Maroons Gehamat Shibasaki nearly went to Japanese rugby, says NRL great Terry Campese

If not for the faith of an NRL great and a twist of family fate, Gehamat Shibasaki’s State of Origin ambitions may never have eventuated.

Upon his arrival at the Townsville Blackhawks, having reached a crossroads in his career, the latest Queensland Maroons bolter had a decision to make.

Ultimately, it was made for him.

“He was contemplating taking up a deal in Japan to play rugby,” Canberra Raiders legend and Blackhawks coach Terry Campese tells this masthead.

“His partner was pregnant, so he decided to stay here, and he played really well for us.

“There’s no one more deserving. Gem’s taken a really tough road to get there [Origin], and he’s never given up … he’s going to give it absolutely everything, just because of what he’s been through.”

Shibasaki’s name will now forever be etched in Origin folklore as one of the greatest selection shocks in the competition’s 45-year history.

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The centre’s form for the Brisbane Broncos speaks for itself.

But his rise from obscurity is defined by the journey he took – 30 games across four clubs in seven years, plus a stint in Japan, before his Red Hill homecoming.

From $1000 a week on a train-and-trial deal, to the man entrusted with containing New South Wales star Stephen Crichton in the series decider.

Not that Shibasaki is fazed by his surprising ascent. The 26-year-old had felt his career was over, until a heart-to-heart with Brisbane coach Michael Maguire.

“Six months ago, four months ago, I didn’t have a contract, I was just scraping through trying to fight my way through preseason. The first day, I got sent from the field because I was unfit,” Shibasaki says.

“I trained all through the Chrissy break, and that first session back, I had a conversation with Madge.

“He just said, ‘keep working hard, you’ve come back fit’. I just knew if I kept staying in it something would come out of it.”

The crossroads moment

Shibasaki arrived in North Queensland with his future uncertain.

He took a job working in youth support, but a “wake up to yourself” conversation with Pat Carrigan picked him up off the canvas.

“Me and Patty are really close. He just said, ‘come back for a train and trial, come live with me if you want’,” Shibasaki says.

“That lit the fire again. I had a little bit of adversity … in 2023, I went through a lot of injuries with my hamstrings and that.

“The pressure of being in the NRL, I didn’t feel like going through that. But when the boys came up north, I thought, ‘far out, I can really back myself here and go again’.”

While Shibasaki reveals he “literally had nothing going for myself”, Campese says it didn’t take long to “realise what a quality player he was”.

But what caught the coach’s eye was the influence Shibasaki had on the next generation.

“One in particular was young Dudley Dotoi,” Campese says, with the winger and Shibasaki combining for 20 tries and 23 linebreaks.

“I reckon in a couple of years, you’ll be calling me getting a few more quotes when Dudley’s playing representative football for Queensland.

“They had this formidable combination last year, which any NRL team would have loved to have had. We saw the quality in him – as a man and as a player.”

Taking the final chance

With Carrigan’s encouragement, Shibasaki called feeder club Wynnum Manly for one last shot at the Broncos.

“He took a massive risk going down to Brissy. I think the percentage of train and trial [players] who get NRL deals at the end of their block is very, very minimal,” Campese says.

Despite starting on the back foot, Shibasaki realised that with Broncos stars Selwyn Cobbo and Deine Mariner on his tail, he could not rest on his laurels.

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That mentality, he says, will help him thrive in the Origin furnace.

“I can’t lead others if I can’t fix myself,” Shibasaki says.

“I’m on a development deal, so I’ve still got a lot to prove. I’ve loved the Broncos since I was a kid, and I’d love to give back to them for giving me the opportunity.

“I’m trying to soak it all in and focus on each day, and take this experience back to clubland. Fingers crossed it does become a continual thing.

“I’m prepared.”

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