Preston Campbell

Preston Campbell

Personal information
Nickname	Presto
Born	(1977-06-07) 7 June 1977 (age 39) Inverell, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	167 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight	73 kg (11 st 7 lb)
Position	Five-eighth, Fullback, Halfback, Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1998 Gold Coast Chargers 14 4 0 0 16 1999–02 Cronulla Sharks 54 24 24 0 144 2003–06 Penrith Panthers 96 43 220 1 613 2007–11 Gold Coast Titans 103 15 35 0 130 Total 267 86 279 1 903 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2005–07 NSW Country 3 0 0 0 0 2008 Dreamtime Team 1 0 0 0 0 2010 Indigenous All Stars 1 0 0 0 0
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Preston Campbell, (born 7 June 1977 in Inverell, New South Wales) is an Indigenous Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League. A New South Wales Country and Indigenous Dreamtime team representative five-eighth or fullback, he previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks before moving to the Penrith Panthers with whom he won the 2003 NRL Premiership.

Campbell started his rugby league career with the Inverell Hawks junior club and made his NRL debut with the Gold Coast Chargers in 1998 as a fullback. The Chargers were disbanded at the end of the season.

Preston moved on to play for the Cronulla Sharks in 1999. He spent the first two seasons biding his time in reserve grade and occasionally filling in for injuries in first grade. It was in 2001 that he showed what he was capable of with his feats as a replacement fullback for the injured David Peachey. His electrifying speed and side-step combined with his diminutive stature and humility quickly endeared him to Cronulla fans.

It was expected by some that he would eventually return to the lower grades until he was needed again but coach John Lang had other ideas. Clearly Campbell was too talented to be wasted playing in reserve grade. With the return of David Peachey, he was no longer needed at fullback and Cronulla was struggling without a recognised halfback. Finding the solution to two problems Lang pencilled in Campbell for the halfback role. Combining with David Peachey and pivot Adam Dykes, the trio formed a devastating combination on the field as Cronulla pushed forward and made a serious bid for its 2001 finals campaign including one memorable game when Premiership favourites the Newcastle Knights were soundly beaten by the Sharks.