Worth the Gamble: Broncos playmaker gets new contract

Tyson Gamble has two reasons to celebrate after sorting out his playing future on top of being named for his Broncos starting debut at five-eighth against the Eels on Friday night.

The 24-year-old former Wests Tigers playmaker is on a development list deal for just the 2020 season but has agreed to terms with the Broncos to join the top squad next year, with just the paperwork to be completed.

The Broncos have tried a suite of halves this year with Sean O’Sullivan and Brodie Croft failing to ignite the side as they slumped to 15th.

Five-eighth O’Sullivan was dropped following last Saturday's 18-6 loss to the Titans and was due to be replaced by Croft until he was knocked out at training on Tuesday.

Gamble’s former Redcliffe coach Adam Mogg said it was "about time" he got his chance to start after he was used as a bench dummy-half out of position in the 46-8 loss to the Storm in round 11.

He has started in just one NRL game when he partnered Luke Brooks for Wests Tigers in 2018 against the Raiders.

"He is a great kid and deserves an opportunity and I am really happy and excited for him," Mogg told NRL.com.

"I hope Tyson does himself and his family proud because he has earned this opportunity and should have had it weeks and weeks ago.

"I know the Broncos players have wanted him to be playing first grade for a long time and he was well respected at Redcliffe.

"He said to me, 'No one else can do anything for me now, it is all up to me’.

"I see him as a top 30 NRL player and he gets an opportunity to prove that. I can’t wait to see him play."

Gamble had an impressive 25 try assists in his 32 Intrust Super Cup games for the Dolphins which will come as no surprise to those who have watched him at Broncos training.

NRL.com noted from the start of pre-season how Gamble had one of the best long cut-out passes of any Brisbane playmaker and regularly hit his centres and wingers on the chest at speed.

He is also a noted competitor and Mogg said he was one of the best defensive five-eighths he had seen in the Intrust Super Cup and possessed a strong long kicking game.

A Redcliffe junior, he was signed by the Tigers in 2018 on a two-year deal before leaving mid-season in 2019 to rejoin the Dolphins. They were second last when he arrived but he inspired a remarkable recovery with the premiers reaching the second week of the finals.

"It is a credit to the kid. Not many Queensland kids like Sydney and he will be the first to tell you he went down too early," Mogg said.

"He wasn’t ready for it mentally but he was still playing good footy. He rang up and said, 'I want to come home and you don't have to pay me'.

"He always had the view if he came home and played for Redcliffe that he would get the opportunity to play for the Broncos.”

If he resembles any of the current NRL players in style it would be Canberra's Jack Wighton. Gamble is 189cm tall and weighs 97kg while Wighton is 189cm and 93kg.

"Tyson is a big body and I hope he gets his running game going because I have seen how good he can be when he does," Mogg, who played five seasons with the Raiders, said.

"Jack Wighton is one of the premium five-eighths in the game so I wouldn’t want to compare him and put pressure on Tyson, but what I will say is that he was the best five-eighth in the [Intrust Super Cup] competition and one of the best halves at the Broncos.

 "It is really his Broncos debut in the position that he plays. He doesn’t play hooker, I don’t know what was happening last time they played him there.

"Friday night  is all about him believing he can play at that level and that he has earned the right to be out there."