David 'Cement' Gillespie

Referee Career

Vital Statistics

Nickname(s)
Cement
Born
Sunday, 22nd March, 1964
Current Age
60 years and 7 days
Place Of Birth
Narromine, New South Wales, Australia

Known Family Links

Father
Arnold Gillespie

Biography

One of the hardest tacklers in the game (as his nickname ‘Cement’ implied) Gillespie’s career was built on his ability to tighten defences in the middle and to hit the defensive line. Gillespie came from Narromine to play for C’bury in the early 1980s with his mobility and crunching style of attack well-suited to the five-metre defensive rule. In 1986 he was a reserve in NSW's State of Origin team and was being touted as a possible Kangaroo tourist when a work-related injury resulted in the loss of a finger and kept him out of both the C’bury grand final side and the tour. After playing for Hunslet in England in 1987-88 Gillespie was a stand-out performer in C’bury's 1988 grand final win and was chosen as reserve forward for the World Cup final in NZ. Gillespie made his Test debut against France in 1990 and played three more Tests on the Kangaroo Tour before joining former C’bury coach Warren Ryan at Wests in 1991. Gillespie's high work-rate and ability to make the hard yards saw him play in all three Tests against NZ (1991) and Great Britain (1992) before he took his place in the World Cup squad at year's end. In 1993 he played in two Tests against NZ but was part of the fallout regarding Warren Ryan’s sacking at Wests and signed with Manly in 1994. Gillespie was dropped after NSW's first State of Origin loss that year and although he could not break back into the Australian Test team, the Super League war ultimately prolonged his career at both club and international level. In 1995, despite missing out on a place in NSW’s beaten State of Origin team, Gillespie was called into the Test team for the Trans Tasman series and celebrated Australia’s 3-0 whitewash with a try in the 46-10 Third Test victory. Despite being a member of the disappointing Manly pack outplayed in the 1995 grand final Gillespie was named in Australia’s World Cup squad at the end of the year. Manly gave the veteran forward one last premiership success with a win in the 1996 grand final but it was obvious that Gillespie’s play was not as suited to the quick-paced, 10 metre rule and he retired following Manly’s loss to Newcastle in the 1997 grand final. In 2001 he linked with long-time friend Terry Lamb as skills coach with the W’Tigers. Later, he joined the Sydney Roosters under coach Ricky Stuart.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Referee Career Statistics

All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Your Say

  • adrian whitkirk hawk
    03/01/2014

    one of the hardest tacklers i have ever seen remember his 1st game for hunslet at cas in the yorkshire cup when he had a right dind dong against kevin ward it was hard but fair with no quarter given i think is season in england helped his attacking play as well where defences where not as strong

  • Anonymous
    25/04/2019

    Champion guy champion player

  • Anonymous
    26/04/2019

    Top bloke champion player would have made a good coach if he was not a wharfie

  • GNH
    09/01/2020

    The nickname says it all

  • Want to have your say about this player? Add a comment.

Contributions: Paul Carter, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, AJ Lucantonio, Alan Katzmann, Steven Russo, Max Turner, Bill Bates

Sources: ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1997, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1996, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1998, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1989-90, Match Video, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1987-88, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1988-89, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1990-91, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1991-92, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1992-93, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1994, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1995, Irvin Saxton's Record Keepers' Club, Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1988-89, Newspapers