Dolphins power packet forward Tom Gilbert has revealed he is chasing a Round 1 return, and has had conversations with new coach Kristian Woolf over exactly what that will look like.
The Queensland representative forward has not played a game in the NRL since the 2023 Origin period, where he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
His return was set for Round 1 in 2024, but he would go on to injure his ACL during a pre-season trial clash in Auckland against the New Zealand Warriors.
That ended his 2024 season on the spot before it began, and he would then have surgery delayed after suffering a blood clot on the flight home.
But Gilbert is now back at training and revealed to the media this week that he has his eyes set on a meeting with former coach Wayne Bennett, who has been drawn to go straight back to the well against his own club in a Round 1 blockbuster at Suncorp Stadium.
“I know he loves it and they're going to be an exciting club next year Souths, so I think that'll be a real good benchmark for us to start the season off and no doubt Wayne will have a quality side firing come Round 1, so it's really good for us and it's something I am excited for," Gilbert said at a press conference.
“But I can't look too far down the track, I've got a lot of things to get right and I'm really excited to just do that at the moment.”
Where Gilbert fits back into the Dolphins in 2025 is anyone's guess.
Able to play on the edge (as he has done at Origin level), or in the middle at lock forward, it will come down to where he best fits for the Dolphins.
During his 2024 absence, Max Plath had a breakout year at lock, and that, combined with ageing players in the second-row, could see him shift out wide.
Gilbert revealed little, but said there is a plan in place.
“Woolfy's (coach Kristian Woolf) sat down with me and we've come up with a little plan about all those kinds of things," Gilbert said.
“I'm just really looking forward to playing first grade and I'm really looking forward to playing with Max, I haven't played any footy with him and the year he came off last year and the type of person he is, I can't wait to play with him because I think he's going to make me a better player and I'm really excited for that opportunity.
“We've got a plan and it's not a complicated plan. It's quite simple, (but) the thing about that is it's quite far away for me anyhow; getting things right, day-to-day training, going back and playing at a level, you need to go earn that, and I know for a fact that I'm not going to walk back into any jersey or this side."
The revelations from Gilbert came as Queensland legend Corey Parker backed the forward in to take over the captaincy vacated by Jesse Bromwich, who retired at the end of the 2024 NRL season.
“He is an extremely great leader,” Parker said on SEN Radio's Pat and Heals.
“I had the pleasure of coaching Tom Gilbert in the Queensland 18s a number of years ago. He has some great leadership qualities, aside from his playing ability, he just doesn't know any other way but to compete hard.
“They're yet to decide on a captain for that club, obviously Kristian Woolf new coach, I think Tom Gilbert fits that mould.”