Vodafone Warriors legends Monty Betham, Kevin Campion and Awen Guttenbeil have been reunited with the club as ambassadors.
In announcing the appointments Vodafone Warriors CEO Cameron George said the three former teammates epitomise what the club stands for.
“We’re thrilled to have them back in the fold giving us wonderful ambassadors who will be able to represent the club both in Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
“Both during and after their careers all three have had an exceptional passion and love for the club.
“They’re terrific men who will promote the Vodafone Warriors in a variety of ways. They’ll make appearances on game days, at club and membership events and will also be involved with our sponsors and in the community.”
One such event was last week’s Magic Round launch when Campion represented the Vodafone Warriors alongside former players from the other 15 clubs.
Betham (43), Campion (50) and Guttenbeil (45) were exceptional performers among a host of stars in the Vodafone Warriors’ golden era in the early 2000s.
Originally appointed captain in 2002, renowned hard man Betham was side-lined for all but the team’s first two matches that season, denying him the chance to appear in the club’s first grand final appearance. He came back in 2003 to lead the Vodafone Warriors to within one win of making it back-to-back grand finals and went on to play 101 times for the club from 1999-2005.
Campion, respected as one of the game’s hardest players, was at Mount Smart Stadium for just two years and 44 games in 2001 and 2002 but he had an enormous impact. Finishing his 241-game career with North Queensland, he has the singular distinction of appearing in four grand finals for three different clubs, losing with St George in 1996, winning with Brisbane in 1998 and 2000 and tasting defeat with the Vodafone Warriors in his final game for the club in 2002.
Guttenbeil, another exceptionally tough player, overcame extreme adversity early in his career to finish with 170 appearances for the club from 1996-2006. He played in each of the Vodafone Warriors’ first seven finals matches in 2001, 2002 and 2003 when they not only made the 2002 grand final but also went close to a repeat appearance the following year.
