By PETER JESSUP
"Toughness" is the word that springs to mind when asked what it is that co-captain Kevin Campion has brought to the New Zealand Warriors.
Mental toughness as well as physical toughness, an I-can-beat-anyone attitude and leadership by example.
Campion played a major role in the defeat of his old team,
the Brisbane Broncos, last weekend and must step up to the plate again today if the Warriors are to have a chance of turning over Newcastle on their home ground.
The 29-year-old was credited by coach Daniel Anderson with helping to devise the plan that beat the defending champions.
Anderson would not let on exactly what it was "Campo" had divulged, because there is a second-round away game to come.
But it was to do with the individual strengths and weaknesses of each Bronco - which side they prefer to step off or pass to, who has a good hold on the ball and who doesn't, who is good after kicks and who is not.
Campion's leadership has been obvious. Not just in querying the unusual refereeing decisions, but in talking on defence, and telling the juniors who to watch and where.
Then there's the tackle count, usually the highest (34 Broncos downed) and always in the top three. And the hit-ups. The off-loads. The low error count.
Campion came to the Warriors via Warrington, where he signed but didn't play. After seasons at the now-defunct Gold Coast (93-95) and St George (96, lost the grand final to Manly), then Adelaide (97), he had three seasons and two premierships with Brisbane, in 1998 and 2000.
He was talked into the shift to England by his mate Alf Langer after the Broncos released him because he wouldn't fit under the salary cap.
He played for Ireland in the World Cup, but realised the climate wasn't for him and could be bad for sons Austin and Max, who suffer asthma, and asked Australian coach Darryl van der Velde for an out.
The Warriors heard he was up for grabs and everyone then involved told new chief executive Mick Watson that he was good value.
He introduced a new work ethic at training.
Whenever he drops a ball at practice he does push-ups, his mantra that you should be dirty on yourself and that punishment will make you harden up for next time.
The modest Campion is reluctant to talk about himself. So others have had a say.
Matthew Ridge, former captain-turned-board-member: "He's inspirational and that's not a word I like or use lightly.
"You can see by the scars on his face how much he puts himself on the line - there's no thoughts of self-preservation.
"He truly hates losing, he takes it personally, like someone got over the top of him, and he won't stand for that."
Watson: "His resilience is amazing - he's missed just three games in three years.
"His physical presence everyone can see, but it's how he copes with the knocks in the game and backs up. He's personally insulted if we lose.
"He's won two grand finals and lost one. He's one of the most well-rounded players about."
Wayne Bennett, Broncos coach: "He's brought them a lot of character. He's played in three grand finals. He means something to your club, that fella. It's the ethic he has - he trains and plays at a hundred per cent."
Bennett made a rare visit to the Warriors shed after his team had suffered their first-ever defeat to the Warriors to offer congratulations, particularly to Campion.
Anderson tells a story about Campion's arrival at Auckland. During tackle drills at his first training he picked up Kiwi backrower Logan Swann and drove him to the ground with feeling.
Swann looked at Campion as if to ask what he thought he was doing. Then he drove Campion into the ground with similar intensity.
Maybe one of the big problems for the Warriors of old was that they were training at less than full intensity, Anderson says.
Stacey Jones admits they were exhausted towards the end of the Broncos game, but Campion kept them at their posts, encouraging everyone to scrap for the last few minutes.
Jones gets on well with his co-captain, the pair rooming together on away trips. It's a good arrangement having a backs leader and one in the forwards - a defensive machine and one of the best attacking weapons in the game.
Both have had to learn to talk, on and off the field. Campion had little to say to the Warriors before their first game against Canberra, said plenty at halftime against Parramatta when they were not doing themselves justice, and spoke volumes before Brisbane and at the break.
He told the players to remember their tackle technique, to execute the basics properly, not to push things and make errors, to be patient.
He's big on patience, to the point where team members take him off, impersonating Campion's "patience, boys, patience," when someone wants to know when the sausages are going to be cooked, or the bus is going to turn up.
Watson describes Campion as "the glue that's always been missing" at the Warriors. "The team have always lacked something. They were good, but only for 65 minutes, and that's not good enough."
Campion is on a two-season contract. What the club wants now is the next Kevin Campion identified and playing with this one before that time runs out.
Newcastle trained yesterday with a rearranged backline after Robbie O'Davis pulled out with a hamstring strain. Centre Mark Hughes has moved to the back and wing Adam MacDougall to Hughes' spot, with interchange player Justin Ryder going to MacDougall's right flank.
The reshuffle will hopefully disrupt the quick tryscoring moves Andrew Johns ran with his outside backs against the Storm last week, but the Knights still seem sure to play to their strengths out wide.
The Warriors have the advantage in the pack with the better ball-players and should go up the middle. Knights coach Michael Hagan has indicated that is where he expects the attack, making special mention of Awen Guttenbeil, Ali Lauiti'iti and Logan Swann.
Biography: Kevin Campion
* Born September 18, 1971 in Mackay, Queensland.
* Raised in Sarina, south of the city.
* Height 183cm, weight 95kg.
* Australian premiership debut 1993 for Gold Coast Chargers.
* 164 premiership games for five clubs - Gold Coast, St George, Adelaide, Brisbane and the New Zealand Warriors.
* 15 tries.
* 2001 NRL averages: Tackles, 32; missed, 2; hit-ups, 10; metres gained, 58; line breaks, 1; off-loads, 1; handling errors, 0.4.
* Campion is second on the NRL tackle count after six rounds. He has 187. The leader is Kiwi and Melbourne Storm hooker Richard Swain, with 250.
By PETER JESSUP
"Toughness" is the word that springs to mind when asked what it is that co-captain Kevin Campion has brought to the New Zealand Warriors.
Mental toughness as well as physical toughness, an I-can-beat-anyone attitude and leadership by example.
Campion played a major role in the defeat of his old team,
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