Parramatta prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard has heard all the rumours about his supposed rift with his former Penrith teammates.
But the veteran big man has poured cold water on that as he prepares to line up for the Eels against his former side in the biggest game of the season.
Campbell-Gillard’s departure from Penrith in 2019 with five years left on his deal came as a huge shock given the local junior had only just signed an extension the year before.
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There was talk at the time about his attitude at the club and things only intensified during this year’s State of Origin series when the reliable front-rower was sensationally dropped after the first game in a team full of Penrith players.
But the 29-year-old says those rumours are just that, and he has no issue with his former teammates.
“Everyone is going to bring up Origin again, but come on, there are four other guys who have played for Penrith and it doesn’t get mentioned,” Campbell-Gillard told the NCA NewsWire.
“Someone’s going to write or say that there’s drama, but I have absolutely nothing against them and there are no grudges from either end.
“I just congratulate them because they’ve been the best team for the past three years.
“I left the club, moved on, came to a new club and hold no grudges towards any player. Media and some other people will make up some stories this week, but I have no issues with the Panthers.”
Not only does the Eels forward bear no grudges towards Penrith, he also regularly catches up with Panthers skipper Isaah Yeo.
“I’m still very close mates with ‘Yeoy’,” he said.
“They’ve done really well without me, and it just shows that their football and what they’ve built there is the best in the league.
“But I’ve moved on.”
Yeo can’t believe what’s been said about the alleged rift and did his best to put it all to bed when asked about it on Tuesday.
“All that media stuff came out that we’re not friends anymore, but we had breakfast two weeks after that,” the Panthers lock said.
“We’re still really close mates.
“Life obviously gets in the way because we’ve both got a young child each, so we probably don’t get to see each other as much as we’d like.”
Campbell-Gillard looms as one of Parramatta’s biggest danger men on Sunday night, fresh from his two tries and 137m in Townsville last week.
“He’s in career best form,” Yeo said without hesitation.
“He’s had some periods where he’s been fantastic in the past. I think it was 2017 when he made the Blues and Kangaroos squads for the first time.
“But since he got to Parramatta and a change of scenery, he’s been brilliant. He’s become a leader in that group, and he really led from the front in that prelim.
“I’m super stoked for him and I’m so happy that he gets to be a part of a grand final. Hopefully, I’m happier than him on Sunday.”
Having seen his former teammates make back-to-back grand finals after he moved on, Campbell-Gillard finally gets his crack on the game’s biggest stage.
He refused to buy into talk that he was in career best form and is instead looking forward to capping off a three-year journey filled with plenty of bumps in the road that he and his Eels teammates have been on.
“I wouldn’t have a clue,” he said when asked if he’d ever played better.
“If the team is going well, then you’ve got to contribute. I’m just doing my part for the team. It’s a very easy role and not too complicated to be in the front row.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet that we’re in the grand final, and I think the more you think about it, the sicker you get.
“They’ve been the best team for the past three years. They’ve earned that with everything they’ve done.
“But we’ve given ourselves every opportunity to be there, and I’m pretty happy with how we did it.
“It’s been a bit of a crap season in terms of consistency on a playing level with our team and our performances, but we got there in the end. We took the long road but we got there and it’s good for rugby league.”
