THE timely arrival of a “strong, fit” front rower has given Kangaroos captain-coach Adam Hall a lift in confidence before the Wagga team fights to stay in the Group Nine top five on Sunday.
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Four days out from a critical clash with Temora at Nixon Park, Hall is excited by the acquisition of former Newcastle prop Nathan Campbell.
“It’s bloody handy getting a front rower at this stage of the year,” Hall said.
“He’s (Campbell) a pretty strong, fit fella and can definitely play.”
Barely weeks after landing unannounced in Wagga, Campbell is poised to play a significant role against the Dragons in a “must-win” game for his new club.
On the back of a heavy 42-16 loss to Albury at Greenfield Park last Sunday, Roos are holding fifth spot on the table, but are definitely under siege.
Seven games out from the finals, Kangaroos have three teams hot on their hammer in the race for the final five in August.
Roos are currently fifth with 14 points, but have Young (13), Temora (12) and Albury (12) all within reach of their insecure position.
Significantly, Roos have the worst percentage of any of the four teams, making their foothold even less tenable.
Hall yesterday admitted a loss to Temora could have a disastrous impact on Roos premiership standing.
“This is must-win for us,” Hall said.
“We need to win to stay there (top five).”
Hall admits signing Campbell has been a football godsend for Roos, especially after the club lost Tom Lewis to Inverell recently.
“He (Campbell) gave me a call and said he was moving down here for work,” Hall said.
“We had a look at some tapes and realised he was a good player, and would be good for us.”
Campbell got his Group Nine initiation off the bench for Roos against the Thunder, and will again be a fresh replacement on Sunday.
Hall knows a seasoned forward will be a huge asset as Roos strive to take the sting out of the Temora pack led by inspirational captain-coach Michael Henderson.
“I know they’ll miss Scott Matthews (injured), but they’ve got plenty of quality in the pack,” Hall said.
Although Roos edged Temora 17-16 with a field-goal from Hall five weeks ago, the skipper is taking little optimism from the verdict.
“They (Temora) probably should have won,” Hall said.
