JANUARY 1998
Brisbane Broncos signed Sarina product, Kevin Campion from the Hunter Mariners’ players’ list, as a result of the peace deal brokered by the Australian Rugby League and Super League.
After playing the 1997 Super League season with Adelaide Rams, Campion had been set to join the Mariners. But once the two warring partners came together, there was no chance the Mariners would survive in the Hunter Valley, where the Newcastle Knights were ARL premiers. (There were two competitions in 1997, with the Broncos winning the Super League).
Campion had signed with Super League early in 1995, while contracted to Gold Coast Seagulls. But when the rebel competition failed to get off the ground, he found himself at St George Dragons in 1996, instead of Adelaide, with the South Australian club’s start-up, put on hold.
St George made the ARL Grand Final in 1996, and Campion wanted to stay at Kogarah. But his SL contract meant he had to head to Adelaide, where St George great, Rod Reddy was coach. Campion and Reddy never got on, and their feud came to a head, when Campion was chosen for Queensland’s Tri-series side, which was to be coached by Broncos’ coach, Wayne Bennett.
There was a clause in Campion’s contract, which specified an upgrade the following season, should he play a rep match.
“‘Rocket’ (Reddy) didn’t believe in me enough to give me that upgrade, and threatened to send me back to local league in Adelaide, if I stayed at the Rams,” Campion told me, when I interviewed him for the book ‘Bennett’s Broncos’.
In the Tri-series, Campion had struck up a good relationship with Bennett, and when things went pear shaped in Adelaide, it was Bennett he turned to for advice. Bennett formulated a plan he believed would deliver Campion to the Broncos, given it was likely Super League and the ARL would work out their differences in time for there to be one competition in 1998.
Campion was allocated to the Mariners for 1998, but never even got to train with the club.
“I waited until after the pre-Christmas period to finalise my future, and in that time a number of Mariners were allocated to the Melbourne Storm,” Campion said. “I was on the golf course with (former Gold Coast teammate) ‘Jimmy’ Goddard when Wayne Bennet gave me a call and said: ‘You’re coming to the Broncos’. I nearly fell off the cart. I was getting married at the Gold Coast at that time, so everything was falling into place.
“When the Broncos came into the (NSWRL) competition (in 1988) it was every (Queensland) kid’s dream to get a start with them. From day one, it was my aim to be part of the Broncos’ family.”
Campion went on to win two premierships with Brisbane, before signing with New Zealand Warriors, after reneging on a deal with English club, Warrington. He finished his career where it started – in North Queensland, with the Cowboys.
Years later, former Broncos’ teammate, Petero Civoniceva had this to say about Campion.
“Kevin is one bloke who astounded me with his toughness. He had courage in bucket loads and didn’t get the accolades he deserved. He could fight as well.”
South Sydney signed Queensland State of Origin forward, Jeremy Schloss from the Gold Coast Chargers, early in 1998. Schloss was regarded as a shoo-in for a first-grade spot at the Rabbitohs, who were coached by 1978 Kangaroo, Steve Martin.
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