Questions were raised when the Campbell-AJ Brimson halves combination was confirmed that the Titans would lack the game management to reach the finals for just the third time since 2010.
But Campbell, who sits equal sixth on the Dally M leaderboard, has thrived behind the forward pack, with skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s comeback from a ruptured ACL igniting their premiership cause.
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui scores for the Gold Coast Titans against the Sydney Roosters.Credit: NRL Photos
Scoring twice while registering 142 metres and 32 tackles an outing, the Queensland Maroons enforcer has had a resurgence after working with conditioning expert Bill Knowles in the US.
However, the Titans have been dealt a blow, with livewire fullback Keano Kini not expected to return until after the State of Origin period, as he undergoes surgery on a herniated disc near his spinal cord.
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Jaylan De Groot has taken the No.1 jumper, who in scoring his maiden NRL try last year was recorded as the NRL’s fastest player of 2024 (37.2km/h).
“It’s not an easy thing going through injuries, especially a big one like that,” Campbell said of Kini.
“I just thought I’d let it soak for a bit first, but when surgery comes up I’ll give him a message and go see him.
“I’m really proud of [De Groot], he works really hard, and I was just really happy for him to get another game for us and play the way he did.
“I’ll help him out as much as I can, but he’s a great player on his own. He’s really smart, he’s fast, and he just wants to get better every week.”
