I have the stock Gila on my Hardrock sport '04. They're not anything amazing, but I've not had problems with mine- yet anyway. I ride on some pretty rugged trails, and it DOES perfrorm heaps and bounds better than my steel rigid bike I used to ride a few years beck before it got stolen. At least my hands aren't as numb with the Gila's like they got with rigid forks.
They're not impressive that's for sure, but I do think they're better than nothing on rough trails.
I wouldn't do big drops, DH, freeride on those.. at least not on big drops anyway.