Gilbert was a dual international, playing for the Wallabies in 1910 before representing the Australia in the 1911-12 Kangaroo tour of England.
Gilbert was a well established South Sydney rugby union player, who had played for New South Wales and Australia before coming across to rugby league. He made his first grade club and premiership debut for South Sydney in the 1911 Round 1 clash against North Sydney at the Sports Ground.
Gilbert was powerful straight running centre, who knew how to use his weight. While receiving a lot of rough play attention, he would never retailiate. With the change of the international transfer rule, he was enticed over to play for Hull in England. Gilbert left South Sydney midway through the 1912 season for what was a world record transfer fee at the time of £450. In 1914 he became the first overseas player to captain a Challenge Cup team to victory in England for Hull. With the Great War escalating he returning home and South Sydney in 1915.
Gilbert played 3 seasons with South Sydney between 1911 and 1915. He only played 24 first grade club games for South Sydney, which included 23 first grade premiership games for South Sydney and 1 first grade cup game for South Sydney.
In 1911 Gilbert continued his representative career while at South Sydney debuting in the 1911 2nd interstate clash for New South Wales against Queensland at the Showground. He then played his first grade in Australian colour on the 1911-12 Kangaroo tour in the openning tour match against combined Midlands/South England team at Coventry. He played his first international for Australia against Wales at Ebbw Vale, before taking on Great Britian in the 1st Test at Newcastle. He played his final representative game while at South Sydney in the 1912 2nd New South Wales against New Zealand match at the Showground.
Gilbert played his final first grade premiership game for South Sydney in the 1915 Round 12 clash against North Sydney at North Sydney Oval. He then played his final first club and cup game for South Sydney in the 1915 City Cup Round 1 clash against Eastern Suburbs at the Sports Ground.
Gilbert was one of the best pre World War II players to play rugby league. He was named in 1938 as Australia's greatest centre, and in 2008 he was named in the ARL 100 Greatest players of the century. In 2004 he was selected in South Sydney Dream Team and in 2018 was inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame.
Gilbert is one of South Sydney's greatest players.
Player Relatives
Brother-In-Law - Frawley, Dan (Eastern Suburbs)
Son - Gilbert, Herb Jnr (St George)
Son - Gilbert, Jack (St George)
Son - Gilbert, Bob (St George)
Grandson - Gilbert, Sam (AFL - St Kilda)
Grandson - Davidson, Larry (NBL - Wollongong)
Playing - Height / Weight
6ft(183cm) / 13st 7lb(86kg)
Representative Qualification
NSW City
Date of Birth
Gulgong - 18th September 1887 (Died - 1972)
Previous Clubs First Grade
M T G FG Pt
South Sydney 2G RU (1908)
South Sydney RU (1909-10)
Hull (England) (1912-15) 114 57 1 - 173 (including 1914 Challenge Cup winning captain)
Previous Rep Honours M T G FG Pt
Metropolitan RU (1910)
New South Wales RU (1910)
Australia RU (1910) 3 5 - - 15
Playing Career at South Sydney (1911-12,15)
South Sydney First Grade Debut
1911 Apr 29 Rd01 SSG v North Sydney (23y 223d)
First Grade
Premiership City Cup : Tour
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
1911 10 10 - 4 2 2 20 : : - - - - - - -
1912 7 7 - 2 - - 6 : - - - - - - -
1915 6 6 - - - - - : 1 1 - - - - -
TOTAL 23 23 - 6 2 2 26 : 1 1 - - - - - : - - - - - - -
SS Cup 1 1 - - - - -
SS FG 24 24 - 6 2 2 26
Short Form
Short-Game Knockout
M S R T G/A FG Pts
1915 - - - - - - -
TOTAL - - - - - - -
SS SF - - - - - - -
Captaincy Record at South Sydney
never
Suspension Record at South Sydney
Year Grade v Wk CHARGE never
Player Awards
Year Award 1938 - RL News Greatest Australian Team(Centre) 1952 - Rugby League News Immortal 1992 - Rugby League Week Top 100 (#70) 2004 - South Sydney Dream Team 2008 - ARL 100 Greatest Players 2018 - NRL Hall of Fame
Representative Honours at South Sydney
Domestic CvC / Interstate : Tourists : Other
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
New South Wales 1911-12 2 2 - 1 - - 3 : 2 2 - 1 - - 3 :
