The Wests Tigers have taken the unprecedented step of naming five captains for the 2018 NRL season, including three new recruits to the club.
While many clubs have gone with co-captains in recent years, the Tigers have added three on top of that as they try to find an answer to former skipper Aaron Woods, who left the club at the end of 2017 for the Bulldogs.
Among the five men to be named is club favourite and 2005 premiership-winning player Benji Marshall. It’s not clear if the half will have a role in the starting 17 this season, but he has been named in the team’s leadership group by coach Ivan Cleary.
Marshall left the Tigers in 2013 to take an opportunity with the Auckland Blues in Super Rugby. That didn’t work out though and he has since had varying levels of success back in the NRL at the St George Illawarra Dragons and Brisbane Broncos.
Alongside Marshall will be club stalwart Chris Lawrence, back-rower Elijah Taylor and a pair of new recruits in former Bulldogs half Josh Reynolds and front-rower Russell Packer.
Cleary didn’t say how the group would operate throughout the season.
“When we started this preseason it was pretty obvious straight away that there was no real pecking order,” the coach said.
“There was no set culture to adhere to. It was all new. That was what I wanted it to be like and that’s just how it panned out.
“With this particular team at this time I think it’s going to work best to spread that role and allow those blokes to develop in their own way.”
Reynolds comes to the club after spending all of his career so far at Canterbury. He was a favourite of the blue and white faithful and has played four State of Origin games for New South Wales. Packer has a chequered past and served time in jail for assault, but made a successful return to the NRL during 2016 and 2017 at the Dragons.
Lawrence is the only one-club player of the group, having made his debut in the black and gold in 2006. He has played six games for Australia, but never played State of Origin. Taylor, who has played 11 games for New Zealand, came to the Tigers in 2016 after stints at the New Zealand Warriors and Penrith Panthers.
The Tigers’ season opener will see them host the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium on Saturday, March 10.
TigerMike
Guest
Great article, love the comments too. Let's just look back for a minute, before game 1 Kicks off. Aaron Woods Has / or Had for us many great playing skills. However.. Against him, he was never useful for the team in post match interviews, and...as captain of the worst defensive team in the 2017 comp.. Was he any good as a captain.?? Based at least on their 2017 defensive record, he was not a good captain at all, So apart from his own playing, the broader question must be, Is a prop useful as a captain at all? Like when a scrum goes down, who's calling the shots? So my fellow roarer readers, since our great win in 2005, which captains' of premiership leaders is the best position for a captain? Including 05 of course... Was he half or 5/8 on that great day??
Nat
Roar Guru
Actually that raises a good point. Should they introduce the Captains Challenge, say 1 per half, Tigers get 10 shots! Well played Mr Cleary!
BA Sports
Guest
As Cleary stands on the training field and announces to the squad he has five captains there is a little Fijian bloke who has captained his country just three months ago thinking - "Geez five captains, I have to be one of those...". #MoreTearsForKevin
souvalis
Guest
Among that list Elijah Taylor doesn’t stand out for you ?
souvalis
Guest
Trying to think of an actual on field duty of a captain considering most questions the referees ask of him are answered from the sideline,and most of the talking is done by the 1,6 and 7...guess the main requisite is getting the ref to hear their whinge..Cherry is the best at that.
BA Sports
Guest
I would be waiting for the little Somalian pirate dude from the movie Captain Phillips to walk into the dressing room and say "look at me! I am the captain now!"...
Duncan Smith
Guest
Let me explain this to you. Ken Arthurson used to go round the Manly dressing rooms at half time and talk to players one on one, saying 'You've been our best player so far. If only we had another twelve blokes like you.' Then that guy would have a blinder in the second half. But Arthurson would actually say the same thing to each player in the team. Cleary's strategy is to privately tell each player at Wests Tigers that they are captain of the side and also say 'but don't let on to the other blokes, just keep it to yourself.' What he's actually told the other 12 players in the 17 is "These are the five blokes in the club who would sook if I didn't publically captain, so just play along. But you're the REAL captain. Keep it to yourself.' Good strategy I reckon.
Duncan Smith
Guest
I've heard that in the event of a draw at full-time, there will no longer be Golden Point, but a fistfight between opposing captains. That means Wests will have a clear advantage in having five blokes up against one. That would still be a fair fight if they're up against, say, Gallen from Cronulla. But what if they're taking on DCE at Manly? It's just not fair. In the words of Toovey, there's got to be an investiagation.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
Underrated comment
Big Daddy
Guest
Just like the volunteer fire brigade. Everyone wants to be captain.
Fred
Guest
There is no obvious choice for a single captain though. Some said Lawrence, but he's no guarantee to make the 17 each week. Same for Benji. Packer couldn't be sole captain due to his history, however much he has progressed since then. Reynolds maybe for 2019, but he's yet to prove himself for the Tigers.
spruce moose
Guest
Superb.
curaeus
Guest
Really! Bit early to be saying that Dodgy old mate!
Dutski
Roar Guru
I know he's missed his opportunity, but so disappointed for Lawrence that a dislocated hip cost him a chance at Origin. He never really regained his speed after that.
BA Sports
Guest
“When we started this preseason it was pretty obvious straight away that there was no real pecking order,” the coach said.... That sounds like there are no leaders in the club... So instead hey appoint 5? Appointing 5 devalues the role, lessens the impact of a leaders voice and risks mixing the message. We wait and see how this goes but the "Cleary is a mastercoach" folk might want to slow their role a bit...
Granter
Guest
2 co-captains is stupid enough, there should be one captain and that's it.
Les Mara
Guest
A coach that can't make a hard decision..imagine this guy coaching the Blues in State of Origin!
Dodgy dragons
Guest
Seriously, they have got to be kidding. Give them all a participation certificate aswell because that’s all the tigers will be doing this year!!
Scott Pryde
Expert
I can't understand anything more than co-captains.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Because six would be rediculous? Almost 40% of the players on the field would be captain... Why not just do away with having a captain altogether?