Jayden Campbell in line for bigger Gold Coast Titans role after major injury scares
In the aftermath of a brave loss which cost them two of their biggest stars, the Titans may be forced to go back to the future to fill the void.
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Life as a utility could be over for Titans gun Jayden Campbell, with two of his side’s biggest stars facing extended stints in the casualty ward.
While Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook declared the 23-year-old’s best fit was off the pine at this stage, Campbell could be thrust into the starting line up after fullback AJ Brimson and five-eighth Kieran Foran barely lasted the opening quarter in the 24-12 defeat to the Cowboys.
Premiership winner Foran left the field with a calf concern 23 minutes in, with Brimson following him shortly after clutching his hamstring to put a serious dent in the Titans’ attacking arsenal.
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Plenty of bravery epitomised the Glitter Strip’s efforts in Townsville, with a Valentine Holmes intercept and fortuitous Tom Chester try the difference at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Campbell entered the fray when Foran was removed; finishing with 141m from just 10 runs to go with six tackle busts and a linebreak.
The son of club great Preston has shone at fullback in the past, but with Brimson proving his best form comes in the number one jumper he has been kept on the interchange in 2023.
While Campbell comes off contract at the end of 2024, Holbrook has been adamant there is a long-term future for him on the Gold Coast — Foran’s end of contract at the same time potentially opening the door for a career run in the top 13.
However while now the Titans mentor’s hand may be forced, he declared at full strength the live wire outside back was perfectly suited to his role off the bench at this stage.
“I think we’re OK with that, I think he’s still learning and he’s getting a lot of experience and learning off some good guys,” Holbrook said.
“For this point in his career he’s happy to play this role and so are we. He’s got that real x-factor and now he can play anywhere in the backline which is good.
“He’s happy to play anywhere so it’s the right fit for the team and JC at the moment.”
Titans halfback Tanah Boyd agreed Campbell had proven to be an ideal number 14 for the club, and declared him as the figure every premiership threat needed.
He said from what he had seen his teammate had shown no signs of frustration at being kept on the bench and was revelling in his role as super sub.
“Definitely coming in when things are getting fatigued, JC we know how he plays; he’s so electric on his feet and can skittle guys,” Boyd said.
“In those patches of the games I think that’s when we can get him on because he’s just so electric and can put points on like that.
“I think that’s where he’s best suited for us at the moment. At the moment he seems pretty content, that’s what I love about JC — he’s just for the team and he’s not kicking stones at the moment which is good for us.
“That’s what you want; in successful clubs and teams if someone goes down … he slotted straight in that’s what you need.”
The Gold Coast’s bye round next week could present the ideal chance for Brimson and Foran to recover depending on the severity of their injuries.
However while Campbell will come into the side for Brimson should the one-time Origin star be ruled out, the rejuvenated running game of Toby Sexton could be given the chance to shine.
Sexton was lauded as the Titans’ long-term halfback when Jamal Fogarty was released to the Canberra Raiders, but suffered the brutal blow of the selection axe last year at the end of a 10-game losing streak.
Since returning to the Tweed Seagulls in the Queensland Cup, the 22-year-old has been encouraged to add greater aggression with the ball in hand to his repertoire.
Thus far the fruits of that have shown, with Sexton running for 135m in last week’s win against the Clydesdales before scoring a crucial try and running for 86m in a 32-26 win over Norths Devils on Saturday.
Rookie Tom Weaver was also in the thick of it, finishing with four try assists and four linebreak assists at five-eighth.
Holbrook said the loss of both Brimson and Foran was ultimately the deal breaker in North Queensland, and he expected his stars to be sidelined for some time.
“To have to deal with that for 60 minutes was really tough, and it probably was the difference in the end, but so much to be proud of,” he said.
“As for how bad (the injuries are) I’m not too sure yet, but they’re never easy injuries to come back from in a short time.
“We could’ve handled it with one down, but two made it very hard for Tanah and JC.”
“It was very tough, but I thought the boys who were out of position did a good job,” Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui added.
“Erin (Clark) is a middle and he’s playing in the halves. The effort was there from all the boys, I was proud of them for that.”