Combined Odd FG 1911 : : 1 1 - - - - -
Sydney Metropolis 1912 1 1 - - - - - : :
TOTAL 6 6 - 2 - - 6
International Internationals : Other
M S R T G/A FG Pts : M S R T G/A FG Pts
Australasia 1911-12 4 4 - - 1 - 2 : 26 26 - 20 1 - 62
TOTAL 30 30 - 20 2 - 64
ALL REPS 36 36 - 22 2 - 70
Year Pos Team Versus Match T G/A FG
1911 Wing New South Wales v Queensland 2nd Match - - -
1911 New South Wales v New Zealand 2nd Match (Selected but DNP)
1911 Wing Combined Odd FG v Combined Even FG - - -
1911 Australasia (Kangaroo Tour)
1911 Cntr Australasia v Midlands/Sth Engld Tour Match - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Yorkshire Tour Match 1 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Broughton Rangers Tour Match - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Lancashire Tour Match 1 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Wales Test - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Widnes Tour Match 1 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v England XIII Tour Match1 - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Hunslet Tour Match - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v English League Tour Match - - -
1911 5/8 Australasia v Wigan Tour Match - - -
1911 Wing Australasia v Swinton Tour Match 2 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Hull Tour Match - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v England 1st Test - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Oldham Tour Match 1 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Leigh Tour Match 1 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Wakefield Trinity Tour Match 2 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Cumberland Tour Match - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Barrow Tour Match1 1 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Huddersfield Tour Match - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v York Tour Match 1 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v England 2nd Test - - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Wales/West England Tour Match 2 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Rochdale Tour Match 1 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Halifax Tour Match 2 - -
1911 Cntr Australasia v Warrington Tour Match 1 1 -
1912 Cntr Australasia v England 3rd Test - 1 -
1912 Cntr Australasia v Leeds Tour Match 1 - -
1912 Cntr Australasia v Hull KR Tour Match 1 - -
1912 Cntr Australasia v Barrow Tour Match2 1 - -
1912 Cntr Australasia v Metropolitan - - -
1912 Wing New South Wales v Queensland 1st Match 1 - -
1912 Cntr Sydney Metropolis v NSW Country 1st Match - - -
1912 Cntr New South Wales v New Zealand 1st Match 1 - -
1912 Cntr New South Wales v New Zealand 2nd Match - - -
After Leaving South Sydney
Gilbert married Mary Frawley sister of Dan Frawley in February 1916 and was enticed over to play with Eastern Suburbs. The following year he would settle in Bexley and transfer to Western Suburbs before St George entered the competition. He then became the inaugural captain-coach of St George in 1921.
Subsequent Clubs First Grade
Premiership : Cup
M T G FG Pt : M T G FG Pt
Eastern Suburbs (1916) 14 6 - - 18 : 3 - - - -
Western Suburbs (1917-20) 51 23 - - 69 : 8 2 - - 6
St George (1921) 8 1 - - 3 : 8 3 - - 9 (captain-coach)
Subsequent Rep Honours M T G FG Pt : M T G FG Pt
Kangaroos (1917) 1 - - - -
NSW Seconds (1919) 1 - - - -
New South Wales (1919-20) 4 2 - - 6
Australia (1919-20) 4 2 - - 6 : 3 4 - - 12 (captain in one test)
Sydney City (1920) 1 - - - -
After completing his playing career he would go on to coach St George between 1922-24. At the end of his working career he would returned to the SCG to finish his working life as one of the dreaded “green coats” guarding the entrance to the player’s dressing rooms from the general public.
First Class Playing Career (1911-21)
M T G FG Pts
Total England 114 57 1 - 173
Total FG Premiership 96 36 2 2 20
Total FG Cup 20 5 - - 15
Total FG Club Tour - - - - -
Total Internationals 8 2 1 - 8
Total State 8 4 - - 12
Total Other Representative 34 24 1 - 74
TOTAL FIRST CLASS 280 128 5 2 302
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