🐇 Jack Gibson, OAM | Rabbitohs Coach #17

Full Name: John Arthur Gibson
Nickname: Gibbo, Supercoach
Born: 27/2/1929 at Kiama, NSW
Died: 9/5/2008 at Waterfall, NSW [aged 79]
Club Playing Career: Easts Sydney 1953-61; Newtown 1962; Wests Sydney 1963-65
Representative Playing Career: NSW 1953-54; Probables 1954; City Seconds 1954; Sydney 1958
Club Coaching Career: Easts Sydney 1967-69 and 1974-76; St. George 1970-71; Newtown 1973; South Sydney 1978-79; Parramatta 1981-83; Cronulla-Sutherland 1985-87
Representative Coaching Career: City Origin 1989-90; NSW 1989-90
Awards and Accolades: Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) 1988; Australian Sports Medal 2000; Sydney Roosters Team of the Century (as coach) 2000; Sydney Roosters Centurions (as coach) 2007; Australian RL Team of the Century (as coach) 2008; NRL Hall of Fame 2024

Gibson is now renowned as one of the most revolutionary and legendary coach of the modern era. He travelled often to the United States and watched NFL teams at how they play and train. He was a huge fan of the legendary NFL coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, and was highly influenced by his coaching and management skills. He introduced a number of new coaching techniques and applications including video replays, skinfold testing, the use of weight machines and creating an overall program of rehabilitation and fitness conditioning, now referred to as a high-performance unit.

The St. George junior was graded by the senior club in 1950, where he played for the Dragons' third grade side in six games, scoring a try. The following season he joined a social side which played in the Eastern Suburbs A-Grade competition, called (Taylor’s) Celebrity Club. Gibson worked as a bouncer for Joe Taylor at the sly drinking and gambling outlet Thommo's Two-Up School, as well as other Sydney nightclubs that Taylor owned. He also fought as an amateur for the NSW boxing title, and played first grade cricket for the Waverley club in Sydney.

Easts graded him in 1953 where he made his first grade debut in round five against Wests, and showed good form to represent NSW against the American All Stars. The following year he represented City Seconds and NSW, but after experiencing some work troubles he was forced in the latter part of the season to move to Grenfell. He returned to Easts the following year and up until 1962 he went on to play 123 first grade games for the Tri-Colours, scoring 26 tries. In 1962 he played another twelve games for Newtown, scoring four tries, and between 1963-65 he turned out with the Wests Magpies, notching another 19 games and one try. He played in the famous 1963 grand final for the Magpies, who were beaten by the mighty Dragons side eight-points-to-three. The NRL trophy was inspired by the famous photo taken after the grand final ended where Norm Provan embraced Arthur Summons.

He began his coaching career in 1967 with Easts, who didn’t win a game the previous season, but under his guidance made the semi-finals (top four) in his two years as coach. In 1970-71 he coached St. George, who met the victorious Rabbitohs in the 1971 grand final, which was made famous for having a one-nil half-time score owing to the field goal being reduced to one point. He then coached Newtown in 1973, who went on to win the Wills Cup pre-season competition and made the preliminary final. He was enticed to return to Easts for his second stint and in his three years as coach he made an immediate impact at the club. The Roosters won back-to-back premierships in 1974-75 after 29 long years in the wilderness. They also won the Amco Cup in 1975.

After having a break for one season he signed a three-year deal to coach the Rabbitohs, and after winning the Craven Mild Cup pre-season competition in his first year things went downhill from there, with the club failing to qualify for the finals under his coaching. He left the club after his second year and returned in 1981 as coach of Parramatta, who have never won a premiership before. The Eels won three premierships-in-a-row to become the first club to achieve that feat since the great St. George side won eleven in-a-row. It was also Gibson’s fifth title as coach.

He finished his club coaching career with Cronulla in 1985-87, where he had a team without any big-names but did an admirable job at developing their vast junior talent. In 1989-90 he was appointed as coach of the NSW Blues Origin side who lost five successive games previously. In his first year the Blues suffered a humiliating three-nil whitewash against Queensland, but Gibson had his revenge in his second year when NSW won the series two-games-to-one.

In 1988, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), for services to Rugby League as a player and coach. In 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal, and in 2008 he was selected as coach of the Australian Team of the Century. He died in 2008, about 90 minutes before the historic Centenary Test match after a two-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and his death was announced by Peter Sterling during the telecast of the Test match.