Revealed: Alarming numbers that expose Titans’ Taumalolo problem (March 23)
“You’ve just got to say his name and it speaks for itself.”
Titans star David Fifita knows all too well Jason Taumalolo cannot be kept down for long, expecting the man whose name has become synonymous with the Cowboys success to be on a redemption mission.
While Fifita was celebrating a triumph over Melbourne, having fought through temperatures which surpassed 40C at Cbus Super Stadium, his Tongan teammate and the rest of the North Queensland pack were being outgunned by a gutsy Warriors outfit.
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No Cowboys forward reached 100 running metres, with Taumalolo’s 92m the pick of the bunch but significantly below his lofty standards (161m a game since 2014).
Only nine times in his past 60 NRL appearances has the powerhouse lock failed to reach triple figures with the ball in hand.
Fifita, meanwhile, proved more than capable of performing in the heat he expects to be welcomed with in Townsville, making 22 tackles for no misses on his edge.
But despite last year’s preliminary finalist’s lacklustre start to the season — a one-point win over Canberra their only triumph — the Gold Coast’s marquee man is bracing for his World Cup teammate to come out with a point to prove.
“They all will be,” Fifita said when asked if his Tonga captain would be on a mission to make a palpable impact come Saturday.
“Jase is Jase, you’ve just got to say his name and it speaks for itself. He’s a good player, a good leader, and not just (him) but their whole squad.
“Look at what they did last year … they’re a great team and we’ll be ready for them. It’s their home crowd, their home stand, for us we just need to worry about ourselves and worry about our job individually.
“It’s going to be real hard up there, real muggy, but we’re used to it.”
While Taumalolo has averaged just 51 minutes a game in 2023, his least since 2015, he could be called on to shoulder an even greater burden in the absence of Reuben Cotter.
The 24-year-old Maroons star, whose move from back up hooker to starting prop was a revelation last year, has been sidelined with a meniscus injury which is expected to keep him out for two to four weeks.
However Taumalolo has proven that when it comes to taking on the Gold Coast, he is a different beast.
In his 11 clashes against the club since lifting the 2015 premiership trophy, the 29-year-old has averaged 178m and four tackle busts a game.
Titans prop Moeaki Fotuaika, another Tonga engine room ally of Taumalolo’s at the World Cup, said there was no use attempting to deprive him of opportunities to shine.
Instead it was a matter of containing the Cowboys co-captain, a feat they had struggled to achieve in the past seven years.
“I think you can’t stop him completely because he’s just a great player. The main thing for us is just trying to contain him, whenever he does get the ball,” Fotuaika said.
“We do know that we’re not going to stop him because he’s obviously a great player, but we’ll just try and contain him.
“For them missing out on Cotter will be bad for them, but the Cowboys have a great forward around the whole team so whoever steps in that team is going to do a good job for them.
“Obviously he’s a great player, he’s a big part of their team and he’s been a big part of their team for a while now. We will obviously have our hands full trying to contain him, as well as the whole forward pack, so it’ll be a great challenge for us.
“He knows what brings the best out of him.”
TAUMALOLO VS TITANS SINCE 2016
Round 26, 2016: 161m, two linebreaks, three tackle busts (32-16 Cowboys)
Round 13, 2017: 222m, one linebreak, four tackle busts, three offloads (20-8 Cowboys)
Round 7, 2018: 151m, one linebreak, four tackle busts, two offloads (26-14 Cowboys)
Round 25, 2018: 141m, one linebreak, two tackle busts, one offload (30-26 Cowboys)
Round 8, 2019: 211m, one linebreak, three tackle busts (28-14 Cowboys)
Round 12, 2019: 194m, one linebreak, nine tackle busts, four offloads (6-4 Cowboys)
Round 3, 2020: 272m, one linebreak, six tackle busts (36-6 Cowboys)
Round 13, 2020: 170m, one linebreak, six tackle busts (10-30 Titans)
Round 21, 2021: 104m, one tackle bust (14-36 Titans)
Round 7, 2022: 144m, three tackle busts, two offloads (30-4 Cowboys)
Round 13, 2022: 189m, five tackle busts, three offloads (32-6 Cowboys)
TOTAL AVERAGE OUTPUT SINCE 2016 PER GAME: 167.5m, 3.42 tackle busts, 0.94 offloads
AVERAGE OUTPUT VS TITANS SINCE 2016: 178.09m, 4.18 tackle busts, 1.36 offloads
TITANS RECRUIT’S INJURY VERDICT REVEALED (March 19)
Star Titans recruit Sam Verrills could be sidelined for several months, as coach Justin Holbrook revealed the hooker would undergo surgery on Monday to repair a broken collarbone.
