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AAP
Joel Gould

Dad blazed hot trail for Campbell's No.7 Titans switch

Gold Coast's Jayden Campbell (r) will use the example of his dad Preston (l) to shine at No.7. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Preston Campbell inspired many but none more so than his son Jayden as he prepares for a switch to halfback for the Gold Coast. 

Preston, playing for Cronulla, won the Dally M in his first year at No.7 in 2001.

That's not the only reason Jayden believes he can do the same but he said his father was a great source of inspiration just knowing he'd made the change successfully before.

"One hundred per cent. I was a baby when he won the Dally M, but I still watch a lot of his highlights during that time," he said.

"To see someone like my dad - and we sort of play the same - do so well in that position gives me a lot of confidence.

"This is my first pre-season that I've got to train in either five-eighth or halfback and going into the year I'm just feeling really good.

"I've done a lot of work on my defence and managing games, so hopefully that shows on the field."

Jayden, 25, is his own man and wants to carve out his own path but the early parallels with his father's move to No.7 are striking.

Preston
Preston Campbell was on fire for Cronulla in 2001 at half on the way to the Dally M Medal. (Colin Whelan/AAP PHOTOS)

Former Sharks coach John Lang moved Preston to halfback mid-season in 2001 after he had started there just once before. He'd struggled to find a regular position in the side after being tried at wing, fullback and off the bench.

Jayden has never started at halfback in the NRL but will do so in the round-two clash against Canterbury at Belmore Sportsground on Sunday alongside five-eighth AJ Brimson.

So successful was Preston in that 2001 season he incredibly was Dally M halfback of the year as well as the ultimate Dally M Medal winner, playing only 17 games as starting half.

His stellar 267-game NRL career, which finished at the Titans, kicked off from that 2001 season. The 2003 premiership winner with Penrith found his niche more as a fullback and five-eighth, but he showed he could handle the No.7 switch. 

Jayden, who has played the majority of his 58 NRL matches at fullback, insists he is also ready.

Jayden
The exciting Jayden Campbell in full flight for the Gold Coast. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

"I've been told that I'll be playing halfback this year, so this pre-season I've just really worked hard at doing that," he said.

"I'm really lucky I've got great coaching staff and I've got one of the most experienced halves in Kieran Foran as a teammate and I'm feeling really confident going into this year."

Campbell is not short of critics who say he is a ball runner and not up to game management and kicking that is so much a part of an elite NRL half's game.

"People are entitled to their opinions. I just know what type of player I am," he said.

"I've done a lot of hard work over the pre-season. I am pretty lucky I've got coaching staff (such as Des Hasler and Brad Davis) where fair few of them have played in the halves.

"We get Nick Malceski from the Gold Coast Suns to come down and help us with a lot of kicking technique as well. He's been really good."

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