27-year-old Gehamat Shibasaki woke late on Sunday night to a call from Billy Slater, informing the Broncos centre he’ll be running on for the Queensland Maroons in just over a week’s time.

Like most things in Shibasaki’s career, this came fast, playing full-time for just four months at the Brisbane Broncos on a train and trial contract.

“I’m still on a development deal, and obviously I have a lot to prove, I just want to go out there and play my best footy,” Shibasaki said on Tuesday.

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“Four months ago I didn’t have a contract, I was just scraping through the pre-season and trying to get fit, but I kept working hard.”

Hard work is seemingly a running theme for Shibasaki, who started his career as a rookie sensation for the Brisbane Broncos back in 2018.

He managed just 12 appearances for the club across the two years before being moved on to the Newcastle Knights for the 2020-2021 season.

After being cycled through seven clubs, Shibasaki is determined to focus on his own game. Credit: AAP

The young players time at the Knights showed a similar theme and after just 14 games across two seasons he was eventually released.

2022 and 2023 saw Shibasaki try his hand at rugby union in Japan before returning to Australia on a one-year deal for The Cowboys, playing just two games before being released.

Aging, Shibasaki played for the Townsville Blackhawks, and then the Rabbitohs for an all too familiar, one game and a release.

In 2025 he was thrown a lifeline by his original club, the Brisbane Broncos.

That’s seven clubs, seven years, and the twilight of this NRL players erratic career fast approaching.

With the odds now overwhelmingly against the centre, it begs the question: what did Slater see that coaches from around the world couldn’t?

Shibasaki admitted himself he was happy working a job away from the field and playing rugby league for the Blackhawks on the side.

“The pressure of being in the NRL, I didn’t feel like going through that again,” he said.

That was until his current teammate, Patrick Carrigan, made a trip up north, Shibasaki said that the conversations they had “lit the fire … and I thought far out, I can really back myself.”

Shibasaki has now played every game for the Broncos this year, is the equal second try scorer, equal eighth in line breaks and ranks in the top 15 tackle busters in the NRL for the 2025 season.

Gehamat Shibasaki lit the fire

However, the job is far from finished, with State of Origin Game 3 being played in New South Wales, the pressure will be on for Slater’s Maroons.

Eyes will be fixed on the two inexperienced Queensland centres Gehamat Shibasaki and Robert Toia.

Toia himself had only made ten appearances before being selected in game one, making him the second least experienced NRL player to field in Origin history.

With just two State level appearances between them, many are speculating that Slater’s centres could be the weak link that will get the seasoned Blue’s over the line.

In direct opposition, New South Wales centres Latrell Mitchell and Stephen Chrichton boast an intimidating 21 games between them.

However, Shibasaki assured Queenslanders he was focusing on his own game.

“I’m prepared, I’ve worked hard, even through the pre-season … I’m ready.”