NRC Rising Star nominee round three: Jock Campbell (Qld Country)

Wed, Sep 19, 2018, 5:16 AM
Iain Payten
by Iain Payten
Jock Campbell is the third nominee for the NRC Rising Star award.

Try-scoring phenomenon Jock Campbell is the third nominee for the NRC Rising Star award.

Playing on the wing for the unbeaten Queensland Country, Campbell has scored five tries in three games so far - twice bagging doubles in a win.

The 23-year-old flyer is the epitomy of substance over empty style; a fresh-faced youngster who boasts the best trait a winger can have: finishing power.

Campbell scored twice in Queensland Country's dismantling of the in-form Fiji at in Mackay, and both times had to beat defenders to cross the stripe.

The first saw the University of Queensland rookie muscle past two tacklers inside a phonebox to score, and the amazing thing is that wasn't even his best of the tackle-shedding genre this season.

A week earlier Campbell bulldozed through four defenders to score in the corner against Melbourne; all of whom were Super Rugby players.

Campbell scored an impressive double in the opening round, too, against Canberra; including the go-ahead try with a 72nd minute, 70m intercept.

Campbell is fast making a name for himself. He didn't come through the hyped schoolboy path - Campbell played seconds at TSS in 2013 - but he's earned every one of his stripes since, starring for UQ in Premier Rugby, making the Queensland Sevens team and being a part of Queensland Country's premiership-winning NRC side last year.


The Inverell-raised wing has struck up a lethal combination with Jordan Petaia for Queensland Country but Campbell this week played down his try-scoring feats.

"I think if outside backs are scoring tries like we are it's down to the whole team rather than individual performances," Campbell said.

"We are getting good go forward from our forwards and punch from our centres. It's more a team effort than just me."

Australian players are eligible for the NRC Rising Star award if they have played three games or fewer in Super Rugby. Drua players must have played three games or fewer for the Flying Fijians.

The NRC Rising Star award winner will be selected by a judging panel at the end of the 2018 NRC season. 

 
NRC RISING STAR NOMINEES 

Round One: Andrew Deegan (Western Force)
Round Two: Alivereti Veitokani (Fijian Drua)
Round Three: Jock Campbell (Queensland Country)
Round Four: TBA
Round Five: TBA
Round Six: TBA
Round Seven: TBA

 

 

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