Gun flyhalf Jude Gibbs and breakout backrower Ed Timpson are expected to miss the majority of Northern Suburbs’ 2025 Shute Shield campaign.

But most fans at North Sydney Oval couldn’t be happier about it.

After leading the Shoremen to the club’s second straight first grade grand final, Gibbs picked up his first professional contract with the Queensland Reds late last year, while Timpson was called up to play with the Bristol Bears.

“Last year didn’t end the way we wanted but we’ve been fairly consistent for a number of years now and after each season we’ve had five or six of our best players progress on to professional opportunities or retire,” returning first grade coach Zak Beer told Rugby News.

“So far, we’ve managed each year to fill the void those players left with either young guys pushing up from our lower grades, or with older players that have seen what we’ve been doing here and asked to join us from other clubs and we’re hoping we can do the same again in 2025.”

Still only 23, Gibbs has featured across the Shute Shield since finishing school but took his game to a new level in recent years at Northern Suburbs.