Parramatta recruit Reagan Campbell-Gillard has likened his final season at Penrith to “being in a bad relationship” and confirmed the switch to arch rivals the Eels has reinvigorated him.
The 26-year-old is preparing to form a new-look front row partnership with Junior Paulo in a Parramatta pack strong on depth and expected to challenge for the NRL title.
After being the first front rower picked for NSW in 2018, Campbell-Gillard played most of last season from the interchange bench amid mixed form the prop labelled “rocks and diamonds”.
But since linking with the Eels and undergoing off-season elbow surgery, Campbell-Gillard said his body is feeling better than ever.
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“The vibe’s unreal. It’s a real team first mentality about everything and it’s a cracking side,” he said.
“It’s chalk and cheese from what I was used to being a part of.
“It was a bit like being in a bad personal relationship towards the end (at Penrith).
“Right now I’m feeling good. I’m loving coming to training and ripping in.
“I still live at Penrith and I still keep in touch with plenty of the boys.
“I wouldn’t say it was toxic but I definitely needed the change.
“You know when you’ve put on four or five kilograms and you’ve become a bit comfortable in a relationship?
“You start to feel like a bit of a slob and you start to feel not wanted.
“That’s where I was at. I needed to get out and challenge myself and it’s been the best thing.
“I’m feeling in good nick again and I’m excited about what a cracking squad we’ve got.
In what is guaranteed to be one of the grudge matches of the new NRL season, the Eels will host the Panthers at Bankwest Stadium in round 11.
Cambell-Gillard told Fox Sports an on-going elbow injury had been continually challenging since 2016.
“After the first eight weeks of every season I had to have injections every week just to be able to play,” Campbell-Gillard said.
“That was how it was last year.
“But I’ve had that sorted over the off-season. I’ve had the surgery for the second time and it’s feeling sweet.
“There’s been no problems at all with it.”
Campbell-Gillard said it was the same for his jaw, which he broke for the second time training with Panthers in December of 2018.
If Eels coach Brad Arthur can get the prop back to his destructive best, Parramatta will field one of the NRL’s strongest forward packs.
Aside from Junior Paulo and Campbell-Gillard, the Eels also boast young gun front rowers Oregon Kaufusi and Stefano Utoikamanu.
Then their starting backrow will be Ryan Matterson right edge, Shaun Lane left edge and Nathan Brown at lock.
Throw in the likes of experienced NRL forwards Kane Evans, Marata Nuikore and Daniel Alvaro in the Eels best 17 mix and there’s no question Parramatta should be serious contenders.
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I hope RCG is the front rower we have been missing.
I wonder how long until the Honeymoon is over at the Eels,and he puts back on the 5 kg and becomes complacent?
Very unclassy stuff from him imo.
I think he's just being honest. A lot of people complain about footy players giving bland responses and when some give an honest response they cop stuff like this.
BA has done a dream job over the last few years on bring players that turn out to be huge assets to the club. Everyone quick to bag him when a player struggles with injury like Evans did at first. But he has brought over some great cheap players & some have had injury problems like Watmough & Evans in his first year. But other clubs have done the same, they rectify it & move on. BA also build that great team that was pulled apart by the NRL after the salary cap scandle, not all coaches have that ability to assemble a top squad. He doing a fantastic job, & I know like last year he going to take us deep into the finals, not every final exit has been BA fault, clearly over the years ref calls have had a hand in decision or player error. But as Ref can loose you games they can also go your way. 2020 is going to be a great year!
No, I didn’t mention it because that’s not the only year that was a disaster. I’m thinking this post about one of our new recruits do I focused on that which brought me to BA bring together some great players. 2018 was a disaster, some injuries to Gutho & others didn’t help. He was easily out best player in 2017, no Semi leaving also didn’t help. With BA addressing the lost of Semi & Gutho making a successful return, it helped us head back up the ladder. Nth Queensland have lost Thurston, how did the fair? Next year will be the Storm with no Smith, how will they go? Are the Roosters going to win 3 in a row without Cronk & Mitchell? Without doubt 2018 was a disaster, but we came back strong.
Tin Tim: "BA has done a dream job" (sic)! It`s a bad dream, in fact, it`s a nightmare! What has he won for Christ's sake? There is only one prize in League but many failures. He has never won a competition- the only prize- all the rest has been failure. It`s been a seven-year itch of bad dreams. Abraham Lincoln said it best--" The hen chicken is the smartest animal in the world. She only cackles after she has laid the egg! Mr. RCG better deliver or he will be like a hen who cackles but never lays an egg!
Well Robert, so sorry your expectation have been shattered. BA will always have a monkey, you on his back, why do I think of you when I say that. So who are the top coaches in this comp? Because Bellamy, Robinson are the only two that stand out apart from Bennett but it has been a few years for him. So I guess everyone else is wasting their time & everyone else should just give up. Or better still, replace your coaches with other coaches that have failed at other clubs and sign them up let’s say... every 3yrs, yes sign those that failed & bring them to your club, let them sack, clean out the joint & rebuild every few years. All clubs should do it, I’m sure those premierships will roll in. To sit there & think that BA has had a trouble free time in those years you mention, well we all know that’s not the case. But why place facts into a good old story. He has always been very straight, he can attract some big names which hasn’t always been the case with past coaches. He goes for what’s best, but what he can fit into a salary cap. I’m sure you would have had all this shit straightened out, we are blessed with the amount of experts we have here. BA doesn’t make excuses, hopefully everything goes to plan, a lot of great players have left the NRL that made a huge difference to their sides & state sides. But again, who wants to talk about that.
If this glass jawed Tom Selleck impersonating dope doesnt fire the fuck up and carve it up this year, he can fuck off back to Ugg boot city.
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