HAMPTON THRIVING IN CENTR AL ROLE
COWBOYS utility Ben Hampton never pictured himself playing in the centres during the preseason, but he’s fast making himself indispensable as a backline weapon.
The Mareeba product has filled in everywhere from hooker to five- eighth to fullback in his 33 games for the Cowboys and he started this season in the No. 1 jersey in place of the injured Lachlan Coote.
But Hampton has played his best football since shifting to the three- quarter line, scoring two tries in his past two games which has seen the former bench utility finally lock down a starting spot.
Coach Paul Green has praised Hampton’s energy and enthusiasm during North Queensland’s five- game slump and the man himself felt that support had showed in his per- formances, with a career- best 104 run metres per game along with three tries, five linebreaks, and 29 tackles busts.
“I’ve definitely felt a lot more confident and I think that’s come back to the coaches just helping me play to my strength, which is my running game,” Hampton said.
“I get to run off players like ‘ Morgs’ ( Michael Morgan) and big ‘ Hessy’ ( Coen Hess) and ‘ Feldty’ ( Kyle Feldt) is outside me. To be able to play on an edge like that is pretty unreal.
“I never saw myself playing in the centres at the start of the year to be honest and I’ve got a lot to learn. I’ve only played there a handful of times in the past, but I feel really confident at the moment.
“With a bit more training and a couple more games under my belt there I definitely feel like I could make it a bit more of a permanent spot.”
Hampton said it had been tough to enjoy his own good form with the Cowboys failing to fire as a team, but he believed they were in a much better place as they prepare to tackle the Raiders tonight.
“I think we’d been building for a couple of weeks. We seemed to get a couple of things right each game, but we just couldn’t put the 80 minutes together,” Hampton said.
“You can be happy with your personal performance, but it’s a team sport and we’re a really close- knit group. Unless we’re all playing well you don’t really notice it.”
Hampton admits he’s still not sure if his future lies in the centres, but the versatile footballer is happy to play anywhere to keep his Cowboys jersey.
“As long as I can be in that 17 somewhere and be playing for the Cowboys, I don’t really mind,” Hampton said.