Jim Gibbs

{{short description|Australian rugby league footballer}}

{{redirect-distinguish|Jimmy Gibbs|Jimmy Gibb|James Gibbs (disambiguation){{!}}James Gibbs|Left 4 Dead 2{{!}}Jimmy Gibbs. Jr}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|name = Jimmy Gibbs

|fullname = James Gibbs

|image =

|image_size =

|caption =

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|04|09|df=y}}

|birth_place = Greymouth, New Zealand

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1996|09||1909|04|09|df=y}}

|death_place = Newcastle, New South Wales

|height =

|weight =

|retired = yes

|position = Forward

|club1 = South Newcastle

|year1start = 1927

|year1end = ??

|appearances1 =

|tries1 =

|goals1 =

|fieldgoals1 =

|points1 =

|club2 = {{nowrap|Canterbury-Bankstown}}

|year2start = 1940

|year2end =

|appearances2 = 13

|tries2 = 4

|goals2 = 5

|fieldgoals2 = 0

|points2 = 22

|club3 = South Newcastle

|year3start = 19??

|year3end = 46

|appearances3 =

|tries3 =

|goals3 =

|fieldgoals3 =

|points3 =

|club4 =

|year4start =

|year4end =

|appearances4 =

|tries4 =

|goals4 =

|fieldgoals4 =

|points4 =

|teamA = New South Wales

|yearAstart = 1933

|yearAend = 39

|appearancesA = 24

|triesA = 6

|goalsA = 0

|fieldgoalsA = 0

|pointsA = 18

|teamB = Country NSW

|yearBstart = 1934

|yearBend =

|appearancesB = 2

|triesB = 0

|goalsB = 0

|fieldgoalsB = 0

|pointsB = 0

|teamC = Australia

|yearCstart = 1933

|yearCend = 38

|appearancesC = 7

|triesC = 0

|goalsC = 0

|fieldgoalsC = 0

|pointsC = 0

|teamD =

|yearDstart =

|yearDend =

|appearancesD =

|triesD =

|goalsD =

|fieldgoalsD =

|pointsD =

|updated =

|source = [https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/jim-gibbs/summary.html] [http://stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/players/J/Jim_Gibbs.html]

}}

Jim Gibbs (9 April 1909 – September 1996) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative forward,{{cite web|title=Jim Gibbs|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/jim-gibbs/summary.html|publisher=Rugby League Project}} he played club football in the Newcastle Rugby League for Souths and in Sydney's NSWRFL Premiership for Canterbury-Bankstown.{{cite web|title=Player Profile – Jim Gibbs |url=http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Jim-Gibbs_3277.aspx |work=Yesterday's Hero |publisher=SmartPack International Pty Ltd |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090921094245/http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Jim-Gibbs_3277.aspx |archivedate=21 September 2009 }}

Gibbs was born in New Zealand and in 1911 at age two his family moved to Australia and settled in Glebe, New South Wales.{{cite news|last=Goffet|first=Neil|title=Stars shine bright as local league grows|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/479966/stars-shine-bright-as-local-league-grows/|access-date=30 December 2011|newspaper=The Newcastle Herald|date=5 February 2008|archive-date=15 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315030002/https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/479966/stars-shine-bright-as-local-league-grows/|url-status=live}} He began his senior football career in 1927 and was one of five brothers that played for South Newcastle. The others were Jack, Bill, Harry and Alf. Alf would also go on to be an Australian Test front-rower.

Gibbs was first selected to represent New South Wales in 1933 and was then selected to go on the 1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. He made his debut in 1933, becoming Kangaroo No. 184{{cite web|title=Player Register |url=http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/kangaroos/register.php |work=Kangaroos |publisher=Australian Rugby League |accessdate=30 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927000601/http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/kangaroos/register.php |archivedate=27 September 2011 }} and Newcastle's fourth international in the process. He also played in the tour of New Zealand in 1935. He was selected to go on the 1937-38 Kangaroo tour.

Gibbs joined Canterbury-Bankstown for the 1940 NSWRFL season where he was able to secure a first grade position and play in the final against Eastern Suburbs before returning to Newcastle.{{cite web|title=Jim Gibbs|url=http://thebulldogs.com.au/sportal.php?page=player&id=68|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602092743/http://thebulldogs.com.au/sportal.php?page=player&id=68|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 June 2012|work=Bulldogs Rugby League Club Official Website|publisher=thebulldogs.com.au|accessdate=30 December 2011}} He played his last game for South Newcastle in 1946.

Gibbs also served overseas in the Royal Australian Air Force in the City of Canberra bomber squadron during World War II.

Such was the influence that Gibbs and his brothers had on the South Newcastle club, a park in Merewether was renamed Gibbs Brothers Oval in 1988. In 2008, Australia's centenary year of rugby league, Gibbs was named at second-row forward in a Newcastle Rugby League team of the century.{{cite news|last=newcastle.com.au |title=Newcastle Rugby League – Team of the Century |url=http://www.newcastle.com.au/newcastle-articles/2008/2/11/newcastle-rugby-league-team-of-the-century/ |accessdate=30 December 2011 |newspaper=The Newcastle Herald |date=11 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322071838/http://www.newcastle.com.au/newcastle-articles/2008/2/11/newcastle-rugby-league-team-of-the-century/ |archivedate=22 March 2012 }} Gibbs was also named in a South Newcastle team of the century in 2010.{{cite news|last=Leeson|first=John|title=Souths honour greatest players|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac;jsessionid=516EB49CB8ADFDCFFCD0D0216132BDFF?Page=1&docID=NCH1006149B1EH5SM7PT|accessdate=30 December 2011|newspaper=The Newcastle Herald|date=14 June 2010}}