AS HAMPTON HEARS WHISPERS

er – look at what he is doing at the Rabbits and what he has done over his career. He is a great half.

“This is my third game in the halves in four or five years, and a guy like Adam coming up here and if I was lucky to stay here, I would learn from him as well.

“He is an organising half and has a great kicking game, he has all the skill sets I am working on myself.

“The way he manages a game and his fifth tackle options are out of this world. He is a great player, I would love having him up here.”

While Hampton might be deep in the fight for his career, there are areas the halfback needs to improve.

He struggled to find the right last-tackle options against the Bulldogs, with a deft kick for Kyle Feldt’s first try a rare shining light off the boot.

Payten openly criticised his halves pairing’s decisionmaking in the second half as they were attempting to put the game to bed.

His defensive work has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after the Cowboys’ right edge was torn apart by the Sharks a fortnight ago.

Hampton admits the Cowboys need improvement coming out of the Bulldogs win if they are to compete over a tough four-week stretch which includes games against the Raiders, a resurgent Warriors and the Broncos.

“We can be happy (with

The Cowboys’ Mr Fix-it Ben Hampton has pledged to make the most of his opportunity to be the side’s chief playmaker. Pictures: ALIX SWEENEY the win) but we also have a lot to work on. The last couple of weeks we have only played 40 minutes of footy,” he said.

“We started well in the first half and I thought we ended the game well. But it was that lapse in the middle, that half an hour in the middle where we are really struggling.

“Our mindset is just not right at the moment, it is what we need to work on.

“I don’t think it is fatigue, it is something to do with our attitude and mindset.”