2 Gehamat Shibasaki

Gehamat Shibasaki’s rapid rise to rugby league stardom in 2025 had its roots in a single Broncos appearance six years earlier.

What followed were challenging, injury-disrupted seasons where he managed only a handful of NRL games across stints with the Knights, Cowboys and Rabbitohs.

By the time he returned to Townsville, he found himself at a career crossroads – working as a mentor for young people and playing for the Blackhawks in the Queensland Cup.

Everything changed after a heartfelt conversation with Broncos teammate Pat Carrigan, which reignited Shibasaki’s belief and pushed him to give his NRL dream one last shot.

Starting 2025 on a train-and-trial deal, the outside back produced a breakout season, finishing with 18 tries, 24 linebreaks, six try assists and an average of 155 run metres per game.

His remarkable year culminated in an NRL Premiership, a State of Origin series win for Queensland, and an Ashes triumph with the Australian Kangaroos.