Hampton an eager student on the field

MATTHEW ELKERTON COWBOYS winger Ben Hampton will have his nose to the ground tonight as the utility goes hunting around the middle of the park.

Only four games into a stint on the left wing, the utility said he was always looking for ways to improve his game.

And the main one on his mind was involvement.

Mareeba product Hampton has studied some of the greatest wingers in the game, including his opposite number tonight, Parramatta’s Blake Ferguson, and believed their better qualities included a penchant for finding the ball all over the field.

“I am still learning a fair bit on the wing. I think I am only four games in on the wing and I am always looking to improve. No matter what position I play, I am always looking to improve,” Hampton said.

“Maybe my involvement, and getting a little bit more ball. Going into the middle and sniffing around like I used to when I was coming off the bench. I think that would help my game, it is what I would like to add to it.

“A guy like Blakey, he does it really well. He just sniffs around there and when he does get the football he is pretty hard to stop. He is a guy I will be looking out for this weekend.”

Across his 90-game NRL career Hampton has played in almost every backline position, but wing was a brand new ball game when he was shifted to the edge against former club Melbourne Storm back in Round 5.

But he turned to the man who had made the wing his own with the Cowboys, injured winger Kyle Feldt, to learn as much as he could.

Feldt has since returned to the field with a solid performance against South Sydney last weekend, and Hampton said it had helped his confidence in the role skyrocket.

“I wouldn’t say (I was) shocked. I have been told I am playing here, and here, and there all over my career. I am sort of used to it now,” Hampton said.

“But wing, I never played much wing growing up, none at all actually. So I sat down with Greeny, the coaching staff and also Feldty when he was out for a bit there and got a few pointers off all those guys.

“Feldty was a big help to me, he is a great player and he told me a few things I should concentrate on and get right.

“He has a really strong carry of the footy and is really good defensively on the edge.’’