Campagnolo has eye on halfback’s jersey
JACK Campagnolo is hoping to fill the boots of Jake Clifford and lead the Northern Pride to another finals campaign.
The young halfback played mostly under-20s for the Pride this year, but showed in his eight matches that he’s first grade standard.
Campagnolo returned to play finals for the Pride’s Colts team, but missed the preliminary final due to a knee injury.
He was seen sporting a bandage on his knee after undergoing arthroscopic surgery, but expects to be up and running for pre-season training.
The 20-year-old said his goal for 2019 was to secure a permanent spot in the team.
“I’ll play anywhere I can fit,” he said. “If Cliffo doesn’t come back I’ll be putting my hand up to play in that No.7 jersey.”
Campagnolo admitted that he had been approached by other clubs.
“I just recently signed with a manager and we were talking to a few people but (the Pride) was always at the top of my list,” he said. “I think I said to Ty (Williams) that it would be a hard decision to play for anyone else. I was born and bred up here so it was a pretty easy decision to re-sign.”
Williams had been keen to sign the talented halfback, not only for his ability with the ball, but his strong kicking.
In eight games, Campagnolo scored just two tries, but kicked 22 goals for the Pride.
He also averaged 185m with his in-play kicking game.
“He’s going to be a strong player for us and he has a positive future. He could be an NRL player,” Williams said.
Campagnolo was yesterday one of four players announced as re-singing with the Pride.
Five-eighth Jordan BiondiOdo and big men Will Bugden and David Murphy will also return to the club in 2019.
Williams said re-signing the key forwards meant the Pride would maintain its reputation as having “the best forward pack in the competition”.
Bugden said hearing that from the coach was a great compliment.
“Everyone in our forward pack works very hard. Whether it’s half an hour before training working on our skills or after training,” he said.
“We seem to work for each other, more than I’ve experience at other clubs. It’s very important to work together as a team.”
Bugden said he was always going to stay at the Pride, as long as a contract was tabled. “I was pretty happy here. I don’t have a manager. When clubs did speak to me I was pretty standoffish. I just gave them my email,” he said.
Bugden said he considered himself a leader at the club.
“When Sheldon PoweHobbs missed some games at the start of the season I was the oldest front rower and I had a taste of leadership,” the 25year-old said. “Now I’m starting to look like one of the oldest blokes at the club.”
Murphy said he was rapt to re-sign and was keen to play more minutes in 2019 after battling a foot injury this year.