Rabbitohs star centre Campbell Graham has exclusively opened up about his experience of playing in the green and gold jersey for Australia.
After continually having breakout seasons for the Rabbitohs since 2017, Graham was awarded the Kangaroos jumper at the end of last season.
The inclusion into the Australian squad was not only a surprise to fans but also to Graham himself. Especially since he was overlooked by Brad Fittler to represent New South Wales in the State of Origin.
An Eastern Suburbs local, Graham began his junior career in the South Sydney junior system, before being selected for the Rabbitohs' NYC team and Australian Schoolboys squad in 2016.
Since then the 23-year-old has appeared in 111 games for South Sydney and scored 50 tries in his young career. This included playing 21 games in the 2021 season and NRL Grand Final against the Panthers.
Surprisingly, Graham's Rugby League World Cup debut could have happened years earlier in 2017. Picked into Scotland's squad for the 2017 World Cup, he withdrew before playing a game.
Graham's World Cup debut was bittersweet as his first game was against the nation that picked him a year earlier. However, he couldn't have asked for a better start to his Kangaroos career.
Selected as a winger, Graham played outside Jack Wighton. This helped him score a hat-trick with tries in the 21st, 59th and 74th minutes.
He would follow this great form against Italy in the next game where he scored another two tries.
Campbell Graham spoke exclusively to Zero Tackle about his experience in the Australian Kangaroos jersey. His chat also included what player he learnt from the most within the squad.
"It was really good. On the field, we achieved what we wanted to achieve, but off the field, it was the time of my life," Graham said.
"I built great bonds with all the boys in the squads. Obviously achieving our goal of winning made that extra sweeter."
"Jack Wighton was one that I took a fair bit from. His approach to the footy and the intensity he trains and plays with was very impressive," Graham said when asked who he learnt the most from.
In the same interview with Zero Tackle, Graham mentioned that fans should keep an eye on the young backs at the Rabbitohs. In particular, he mentioned centre Josiah Karapani and fullback Terrell Kalo Kalo.
"They're here for a reason and I'm always open to giving advice if they wanted and running them through extras I need to work on and they jump in," Graham said.
"They've been very impressive this pre-season and really tested us. I feel like they've tested us this year and they've made us better."
"You'll see glimpses of those boys coming through this year and they're definitely exciting."
