrade to the top 30 for next year. Then followed an incredible Queensland call-up for the State of Origin decider where he set up a try and outplayed gun NSW opposite number Stephen Crichton. 'Origin was an unreal experience for me and my family. I'm still pinching myself now. It's about taking all that experience and bringing it back here and doing well for the rest of the season,' he said. This season Shibasaki has played 16 games in which he has scored 12 tries, made 13 line breaks and 61 tackle busts. To put just one of those impressive statistics in perspective, that is twice as many tries as he had scored in his previous 30 NRL matches in seven seasons since debuting in 2018.
Perth Now
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Turning point in Origin rookie's staggering revival
Gehamat Shibasaki says his stunning rise to the State of Origin ranks came down to a desire to not 'piss away' his career and to repay the faith shown to him by family members and the Broncos coaching staff who took a punt on a man who is now part of Maroons folklore. The 26-year-old started his career at the Broncos but had stints at the Knights, Cowboys, Rabbitohs and in Japanese rugby before he returned to Brisbane on a train and trial deal. He wasn't expected to be a major factor in their plans this year, but Shibasaki is the club's leading try-scorer thanks to three consecutive doubles, and he's now an Origin winner in what is one of the more remarkable rugby league stories of the year. Gehamat Shibasaki capped an incredible return to rugby league by helping the Maroons win the Origin decider. NRL Photos Credit: Supplied 'It's been a whirlwind. If you asked me this six months ago, there's no way I would have thought that I'd be playing here,' he said after the game. 'Through all the hard work in the pre-season to getting here now (it's all wild). At the start of the week, I thought I was in the squad. That would have been good in itself, but to play in it and win is a dream come true.' Shibasaki was a star coming through the ranks, with the powerful centre representing the Queensland under-20s three times to go with one appearance for the Junior Kangaroos. But that feels like a lifetime ago for a guy who struggled to keep up in his first few training sessions but quickly developed into a round 1 bolter under Michael Maguire. Shibasaki has been a revelation at left centre for the Broncos this year. NRL Photos Credit: The Courier-Mail 'Playing in the juniors is nothing compared to this,' he said. 'This is a childhood dream. Those juniors games were a stepping stone on my path here, but my path took me elsewhere. To come back, fight for my spot and then get here with Billy (Slater) putting his trust in me is unreal. 'Everyone helped me get here – my family, the coaching staff at the Broncos and Madge (Maguire) played a part in my journey. 'For them to work hard and for me to not piss away my career (is why I'm here). I thought it'd be disrespectful to them because they all put in the hard work to help me. 'I had to pay them back. 'But in saying that, it was a gamble coming down to Brisbane. I only came down to work and get fit for the Cup season, but to then get the call from Madge and for him to have the trust to play me in round 1 was unbelievable. 'I went through the ringer in the pre-season, but I stuck at it.' The Blues were encouraged to go after the debutant in defence and they tested him early, with Stephen Crichton beating him twice before the ball stopped coming to the right edge. By the time Crichton eventually scored, the damage had already been done, with Shibasaki laying on the first try of the night when he beat Zac Lomax and found Xavier Coates in space. 'I was so nervous,' he said. 'I missed Crichton twice at the start and that was all because of nerves with me wanting to do something early. 'I took a few deep breaths and then just focused on my next job. When 'X' (Coates) scored in the corner, all the nerves went away.'
Sydney Morning Herald
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Loz cause: Queensland produce another Origin boilover to stun Daley's Blues
Shibasaki was supposedly the weak link, but his performance was as inspired as his selection. The opening try was the result of him finding the time and space required to put Xavier Coates over. This was his Adam Mogg moment. Another controversial selection, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in the No.1 jersey, also proved a masterstroke. Chosen ahead of Broncos poster boy Reece Walsh, he proved dangerous in broken play and a rock in defence on his try line. In a rare moment of broken-field action, 'The Hammer' kept moving when the Blues had given up on the play, giving Dearden a saloon passage to glory. Later, when the Blues began the second half with purpose, he produced two try-savers in the one set. Everyone in maroon was playing above themselves. Valentine Holmes, whose goal-kicking ensured his side kept going up in increments of six, produced a bell-ringer in defence. Nobody has previously stopped Brian To'o from close range, and yet Dearden somehow managed it. But nothing would have hurt the Blues more than watching Harry Grant burrowing over just before the break, a case of his desire to score stronger than that of the defence to stop him. It was wave after wave of Maroon and the Blues could do nothing to stop it. Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai have produced so many magnificent moments on this very stage, but just couldn't get their game together. Loading Not that their forwards gave them much to play off. This was another occasion where Daley's loyalty was not rewarded. He stuck with Stefano Utoikamanu and Max King, at a time when Terrell May and Keaon Koloamatangi were making compelling cases. Would they have made a difference? We'll never know. But it only adds to the belief that the series was won before a ball was kicked, at the selection table. It will be remembered as a boilover, the Blues again unable to finish what they started. But can it really be a boilover when it keeps happening?
