Canberra linchpin Terry Campese has been given the nod to captain the Raiders in the upcoming NRL season from Alan Tongue, the man who held the job for the past five years.
Tongue threw his support behind Campese to take the leadership role in 2012, which coach David Furner has delayed announcing until after the Raiders’ second trial against Canterbury on Saturday.
“He’s the frontrunner for sure,” Tongue told AAP.
“He helped co-captain for a couple of years, even when he only played a little bit, so what he does for our club is obvious.
“David Shillington has obviously played some representative footy and set himself as a leading player on and off the field so there’s a great number of guys around, but yeah, I think Campo will definitely be there.”
Shillington co-captained with second-rower Bronson Harrison in a handful of games last season and is likely to vie for a deputy position, if Furner opts to elect them.
Furner said last weekend he’d yet to decide on his exact leadership formula and is still thinking about potentially having two captains for 2012.
He also warned against putting too much pressure on Campese, whose past two seasons have been wrought with injury woes, including a knee reconstruction, groin injury and a damaged pectoral muscle.
Along with Josh Dugan, who also missed a string of games last year, the pair have been touted as the ones to put the Raiders’ final aspirations back on track should they remain fit.
Campese and Shillington had the prime spots sitting next to Furner when the Raiders took their official team photo outside Parliament House on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are rumoured to be close to inking a two-year extension to Dugan’s contract, worth a reported $1.3 million.
Tongue, who retired at the end of last season, had little doubt the fullback was worth every cent.
“We’ve put a lot of time and effort into moulding him from a young age, so it’s great to have those kids stay on board and that also means good things for other kids wanting to stay on.
“He’s a player that will also attract players to our club to come and play alongside him.
“His best football is still ahead of him, so it’s good on all fronts.”
A spokesman for the Raiders said the deal had not yet been finalised.
Canberra Raiders
Premierships: 3 – 1989, 1990, 1994
Finishes over the past three seasons: 2011 – 15th, 2010 – semi finalist, 2009 – 13th
Coach: David Furner
Captain: To be announced
Gains: Shaun Berrigan (Warriors), Dimitri Pelo (trialling only), Michael Bani
Losses: Alan Tongue (retired), Josh Miller (Dragons), Daniel Vidot (Dragons), Danny Galea (Penrith), David Milne (released), Matt Orford (released), James Stuart (Burleigh), Nick Skinner (Manly), Mark Appleton (released)
Player they really needed: An injury-free Terry Campese to provide leadership both on and off the field.
Headline fans dread to read: “Campese down again.”
Headline fans would love to read: “Depth poses selection headaches for Raiders.”
Money Man: Josh Dugan. Reportedly close to signing a two-year $1.3 million deal, the All Stars fullback will be crucial to the Raiders’ final hopes this year.
One to Watch: Expect Josh McCrone to fire in the halves alongside Campese, who’s being touted as the 2012 captain.
Best team: Josh Dugan, Blake Ferguson, Joel Thompson, Jarrod Croker, Reece Robinson, Terry Campese, Josh McCrone, David Shillington, Travis Waddell, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Josh Paplii, Bronson Harrison, Shaun Fensom. Interchange: Shaun Berrigan, Sam Williams, Glen Buttriss, Dane Tilse.
Predicted finish: 14th
Betting: $21
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