Bruce Gibbs | Life as a Wests Magpie in the face-slapping era | Rugby League

[@TheGuru12163]

Who came here since Tommy died. Loved all the old Wests guys what an era. Thank god I got to see it!

[@joshlock4627]

Agreed , but Gibbs had poor hands , too slow, easily stepped around Gibbs was the worse 1st grade forward at the time Wests reserves were always last, thus no depth As a former grade player and coach , I would have him as dressing room attendant - that’s it

[@docgonzales]

Bruce Gibbs was a very very big man, and yes deceptively fast.

[@HarleyThrottleJuice]

I grew up as a Wests fan, will never forget those Lidcombe days! I recall one day there hearing a woman in the crowd yell out “eat him Gibbs, he’s a pie!”

[@greatwhitedrifter1211]

bruce loved a good old manly pie,would have been glorious being there watching

[@joshlock4627]

But Gibbs had horrible hands

[@richardnixon1013]

A great player,and one of the toughest men alive. GREAT to see he is doing well!

[@joshlock4627]

Great Player !!!????! He just dropped the ball every time he was passed it Too slow !!!

[@wayneobrien8150]

One of the Magpies best, Sloth. Love him and Dallas.

[@Rossk58]

An era when men were men, and had to be to survive those games.

[@plane-crashes-aussie-stories]

Grew up in Guildford which was in Parra's district but a Tigers man from childhood. But who didn't love to see that Magpies team bashing Manly. Great days. A lot of those Wests players were more skillful than they were given credit for because most people only focused on the fights and maiming.

[@gavinscott8903]

Exceptionally hard player gibbsy took no prisoners. Better than everyone gives him credit for

[@johncavar2914]

This is really football ..league..good old days 🎉

[@stratosprokopiou1245]

Grew up in Auburn as a Parra fan but I always had a soft spot for Wests. Shame they had to merge with the Tigers. Parra would always suffer at Lidcombe even when we dominated in the 80's. 70's-80's was the best era for RL. You'd cop it sweet but get up and hand out some of your own medicine.

[@marknorris1381]

Wests had a great team around 78 -79.

[@matcole9896]

Yes, they did. Unfortunately, I don't believe the refs liked us. Also, It was not in the NSWRL'S interests at the time if a team like the Magpies would have won the competition.

[@stratosprokopiou1245]

They did but Manly with their $$$ stripped them of Ray Brown, Les Boyd, John Dorahy, John Ribot within a couple seasons. They did the same to Easts through Kerry Boustead, Noel Cleal, Paul McCabe, Ian Schubert, Dave Brown and Ian Barkley. That's why Manly became the most hated club and why Parra had the support of the neutrals in the 82 snd 83 GF's.

[@googlefashists4986]

@@stratosprokopiou1245 But Manly only had the 87 premiership to show for it.

[@googlefashists4986]

@@matcole9896 In the 78 final O'Grady scored a try off a bomb. He was judged to be offside, he was the kicker.

[@gostrum1]

@@stratosprokopiou1245 Ken Arthurson was ruthless. It was a two pronged policy to strip opponents of their best players while strengthening the Manly Warringah club.

[@CraigHopwood]

I bought my first set of boots from Tom terrific in westpoint blacktown in 77 he had a store there and Roy masters used to teach at doonside high

[@1960salty]

love his style...

[@joshlock4627]

Couldn’t catch a cold , couldn’t catch a ball , dropped the ball all the time and too slow in the defensive line Wests had zero forward depth at the time - reserves were always last

[@matcole9896]

Very good footballer. Tough as they come.

[@glenchapman3899]

Very underrated too

[@joshlock4627]

As a grade coach - Gibbs had horrific hands . Too slow . He couldn’t make a park team nowadays .