The Age
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Loz cause: Queensland produce another Origin boilover to stun Daley's Blues
Shibasaki was supposedly the weak link, but his performance was as inspired as his selection. The opening try was the result of him finding the time and space required to put Xavier Coates over. This was his Adam Mogg moment. Another controversial selection, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in the No.1 jersey, also proved a masterstroke. Chosen ahead of Broncos poster boy Reece Walsh, he proved dangerous in broken play and a rock in defence on his try line. In a rare moment of broken-field action, 'The Hammer' kept moving when the Blues had given up on the play, giving Dearden a saloon passage to glory. Later, when the Blues began the second half with purpose, he produced two try-savers in the one set. Everyone in maroon was playing above themselves. Valentine Holmes, whose goal-kicking ensured his side kept going up in increments of six, produced a bell-ringer in defence. Nobody has previously stopped Brian To'o from close range, and yet Dearden somehow managed it. But nothing would have hurt the Blues more than watching Harry Grant burrowing over just before the break, a case of his desire to score stronger than that of the defence to stop him. It was wave after wave of Maroon and the Blues could do nothing to stop it. Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai have produced so many magnificent moments on this very stage, but just couldn't get their game together. Loading Not that their forwards gave them much to play off. This was another occasion where Daley's loyalty was not rewarded. He stuck with Stefano Utoikamanu and Max King, at a time when Terrell May and Keaon Koloamatangi were making compelling cases. Would they have made a difference? We'll never know. But it only adds to the belief that the series was won before a ball was kicked, at the selection table. It will be remembered as a boilover, the Blues again unable to finish what they started. But can it really be a boilover when it keeps happening?
The Advertiser
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Rival's ultimate praise for fairytale Origin debutant
Stephen Crichton has paid shock Queensland debutant Gehamat Shibasaki the ultimate compliment, claiming his opposite man for the State of Origin decider has been the NRL's best centre this year. It's why Crichton insists Shibasaki will not be underestimated by NSW, who are set to make the call on Brian To'o's troublesome knee after a crucial training session on Monday night. With Kalyn Ponga injured and the series on the line, Queensland coach Billy Slater raised eyebrows picking journeyman Shibasaki at left centre and pushing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback for Origin III on to a breakout season at Brisbane, Shibasaki had floated across four clubs and played 30 games since his 2018 debut, and even left the NRL for a Japanese rugby stint in 2022. But the 26-year-old's Origin selection did not shock Canterbury captain Crichton, who lined up against him when Brisbane handed the Bulldogs a 42-18 hiding in April. Shibasaki crossed for one of the Broncos' seven four-pointers that night and is the NRL's equal-third most-prolific tryscorer heading into round 19. "He's been the top form centre right now in the year so he deserves his opportunity," Crichton said. "Although probably some people don't know him, he's there for a reason." Even so, Crichton concedes it will be a lofty task for Shibasaki to help the Maroons snatch the Origin shield come Wednesday night. Shibasaki lines up against a star-studded Blues backline that features South Sydney champion Latrell Mitchell in the other centre spot. Himself a surprise selection for game one, rookie Robert Toia joins Shibasaki in a much less seasoned centre pairing for Queensland. But Crichton insists there'll be no complacency from NSW. "I don't take any game lightly. You never know when it's going to be your last time in the jersey," Crichton said. "It's probably a big ask (for Shibasaki), but he's in the team for a reason. "He's done a lot of things right, especially in the position of centre, (there's) a lot of decision making out there." Uncapped winger Jacob Kiraz is on standby to come in for Blues gun To'o, who has been managing a knee injury since Penrith's defeat of Canterbury in round 17. The Blues have been confident all week that To'o and Payne Haas (back) would overcome their fitness issues to play in the decider. The pair completed light training on Saturday as planned but Monday night's full contact session will be telling. "I assume they'll do a bit more today and be good to go Wednesday," said Blues forward Hudson Young. Stephen Crichton has paid shock Queensland debutant Gehamat Shibasaki the ultimate compliment, claiming his opposite man for the State of Origin decider