Luke Campbell’s leadership, skill, and strategic insights have been instrumental in the squad’s early 3-1 success. As a vice-captain and a halfback, his role transcends just playing; it embodies the heart and soul of what makes rugby more than a game but a passion. During the bye week, we sat down for an in-depth conversation with Luke to explore his assessment of the team’s performance, the challenges of maintaining peak fitness, and the strategies for sustaining confidence and depth in the league.

Q: Luke, welcome and thanks for the time today. We’re 3-1 through four weeks. Give me your assessment of the squad so far.

A: I think 3-1 is a great spot to be in after 4 games. As a group, we’re quite happy with our performances — they haven’t been perfect and we haven’t played a full 80 yet, but we’ve gotten some good results.

Q: You’re not the first person to make that comment about playing a full 80. What will it take to achieve that?

A: I think in this early portion of the season it comes down to match fitness. You sort of get lapses in the game because that fitness isn’t at 100% yet — as the season progresses, hopefully we become more fit. This will lead to better decisions and more trust in our systems. That’ll help put together 80.

Q: What would you say is the level of confidence for this team right now?

A: I think confidence is high. We know that we can be better than we have been, which is exciting. Even when things aren’t going our way on the field, we still have confidence in our squad and plan.

Q: Depth is key in this league. Speak to this GOLD team’s depth a little bit and why that’ll be important later in the year.

A: I think we have great depth across all positions. Injuries are gonna be a big part of the season with rugby being the tough contact sport that it is. I think we’ve seen it already with guys that have had to drop out for different reasons, whether it be injury or a card.

Q: This is your second year with the GOLD — do you feel like you’ve taken more of a leadership role with this year’s squad?

A: Yes and no — being a vice captain makes it clear that I have a leadership position, but being a halfback requires leadership regardless. I need to lead in matches, training…being vocal is central to who I am as a player.

Q: Are there any games on the calendar that you’re really excited for?

A: I always look forward to games where I can play against my mates from New Zealand. DC, LA, a couple others…but I really look forward to every game. Any chance to represent the GOLD is great.

Q: Our first half against Dallas last week was the strongest our squad has looked all year. What leads to a period of play like that, where seemingly nothing can go wrong?

A: We prepared for that through the week, so we weren’t surprised. We faced a lot of attacks early in the match against Dallas, which we were expecting. When we got our chance, it really worked. We trusted our plan and executed well.

Q: Does it feel easier when you get a spell of play like that?

A: Yeah, it’s pretty free-flowing. It’s really exciting from an attacking perspective. It’s difficult to stop the pace of the ball that we generated on the attack, and once you get a roll on, it’s tough to stop.

Q: You were man of the match, but who deserves kudos for their performance last week?

A: Oh man…there’s a number of players…both Ed and Taniela, Rodney…the whole forward pack in our first half deserves recognition…to be honest, I’ve just about reeled off everyone. Everyone did their job well.

Q: Tell me a little bit about the impact that Coach Brown has made on this team so far.

A: He’s great — he remains pretty laid back unless we need to switch on and lock in with our work. He also gives the players a lot of voice, which is massive. We feel comfortable in the team, so he’s struck a good balance of putting in his structures and allowing us to execute what we think is right.

Q: Identify the strongest and weakest parts of this GOLD team right now. Not player or position-wise, but thematically — carries, tackling, kick and chase, etc.

A: I think when we stick to our plans and get quick ball movement, we do really well. Playing fast is part of our DNA. We sometimes have 10 or 20-minute mental lapses at times.

Q: What’s on the playlist to get you hype on gameday?

A: There are a couple of crazy country songs to start with and as I get closer to the game, it builds into some drum and bass. About half of my teammates would trust me with the aux cord.

Q: Take me through a sample halftime on matchday. How much of the period is spent discussing tactics, treating injuries, using the restroom, etc.?

A: We usually get a couple minutes to ourselves, which is a good time to see a physio or run to the bathroom. Maybe grab some caffeine. Then we’ll connect as a group and get some messages from the coaches and then some team leaders.

Q: Who would win in a 1-mile race, Jarred Adams or you in flip flops?

A: Going with myself here.