Titans fullback Jayden Campbell knows there will be a tough battle heading into next season - but the livewire second-generation star is ready to face it head-on.
The 23-year-old has been a shining light for the club in recent seasons, crossing for 14 tries in 43 appearances and adding plenty of spark to the Gold Coast attack.
However, despite clearly showing enough to wear the No.1 jumper on a permanent basis, Campbell has been stuck behind the dynamic AJ Brimson for the early stages of his NRL career.
With a new coach Des Hasler arriving, as well as the emergence of rookie phenom Keano Kini, there will be plenty of competition for the highly-coveted role and Campbell is certainly in the mix.
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Jayden Campbell ready for Titans fullback battle in 2024
In an exclusive interview with The Sporting News/YKTR's EBBS AND FLOWS, Campbell opened up on the tussle for the fullback position and the potential influence of Hasler in the coming seasons.
“I’ve had a few conversations with him… I’m excited but scared," he said.
"I’m excited to learn off Dessy, he’s obviously been with Brett Stewart and Tommy Turbo, really good fullbacks, so hopefully I can pick up a few tips off him and make my game better.
“It’s a tough one, AJ is one of my good mates and he is a freak at fullback. Every time he plays fullback, he is always creating something. For myself, growing up I played a few different positions, but fullback was always my best.
"I would like to play fullback but at the same time, we’ve got AJ there and even Keano Kini coming through, he’s a freak and can run the ball so well.
"I’m not too sure where it lies… as long as me and him are on the field at the same time, I’m happy."
Campbell had been linked with a move to Sydney earlier in the year, but instead opted to commit long-term with the Titans and fight for his spot in the lineup.
And while the fleet-footed son of Preston Campbell now has contractual security, there's no denying there will need to be some changes to his body and his football this pre-season.
“There’s always room for improvement everywhere," he said.
"For me, it’s probably just details and where to be on the field, in defence and attacking wise. I’m not the best tackler, but I’ll try to get in front… it’s the details, getting my splits right.
"I remember when I first started to play, I wasn’t too loud and I would just be pointing. Last year, I started to pick up and spray blokes and swear at them if they weren’t there.
“I’d like to get a little bit bigger and get a little bit more strength… weight for me doesn’t bother me too much.
"I just want to keep getting my body as good as I can. This year we focused on leg strength a little bit more and I could tell the difference when I was running the ball, I was breaking a few more tackles."
Jayden Campbell 2023 NRL stats
| Games | 22 |
| Tries | 5 |
| Try Assists | 3 |
| Linebreaks | 11 |
| Tackle Breaks | 70 |
| Avg. Run Metres | 118m |
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