Kurt Gidley

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Kurt Gidley
fullname = Kurt Gidley


imagesize = 97px
caption =
country =
position = rlp|FB|FE|HB|CE|HK
currentclub = leagueicon|Newcastle|size=16 Newcastle Knights
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1982|6|7
placeofbirth = Newcastle, New South Wales
countryofbirth = Australia
height = 5 ft 11 in (1.82 m)
weight = 13 st 10 lb (87 kg)
club1 = leagueicon|Newcastle Knights|16 Newcastle Knights
year1start = 2001
year1end = present
appearances1 = 132
tries1 = 55
goals1 = 164
fieldgoals1 = 4
points1 = 552
teamA = leagueicon|Country|16 Country Origin
yearAstart = 2004
yearAend = 2007
appearancesA = 3
triesA = 1
goalsA = 0
fieldgoalsA = 0
pointsA = 4
teamB = leagueicon|New South Wales|16 New South Wales
yearBstart = 2007
yearBend = present
appearancesB = 4
triesB = 0
goalsB = 0
fieldgoalsB = 0
pointsB = 0
teamC = leagueicon|Australia|16 Australia
yearCstart = 2007
yearCend = present
appearancesC = 2
triesC = 0
goalsC = 1
fieldgoalsC = 0
pointsC = 2
teamE = leagueicon|Australia|16px Prime Minister's XIII
yearEstart = 2007
yearEend =
appearancesE = 1
triesE = 0
goalsE = 0
fieldgoalsE = 0
pointsE = 0
updated = 30 August 2008
source = [http://203.166.101.37/NRL08/playercareer.asp?lplayer=110 NRL Stats] and [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Kurt_Gidley.html Rugby League Project]

Kurt Gidley is a five-eighth/fullback who plays for and captains the Newcastle Knights. He had a productive 2004 season (being 18th man for the NSW Blues), but missed most of season 2005 due to injury. He is the younger brother of Matthew Gidley. He has been recentley selected in the 2008 origin series shortly after a fractured cheekbone

In round 10 of the 2004 NRL season Gidley made history when he won the NRL's first ever golden point match by kicking the winning field goal after 3 minutes and 26 seconds of extra time. The Knights were without Andrew Johns for the season.

Kurt Gidley had a productive season in 2007. He scored multiple times for the Newcastle Knights as well as having done well at converting goals. He scored 15 points against the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He has also represented NSW in 2007 State of Origin

Gidley can be considered a hero for the Knights in the final round of the 2007 season. With scores level at 24-24, he kicked a penalty goal 12 seconds before fulltime to give the Knights a 26-24 victory over the Wests Tigers (who needed to win to book a finals spot), which also ended a 7 match losing streak and allowed Newcastle to avoid the wooden spoon.

Kurt Gidley capped a stellar season when he was named Player of the Year at the Newcastle Knights presentation at Wests Leagues Club last night.The 26-year-old was named in the Kangaroos squad at the start of the week to play in the World Cup which kicks off in Townsville on October 25 when England play Papua New Guinea. Kurt, the younger brother of former Knights star Matthew Gidley, was the stand-out player at the club this season as they finished ninth on the NRL ladder with 12 wins and 12 losses. Gidley led the scoring at the club with 150 points and also took the try-scoring award with nine tries. Regarded as one of the best utility players in the game, Gidley has also been appointed captain of the Knights next season, replacing England-bound hooker and club legend Danny Buderus

In August 2008, Gidley was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, [cite news|author=Liam FitzGibbon|publisher="Fox Sports News (Australia)"|title=Surprises in Kangaroos squad|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,24111780-23214,00.html|accessdate=2008-08-02|date=2008-08-01] cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/01/sports/AS-RGL-Australia-Squad.php|title=Veteran Lockyer named in Australian squad|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=2008-08-01|accessdate=2008-08-02] and in October 2008 he was selected in the final 24-man Australia squad.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7656211.stm|title=Manly six win Australia call-up|publisher=BBC|date=2008-10-07|accessdate=2008-10-07]

At the end of the 2008 NRL season, Gidley was named the Newcastle club's player of the year.

References

External Links

* [http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/Kurt_Gidley Newcastle Knights profile]