has been the NRL's best centre this year. It's why Crichton insists Shibasaki will not be underestimated by NSW, who are set to make the call on Brian To'o's troublesome knee after a crucial training session on Monday night. With Kalyn Ponga injured and the series on the line, Queensland coach Billy Slater raised eyebrows picking journeyman Shibasaki at left centre and pushing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback for Origin III on to a breakout season at Brisbane, Shibasaki had floated across four clubs and played 30 games since his 2018 debut, and even left the NRL for a Japanese rugby stint in 2022. But the 26-year-old's Origin selection did not shock Canterbury captain Crichton, who lined up against him when Brisbane handed the Bulldogs a 42-18 hiding in April. Shibasaki crossed for one of the Broncos' seven four-pointers that night and is the NRL's equal-third most-prolific tryscorer heading into round 19. "He's been the top form centre right now in the year so he deserves his opportunity," Crichton said. "Although probably some people don't know him, he's there for a reason." Even so, Crichton concedes it will be a lofty task for Shibasaki to help the Maroons snatch the Origin shield come Wednesday night. Shibasaki lines up against a star-studded Blues backline that features South Sydney champion Latrell Mitchell in the other centre spot. Himself a surprise selection for game one, rookie Robert Toia joins Shibasaki in a much less seasoned centre pairing for Queensland. But Crichton insists there'll be no complacency from NSW. "I don't take any game lightly. You never know when it's going to be your last time in the jersey," Crichton said. "It's probably a big ask (for Shibasaki), but he's in the team for a reason. "He's done a lot of things right, especially in the position of centre, (there's) a lot of decision making out there." Uncapped winger Jacob Kiraz is on standby to come in for Blues gun To'o, who has been managing a knee injury since Penrith's defeat of Canterbury in round 17. The Blues have been confident all week that To'o and Payne Haas (back) would overcome their fitness issues to play in the decider. The pair completed light training on Saturday as planned but Monday night's full contact session will be telling. "I assume they'll do a bit more today and be good to go Wednesday," said Blues forward Hudson Young. Stephen Crichton has paid shock Queensland debutant Gehamat Shibasaki the ultimate compliment, claiming his opposite man for the State of Origin decider has been the NRL's best centre this year. It's why Crichton insists Shibasaki will not be underestimated by NSW, who are set to make the call on Brian To'o's troublesome knee after a crucial training session on Monday night. With Kalyn Ponga injured and the series on the line, Queensland coach Billy Slater raised eyebrows picking journeyman Shibasaki at left centre and pushing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback for Origin III on to a breakout season at Brisbane, Shibasaki had floated across four clubs and played 30 games since his 2018 debut, and even left the NRL for a Japanese rugby stint in 2022. But the 26-year-old's Origin selection did not shock Canterbury captain Crichton, who lined up against him when Brisbane handed the Bulldogs a 42-18 hiding in April. Shibasaki crossed for one of the Broncos' seven four-pointers that night and is the NRL's equal-third most-prolific tryscorer heading into round 19. "He's been the top form centre right now in the year so he deserves his opportunity," Crichton said. "Although probably some people don't know him, he's there for a reason." Even so, Crichton concedes it will be a lofty task for Shibasaki to help the Maroons snatch the Origin shield come Wednesday night. Shibasaki lines up against a star-studded Blues backline that features South Sydney champion Latrell Mitchell in the other centre spot. Himself a surprise selection for game one, rookie Robert Toia joins Shibasaki in a much less seasoned centre pairing for Queensland. But Crichton insists there'll be no complacency from NSW. "I don't take any game lightly. You never know when it's going to be your last time in the jersey," Crichton said. "It's probably a big ask (for Shibasaki), but he's in the team for a reason. "He's done a lot of things right, especially in the position of centre, (there's) a lot of decision making out there." Uncapped winger Jacob Kiraz is on standby to come in for Blues gun To'o, who has been managing a knee injury since Penrith's defeat of Canterbury in round 17. The Blues have been confident all week that To'o and Payne Haas (back) would overcome their fitness issues to play in the decider. The pair completed light training on Saturday as planned but Monday night's full contact session will be telling. "I assume they'll do a bit more today and be good to go Wednesday," said Blues forward Hudson Young.