[@joshlock4627]

As a coach, I’m a Roy masters fan and watched all his coached games . Masters was/ is psychologist masters degree . I’m a better coach for watching his coached teams . Thus I saw Gibbs at times . Other coaches at tine (Bath) enjoyed seeing Gibbs in 1st grade. (Several 1st graders of the tine confirmed this ) All comments here complementing Gibbs , have no idea about the game elements / requirements / qualities needed / training I would have ran at him every tine and simply step off either of my feet . Being overweight isn’t intimidating , it’s a hindrance . Tommy / O’Grady / Boyd would be intimidating , but they did zero weights / strength training then Jack Gibson initiated weights after an NFL trip in the USA early 80s Gibbs - The worse hands in rugby league I’ve ever seen (1975 - modern ) . And I’ve played / watched and coached 36 years . He wouldn’t have made my jersey Flegg side . Very slow , no muscle , just over weight , never lifted weights , being overweight doesn’t make you strong 💪. Hard work does, which he didn’t do . We got weighted weekly and lifted weights / sprint training etc . 50 push ups per drop ball / fines He should never been graded . Fact- he couldn’t pass a ball / catch a ball further than 5 metres away / terrible offloads. During Gibbs time at wests , their reserves were always last !!! Wests had zero forward depth (other than their stars like Donnelly / Boyd ) But Donnelly was inconsistent due to his epilepsy / not taking his meds and alcohol consumption . Gibbs - Wouldn’t make a park team in modern days . Too many dropped balls - too over weight . He was so slow, a current player would easily step him Rex Mossop in commentary once said, “this guy has issues with his hands. His hands are Not 1st grade standard “ Gibbs did score a opportunists try v many , he was confused at dummy half just slowly turned and lunged forward with hope . Weight got him over . But it was a try As a Wayne Smith / Masters fan I’ve watched every Wests game coached by masters on utube . Every game , Gibbs would just lumber and drop the ball Facts don’t care about feelings

[@cookiemonstercook7968]

He refers to Tommy as "The Kraut"!

[@StuartRyan-yi5ok]

Tommy wasn't a Kraut. He was actually from the Baltic states of Soviet Union. His father was a war hero.

[@greatwhitedrifter1211]

wests was always go out show no mercy,give there rival a good old bashing,footy how it should always be

[@CraigHopwood]

I wonder what he would think of today's game

[@CallsignEskimo-l3o]

There are only two football clubs in the world with swear words in their name: Arsenal and effin' Manly.

[@donbon4204]

TODAYS GAME IS SO SOFT PLAYERS COME OUT OUT ONTO THE FIELD COVERED IN TATTS WEARING THE TIGHT SHIRTS CHATTING TO THE OPPOSING TEAM BECAUSE THEY LIVE TOGETHER NOT ALLOWED TO THROW A PUNCH ON THE FIELD FUCKING BORING

[@waynebambury4323]

Tough, brutal, intimidating............ skillful, strategic and clever. Sloth is a great example of what Wests were in the mid 70's through to the early 80's. No team in the NSWRL competition in that period looked forward to a game at Lidcombe. A team that had Dorahy, Smith, O'Grady, Lamb, Cooper, Brown, the Legend Tommy, Dallas, Boyd et al new that if you didn't play hard and tough you would get steam rolled. If you didn't come prepared for expansive play from the Magpies they would burn you. Missing the absolute polish to turn them into premiership winners (Like Parra 81-83) but were a VERY strong club. When he game was dominated by very tough men, no one ever asked wee the Magpies tough.

[@joshlock4627]

Gibbs - He wouldn’t have made my jersey Flegg side . Too fat, too slow , couldn’t hold the ball . He was easily stepped around in defence . Wests lacked forward depth , so Gibbs was in 1st grade. Whilst Gibbs played - west reserves were regularly last Wouldn’t make a park team nowadays

[@donbon4204]

VIOLENT HAHAHA THE ONLT TIME TODAYS PLAYERS SEE VIOLENCE IS WHEN THEY BASH THEIR GFs/WIVES