He was joined in the casualty ward by Thomas Flegler, Daniel Saifiti (shoulder) and Max Plath (ACL), stripping the side of four leading forwards and what is believed to be more than $2 million in their salary cap from round 15 onwards.
It cruelled Gilbert of a return to State of Origin, before he opted to take time out of the rugby league bubble to assess his future.
โIt was really hard to deal with it and process it. Sometimes you deal with what could have been, but as time went on I just dealt with what it was and what it is,โ Gilbert said.
โI stepped away a bit from the game and thought about what are some things I could do differently, and I just implemented them.
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โI spent a lot of time at home with my young boy who was six months old at the time, and that was really special โ not many dads have that opportunity โ so that was a blessing.
โI had time to step away from footy and try to look forward to it and find ways to fall in love with the game again.โ
Gilbert confirmed he would take his place in the Dolphinsโ first trial against the Titans on February 12, and believed he would probably line up in the back row.
He expected to play through the middle at some stage, having risen through the ranks as a lock, but Plathโs comeback and the emergence of Kurt Donoghoe could limit that.
Flegler was also plotting a round-one comeback, having not been sighted since round five in 2024 after suffering nerve damage in his shoulder, while Saifiti was also pushing for an early-season berth.
The arrival of England Super League champion Morgan Knowles forced a tight selection tussle for coach Kristian Woolf, after Francis Molo impressed as the go-to enforcer and Donoghoe proved to be a breakout star at lock.
Plath โ whose standout showings at lock, and ability to cover hooker had him tipped as a Maroonsโ bolter โ said he did not expect to come straight back into the NRL given Donoghoeโs performances in 2025.
Max Plath believes he will need to go through Queensland Cup before returning to the NRL.Credit: Getty Images
The 24-year-old felt his knee was in a place where he could be fit for round one, but he said the timeline was more likely round three, and he might need to ply his trade in the Queensland Cup before a call-up.
โAlong the journey you get a lot of injuries, so you get that experience of the stages you go through โ feeling lonely and not being part of the team,โ Plath said.
โItโs also a really good time to reflect on your weaknesses. Itโs been a really reflective six months of where Iโm at as a footy player.
โIโd much rather be the worst player in a winning team than the best in a losing team โ winning is everything for me, and if thatโs Kurtโs position, I can figure out another way to help the team win.โ
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