1977 MW NS- Johnny Gibbs the maestro!

[eagle66]

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Johnny Gibbs was one of my all-time favourites. Could have been who-knows-what?
I can't think of a more elusive dynamic runner from half-back.
Mortimer? Nup, Gibbsy had him covered.
He could tackle too, generally utilised in a cover-defending role.
From memory, the hamstring injury that curtailed and eventually cruelled his career occurred while making a (successful) try-saving tackle on a Parramatta winger (Glover? Grothe?) during a semi-final...
Back in the day, when I couldn't attend many matches and when most were not televised ... fertile ground for the imagination!

 

[BOZO]

Johnny Gibbs was one of my all-time favourites. Could have been who-knows-what?
I can't think of a more elusive dynamic runner from half-back.
Mortimer? Nup, Gibbsy had him covered.
He could tackle too, generally utilised in a cover-defending role.
From memory, the hamstring injury that curtailed and eventually cruelled his career occurred while making a (successful) try-saving tackle on a Parramatta winger (Glover? Grothe?) during a semi-final...
Back in the day, when I couldn't attend many matches and when most were not televised ... fertile ground for the imagination!

Big fan of the mercurial Johnny Gibbs and as you say it was a tragedy that his career ended before he could peak to even greater heights .
Explosive , Dynamic , Unpredictably Evasive and he inflicted the final insult to the opposition with his blinding acceleration and as we all know Speed thrills and kills !
The moral of the story ...
THE FASTER THE PLAYER IS
THE BIGGER MESS HE MAKES OUT OF THE OPPOSITION !!!

 

[BOZO]

J.G. was poetry in motions and SPEED KILLS !!!

 

[The Wheel]

Nothing better than seeing us flog the bears

 

[eagle66]

First saw Gibbs play in the 3rd Grade/Under 23's at Brookvale. What he showed in that grade was what he did in First Grade. Unlike many of the NYC stars.

 

[johnperi01]

While everyone's favorite player in the 70's growing up was Fulton or Eadie, I fell in love with Gibbsy's blinding acceleration and that inimitable head back running style.
Saw him chip and chase twice in one movement to score a try once, I think against Norths in the lower grades.
A shame such a brilliant player was dogged by serious injury, cutting short his career with Manly, and the number of rep games he would have played for NSW and Australia.

 

[manly al]

Recall Gibbsy playing at least one full match as a 5 / 8 in i st grade for Manly [ against the Eels i think ] and at full back also at some stage of his Sea Eagles career so he had a bit of versatility to his footy playing also . Certainly was blessed with some great natural speed and acceleration and must have been a real crowd pleaser when at his playing best . Though a great individual player , always thought that Steve ' Whiz " Martin was still a slightly better fit at half back during some of those crucial and memorable final"s play off"s in the 1978 series ,[ and when Gibbsy was injured early on or just prior to the finals ] and including the G F and replay . Still got to go on the 78 Kangaroo tour so some real consolation there and despite his injury issues on that tour , a good testimony to his outstanding ability as a footy player