Ben Hampton

In 2008, while playing for the Northern Marlins representative side, Hampton represented the Queensland under-16 rugby league team. In 2010, Hampton joined the Storm's SG Ball Cup side.[2] Later that year he made his debut for their NYC side and was chosen for the Queensland under-18 rugby league team. In 2012, Hampton was promoted to Melbourne's full-time squad and selected to captain the Queensland under-20 rugby league team in the inaugural U20 State of Origin match.[3] In October 2012, Hampton played fullback for the Junior Kangaroos in their 48–16 win over the Junior Kiwis.

Hampton made his NRL debut for the Melbourne Storm in round 15 against the Titans, where he scored the Storm's two tries, made an impressive try saving tackle on Ashley Harrison and took on the kicking duties after senior playmaker Gareth Widdop was stretchered from the field.[4] He played only one further first-grade match in 2013, mostly playing for Melbourne's feeder teams in the NSW and QLD Cups, the Cronulla Sharks and Easts Tigers.

Due to the departures of Widdop and Brett Finch, Hampton started the season as Melbourne's starting five-eighth, until Round 16 when he was dropped for Ben Roberts. He didn't play in first grade for the rest of the year. On 30 July, Hampton re-signed with the Storm keeping him with the club to the end of the 2016 season.[5] Hampton finished the year with 11 matches and 2 tries.

Hampton played for the Storm in the 2015 NRL Auckland Nines.[6] He finished off the season with 3 matches and 1 try for the Storm,[7] playing most of the year for the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Queensland Cup.

Hampton was again named in the Storm's Nines squad.[8] On 2 October, in the 2016 NRL Grand Final against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Hampton played off the interchange bench in the Storm's 14–12 loss.[9][10] Hampton finished the 2016 NRL season with 1 try from 20 matches. On 27 October, the North Queensland Cowboys signed Hampton to a three-year deal, starting in 2017.[11][12]

In February, Hampton was named in the Cowboys Nines squad.[13] In Round 1, Hampton made his club debut for the Cowboys against the Canberra Raiders, where he came off the interchange bench in the 20-16 Golden point extra time win at 1300SMILES Stadium.[14] He scored his first try for the club in the Cowboys' Round 11 loss to the Cronulla Sharks. On 1 October, Hampton started on the interchange in the Cowboys' 2017 NRL Grand Final loss to his former club, the Melbourne Storm. He played 26 games in 2017, the most in his career to date.

Hampton played 22 games for the Cowboys in 2018, starting in all but 8 games. Due to an injury to Lachlan Coote, he began the season as the club's starting fullback, playing the first five games of the year in the position.[15] He moved to centre in Round 6 following Coote's return, playing seven games their before returning to the bench in Round 15.[16] He ended the year as the Cowboys' starting fullback, playing the last two games in the position, scoring four tries.

After starting the season with the Northern Pride, Hampton made his season debut in the Cowboys' Round 3 loss to the Cronulla Sharks.[17] In Round 5, Hampton played on the wing for the first time in his NRL career in the Cowboys' loss to the Melbourne Storm.[18] In Round 10, he ruptured his bicep in the Cowboys' win over the Parramatta Eels, ruling him out for the rest of the season.[19] On 17 September, Hampton signed a 2-year contract extension which would take him to the end of 2021.[20] On 18 September, he was named the Cowboys' 2019 Club Person of the Year at the club's presentation night.[21]

After an injury interrupted 2019, Hampton returned to the Cowboys starting line-up in 2020, starting their first four games on the wing, scoring four tries.[22] Hampton was moved back to the bench in Round 6 and played five games in the utility role. In Round 11, he played his 100th NRL game.[23] In Round 12, Hampton started at five-eighth for the first time since 2017, playing three more games in the halves.[24]

• North Queensland Cowboys Club Person of the Year: 2019

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2020 season[25]

Season	Team	Matches	T	G	GK %	F/G	Pts
2013	Melbourne	2	2	0	–	0	8
2014	Melbourne	11	2	0	–	0	8
2015	Melbourne	3	1	0	–	0	4
2016	Melbourne	19	1	0	–	0	4
2017	North Queensland	26	1	0	–	0	4
2018	North Queensland	22	8	0	–	0	32
2019	North Queensland	8	2	0	—	0	8
2020	North Queensland	13	4	0	—	0	16
Career totals		104	21	0	—	0	84