TITANS TELL STAR BEAR TO EXIT IN FAVOUR OF JOINING RIVAL:
JAYDEN Campbell has been told to cut ties with the Burleigh Bears in favour of Intrust Super Cup rivals Tweed Seagulls as the Gold Coast Titans position the rising star for a starting spot at fullback in the top grade.
Campbell, the son of Titans great Preston Campbell, has played at Burleigh for the past three seasons, including stints in the Mal Meninga Cup and in the Bears’ Rugby League Gold Coast A-Grade side last year.
The Titans have yet to release their player allocations to feeder clubs Burleigh and Tweed, however Bears president Damian Driscoll said Campbell, 21, had been aligned with Tweed for the upcoming Intrust Super Cup season.
“He’s been allocated to Tweed. Not sure they’ve officially released but it’s no secret. I’m sure Jayden has been told,” he said.
Driscoll said part of the reason Campbell had been sent to play with the Seagulls was the presence of incumbent Bears fullback Kurtis Rowe, who remains one of the premiere number ones in the Intrust Super Cup competition and would be tough to displace.
Rowe, 27, scored 15 tries in Burleigh’s 2019 premiershipwinning season and has 59 tries in 90 games for the Bears.
“Jayden has been at our club three years and made some great mates,” Driscoll said.
“I’m sure he didn’t want to leave but Kurtis Rowe won a grand final as player of the match (and) could have been in 2016 as well.
“(Rowe) has earned the right to be our fullback and the Titans want Jayden to play fullback. That’s his pathway. Part of our role (as a feeder club) is that players might have to move to other feeder clubs.”
Tweed’s main options at fullback include Lindon McGrady and Talor Walters, both nailed-on starters who are capable of playing in multiple positions, which would free up Campbell to start at the back.
Campbell’s first minutes opposed to the Bears came on Friday night, when he lined up at fullback for the Titans in the pre-season trial against Burleigh at Pizzey Park.
Though the speedster was not among the tries in the 36-34 loss to the Bears, his class shone through and he did enough to draw praise from Titans coach Justin Holbrook after the match.
“We’d take him back 100 per cent if that was ever an option,” Driscoll said.
“He’s still in the players’ WhatsApp group chat – he hasn’t been kicked out (of that yet) and he’s very popular with the boys.
“He’s a talented player and he’s never been a problem.
“We’ll miss him but understand that he needs to play regularly at fullback at the top level and he’ll have a better chance at Tweed than Burleigh, based on our depth.”