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Jayden Campbell has become the latest superstar to brush the Perth Bears, and it could leave the incoming club on a hunt for talent beneath the NRL’s elite.
The Gold Coast halfback committed to a future under new Titans coach Josh Hannay, joining teammate Beau Fermor in the rebuild of the embattled club.
Campbell sacrificed a $6 million payday to remain at Parkwood until at least the end of 2031 in a dagger blow to Mal Meninga’s Bears, who are yet to officially announce an inaugural player 25 days into their recruitment mission.
Upon re-signing with the Titans, Jayden Campbell vowed to rebuild the club as he turned down Perth advances.Credit: NRL Photos
While the 25-year-old admitted there was an appeal in moving to Perth, he was committed to the task of turning the Titans from cellar dwellers into premiership contenders.
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“Being part of something new was something that intrigued me. But Gold Coast is my home, so I didn’t really have too much of a desire to leave,” Campbell, the son of the club’s first captain, Preston Campbell, said.
“I was really respectful of Mal. He was really respectful towards me as well and my wishes. I had a chat with Mal, but I was honest with him that Gold Coast was my home.
“I know we haven’t been great the past few seasons, and it would probably be easier to jump ship and go somewhere else, but the Titans are my home, so I don’t want to run away from that.
“I can feel the change coming, and I want to be a part of that change. But I’ve also got a young family to think about now, I’ve got a boy on the way, and my support network is around here.”
Fermor was also believed to be high on the Bears’ radar, with the man himself confirming there was some interest away from the Gold Coast in his services.
However, the one-time Maroon believed change was afoot under Hannay, and the former Queensland State of Origin assistant coach could facilitate his return to the representative arena.
“I had a bit of interest [from other clubs], but I think deep down I didn’t want to leave anyway. Having discussions with Josh over the off season and seeing the direction he wants to head the club in is something I could really get on board with,” Fermor said upon inking his extension to the end of 2029.
“There’s been a lot of good change around the joint over the off season that isn’t seen in the public eye, but we can all see it here. I obviously got a taste of Origin last year, and that’s the jersey I’ve wanted to play in.
“I want to get back in that arena and build a career there.”
While Hannay has sought to balance a Titans’ roster he deemed too top-heavy upon his arrival, a slew of unheralded battlers will vie for greater responsibilities, in what could prove the ultimate litmus test of the NRL’s depth and talent pool.
Perth joins the fold in 2027, followed by Papua New Guinea in 2028.
The NRL’s last new outfit, the Dolphins, learned there were challenges in tempting marquee men to a fledgling venture – Cameron Munster and Kalyn Ponga among the names to turn down the opportunity.
Instead, they unearthed rising stars Max Plath, Jack Bostock, Kurt Donoghoe and Isaiya Katoa.
The Bears may need to hunt beneath the NRL for reinforcements, a tact Hannay has implemented with Reagan Campbell-Gillard, David Fifita, Carter Gordon and Alofiana Khan-Pereira departing for fringe NRL players Lachlan Ilias, Kurtis Morrin and Luke Sommerton.
Queensland Cup battlers Oliver Pascoe and Adam Christensen, and rookie prospects Siale Faeamanu, Jett Liu and Jensen Taumoepeau have also been brought in.
Those diamonds in the rough – the likes of Latrell Siegwalt (South Sydney), James Walsh and Ronald Philitoga (North Queensland) earning NRL deals through reserve grade performances – will be key to building the incoming squads.
“I’m a character-first person, and that’s going to [be] paramount moving forward in our recruitment and retention policy – a good person first, and a good footballer second,” Hannay said of his roster rebuild.
“If you’re not a good person, it doesn’t matter what you’re capable of on the football field. We want to fill this club with people with strong character, obviously a talent for the game, and a willingness to work with others.
“We’re not going to be pressured into going out and buying the most talented player on the market, we’re going to be really deliberate with our decisions.”
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