Speaking after his side’s 38-34 triumph over the Melbourne Storm on Saturday, Holbrook was questioned over the imminent availability of the former Roosters premiership winner.
Verrills left the field in the 49th minute against St. George-Illawarra with what Holbrook described as “a burner in his shoulder”.
However the club confirmed the broken collarbone which ultimately ruled him out of the Round Three clash at home was unrelated.
When asked if the injury could rule the 24-year-old out for “months”, Holbrook confirmed that could be a possibility.
But after a 2022 campaign plagued by a lack of depth at dummy-half — with forwards Erin Clark, Sam McIntyre and even Jarrod Wallace taking the jumper at times — another recruit in Chris Randall has proven to be a key inclusion.
And his new mentor was full of praise for his efforts; finishing with 22 tackles and 31m from three runs in sweltering temperatures that pushed beyond 30C.
“I think he gets surgery on Monday, I’d say it will be a few,” Holbrook said of Verrills.
“(But) Chris Randall was enormous for us; to have to start at nine and play 70-something minutes in those conditions was enormous.
“There’s a lot to like about how the boys played today.”
Despite a calamity of errors between the two sides — 27 in total — the Titans attack clicked into gear to surprise one of the powerhouse outfits of the NRL.
Speedster Alofiana Khan-Pereira has taken his try scoring exploits from the Burleigh Bears into his maiden first-grade season, running in two tries in the opening stanza.
An eight minute blitz either side of halftime then got the Gold Coast on front foot, with Brian Kelly’s try in the shadows of the break kickstarting the procession.
A pair of Melbourne errors early in the second half led to tries for returning forward Jo Vuna and centre Aaron Schoupp, with Schoupp scoring his double late in the contest to take the game away from the Storm.
Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was all smiles post-game, despite an impressive trickle of blood running down his nose following a heavy hit by Elisea Katoa which resulted in a HIA assessment.
However while the Maroons enforcer, who still played 65 minutes for 127m and 21 tackles, believed it could be a break he declared himself fit for this week’s clash against the North Queensland Cowboys.
“I think so,” Fa’asuamaleaui said when asked if the nose was broken.
“He got me good but that’s footy … I’ll be right for next week.”
Marquee recruit Kieran Foran was seen late in the first half seemingly blasting the Titans trainers, fuming at being taken from the field as halfback Tanah Boyd return from a HIA.
While Holbrook confirmed it was purely a matter of the heat at Cbus Super Stadium to ensure the fresh Jayden Campbell was not immediately sent back to the interchange, it did beg the question just how does he use his livewire number 14?
Campbell jumped into the halves while Boyd was off, before shifting to the centres in the second half upon Foran’s return.
The 23-year-old, who comes off contract in 2024 and will be free to negotiate with rivals from November 1, has showcased plenty of promise at fullback; averaging 130m and five tackle busts a game last season.
But with AJ Brimson claiming the number one jumper, where Campbell fits into the starting side long-term remains to be seen.
Holbrook admitted where to play the youngster was a constant dilemma, and a desire to keep him on the field in addition to the conditions was behind Foran’s shock first half benching.
“Foz is such a competitor, he wants to play 80 minutes and so he should. If it’s an eight o’clock game at night and 20-odd degrees he stays on there, but in those conditions and with Jayden Campbell I thought he was going to have a big impact for us,” he said.
“Tanah had to go off for 15 minutes, and honestly in those conditions it was 30-something (degrees) and you go in the middle of our stadium it’s probably 40.
“I didn’t want to get JC straight off then, so on a day like today I was going to need his experience at the back end of the game.
“It’s always hard when you’ve got Jayden Campbell on the bench: where does he play and for how long? He just had an opportunity today and in those conditions I thought it really suited him.
“It was more to keep JC on the field.”
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