THERE was a time when Oliver Gildart was one of the highest-rated Super League players in the league.
A brilliant threat out wide for the Wigan Warriors, Gildart made 129 appearances for the Lancashire club during a seven-year period before switching the UK for the sunny Australian shores.
Signing a two-year deal with the Wests Tigers, Gildart started under former head coach Michael Maguire only to lose his position eight games in – something which he failed to recover from in 2022.
Midway through the year, the Sydney Roosters took a punt on the 26-year-old, hoping to reignite the form that made him one of the most dangerous running threats in Super League.
Unfortunately, Gildart played just two games before ultimately returning to Wests following that loan spell.
It also has to be remembered that Gildart had been linked with a move to the Leeds Rhinos before signing a loan deal at Sydney.
And he has now been released from his contract with Wests CEO Justin Pascoe, stating:
“We were all excited for Oliver after he made the big decision to move to the other side of the world,” Pascoe said.
“He was always positive and well respected within the group, and it was a privilege to be able to share his NRL debut with his family here in Australia.
“We wish Oliver the very best with his career going forward and thank him for his efforts during his time with us.”
In terms of a potential move back to Super League, there would be a number of clubs interested in signing Gildart – if, of course, their salary cap allows it.
