Leigh Leopards signing Oliver Gildart opens up on Wayne Bennett snub
After being “wasted” by legendary coach Wayne Bennett in Australia, fired-up England centre Oliver Gildart aims to get his career back on track with Leigh.
He debuts for the high-flying Leopards against Leeds at Headingley on Sunday after a whirlwind few days. Ex-Wigan star Gildart, 26, beat the transfer deadline to join from NRL outfit the Dolphins on a short-team deal until the end of the season. It ends a difficult couple of years Down Under where he played for Wests Tigers, Sydney Roosters and Bennett’s new boys.
Gildart, of course, has signed a three-year deal with Hull KR - who Leigh face in Saturday’s Challenge Cup final - from 2024. He is ineligible to play at Wembley but insisted: “I don’t think I’d have played even if I could. I’ve a lot of respect for KR. It wouldn’t have been the right thing to do.
“It’d be great to play at Wembley and hopefully I can next year with Rovers. I can’t wait to get started there. But this Leigh situation happened last Friday and by Saturday I knew I was coming. I flew Monday and here I am. It made sense.”
Gildart answered an SOS from his ex-Wigan boss Adrian Lam after Leigh’s star centre Ricky Leutele suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. And he was happy to head home early after a frustrating time in Oz. Asked the main reasons for his troubles - Gildart didn’t play a single match for the Brisbane outfit - he replied: “A lack of opportunity.
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“Michael Maguire signed me at the Tigers and I played the first eight games under him last year. But then he got sacked and it was like I was invisible. I was just dropped. And left. It was quite disappointing. I went to Sydney Roosters and that was an unbelievable experience, the highlight of my Australia trip. Then I joined the Dolphins this year, thinking I could get a few games because Wayne (Bennett) had coached me for Great Britain and England.
Oliver Gildart (with ball) trains with his new Leigh Leopards team-mates (Leigh Leopards)“But I just didn’t get a look-in all year which was really disappointing. I’d just had enough. I felt I was being wasted out there and just wanted to come back home and get playing again.”
Gildart, who’d won two Grand Finals and a World Club Challenge with Wigan, couldn’t understand Bennett’s snub. He said: “I was really surprised. I was playing well in the (reserve grade) Queensland Cup and at one point Dolphins had a couple of injuries. But lads were getting picked who were on ‘train and trial’ deals. I had a ‘top 30’ contract…
“As soon as that happened I felt something wasn’t quite right. I just didn’t get a fair opportunity which was unfortunate but I’m hoping I can put it all behind me and get my career back on track in Super League.”
Oliver Gilkdart enjoyed better times in Sydney Roosters colours (Getty Images)Lam has selected a near-full strength squad despite being just six days out from Leigh’s first Wembley appearance in more than 50 years. Leeds are the opposite following Blake Austin’s surprise switch to Castleford and Richie Myler’s potentially season-ending foot injury.
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