'A positive, happy person': Cullen pays tribute to mate Hampson
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Cameron Cullen does not even have to think when asked his favourite memory of Liam Hampson.
“The one that I look back on the most is when we did a Dolphins MasterChef,” Cullen says with a laugh.
“There was six of us. We’d seen the Cowboys lads doing it and jumped on board and did a Dolphins one.
“Most of us aren’t the best cooks… there were six of us and we were in teams of two and we’d go to different houses and put on a three-course meal that we all judged and scored.
“He passed away not long after. It was an intimate little thing which, at the time, was just a funny, good experience.
“With footy, especially at Cup level where it can be so transitional with NRL players coming in and out, you don’t get to spend a heap of time together in that type of situation.
“But you look back on it now and to have spent that time together… I know all the other boys that did it felt the same, where they spent that type of time getting to know him and having a laugh.
“That’s a memory I look back on often.”
Alongside Cullen and Hampson, the pair’s fellow Redcliffe Dolphins teammates, including Sheldon Pitama, Valynce Te Whare, Jarrett Boland and Sam Elliott – now with Norths Devils – took part in the Dolphins MasterChef, with the rules stipulating the meals had to be healthy.
Cullen and Pitama served up seafood when it was their night to play host, while Hampson and Boland recreated a dish from Hampson’s mum, Lorna Morton - a salmon panang curry.
But, unfortunately for Hampson and Boland, they were caught out for cheating when it came to their dessert.
“We had rules and it had to be healthy,” Cullen said.
“You had to have entrée, main and dessert. So the dessert they made for us had ice cream in it and they said it was that Halo Top type of ice cream, which is healthier.
“But they’d really got normal ice cream and put it in a Halo Top container. They wanted it to taste better but we ended up catching them.”
Cullen and a number of Hostplus Cup players will reflect on moments like these a lot this week as Redcliffe and Tweed Seagulls prepare to play in the inaugural Liam Hampson Cup at Cbus Super Stadium.
The young No.9 played for both clubs, notching up 37 Cup games across three seasons, before his tragic passing last October while travelling Europe with friends.
This Sunday’s Round 17 clash between Hampson’s two former clubs will be the first in what is set to be an annual tribute to the former teacher aide.
Cullen has sadly been ruled out of the match with a concussion following a head knock from last week’s draw with Townsville Blackhawks.
Brimson on Hampo: 'Probably the most positive person I knew'
But the Dolphins playmaker will sit in the stands with his parents and partner, alongside Hampson’s family.
According to Cullen, it’s a game that has been talked about since late last year, from both teams as well as Hampson’s family, who have also started Hampo’s Youth Foundation to honour the 24-year-old’s memory.
The foundation was designed to help young kids reach their potential, providing scholarships to assist with education, sport and wellbeing.
Hampo’s Youth Foundation will be the 50-50 raffle beneficiary in the Round 19 NRL fixture between the Gold Coast Titans and Dolphins NRL, which will be played after the Cup match at 1pm.
Cullen is an now ambassador for the foundation.
"It means a lot," he said.
“It’s such a tragedy when a life gets cut short. He had so much more to give to the world, and not just in footy.
“He was always such a positive, happy person and that in itself is such a good message. Life is short so you have to enjoy it. To represent him and the family is definitely an honour I don’t take lightly.
“He treated everyone the same and had time for everyone and that’s why it was such a tragic thing when he passed. It hurt a lot of people, when you have someone like that who invests a lot of time into people.
“With someone like that, you can’t help but be happier and more positive when he was around.
“There’s not enough people like that but when you get them, they’re very well-liked. That’s why he was able to make so many friends and make such an impact at Redcliffe.”
Hampson played just the one year at Redcliffe in 2022 and Cullen remembers originally bonding with him over their mutual friends at Tweed, where Hampson played in the 2019 and 2021 seasons.
But their friendship was developed over time while in the rehab group together.
Cullen had a bulging disc in his neck which was causing him pain and eventually required surgery, while Hampson had ongoing hamstring issues throughout the first half of the season.
“I played against him the year before and then he came up and had a tough run with injuries and I was doing the same thing,” Cullen said.
“I had neck surgery and he couldn’t get his hammy right. We spent a heap of time in rehab together.
“When you’re in rehab, you don’t always feel a part of the team. It has a different feel about it. We spent a lot of time in that bubble of rehab trying to get ourselves right.
“When you’re getting flogged, he made it brighter and happier and was always telling stories and making people laugh. I’m grateful now that I got to spend a lot of time with him.
“I remember how he just came strolling into the club. It would have been a big change for him being a Gold Coast boy but he took the leap and made an immediate impact to our club because of the type of person he was.
“He was such a happy, outgoing person and always found a positive in any situation, even in rehab.
“When there’s not too much about to positive about, he was still happy, still turning up with a smile on his face.”
And that’s the best way Cullen believes he can honour Hampson today.
While he won’t be able to play for him this Sunday and does get to make an impact through his work as a Hampo’s Youth Foundation ambassador, the 29-year-old know it’s also about living everyday the way that Hampson would have wanted him to and would have done himself.
“For me, it’s taking a bit of a life lesson from the type of person he was,” Cullen said.
“For me personally with running my own business and kids and footy, you can get so caught up in what’s going on and be stressed out.
“But it’s a good life lesson to be happy. Put a smile on your face and enjoy wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. That’s one thing he always did.”
