Canberra NRL linchpin Terry Campese has made a strong claim for the Raiders’ captaincy after a solid and, more importantly, injury-free outing in his first match back since round 13 last season.
Campese played for 60 minutes of the Raiders’ 90-minute opening trial against Melbourne, which they won over an undermanned Storm squad 27-18 at Albury’s Lavington Oval.
If not an electric performance, coach David Furner said it had all the markings of a future leader – hard work, a quiet command of play and control.
“All I was asking from Campo for the game was to get that control and to get to our kicks and I thought he did that,” Furner said after the match.
“I just spoke to him and said this is all I’m looking at, and this is all we need and wished him all the best.
“Although he didn’t show it, I would say he would have been very nervous.
“But it’s just about him getting on the park.”
Furner said he was keen not to heap pressure on the playmaker, which includes any premature talk of captaincy.
He’ll wait until the first two trials are over before selecting his captain, or possibly two co-captains.
“It’s just about what suits the side – I haven’t really (thought about details yet).
“Campo – he did the coin toss tonight – he lost, so I’ll need to take that into consideration,” Furner said in jest.
Campese said he was happy to have made it through his planned hour of play – his first game since a groin injury cruelly felled him last June just eight minutes into his comeback from a nine-month injury layoff after a knee reconstruction.
He didn’t shirk away from his defensive responsibilities, pulling off some good hits during the match, while he also have his right boot a workout with an unconventional 30m field goal at the end of the first third.
Prop David Shillington is expected to be right from an infected elbow for the second trial against Canterbury next week, but Jarrod Croker (knee) will need further tests.
Acting Storm coach Kevin Walters expects his star trio of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater to also return for their final trial against Brisbane in Hobart next Saturday.
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