TMFMISL

What about Ablett or JJB they are both experienced back rowers I think Ablett is one of most consistent player's in our squad and could possibly lead from the front but I do expect it to be Danny Mags

So called ethos? What on earth does that mean? The club clearly have an ethos, it's plain for all to see.

How do you know mags will view the captaincy as a burden? Over many years mags has been capable of coming up with big match winning moments. That shows a player who gets better in pressure situations, not one of crumbles under the burden.

I actually think mags has remodelled himself from support player to creator as his pace has wained and age has crept up. He is capable of moving a team around if his half back partner can take up some of the creative duties (and sutty can).

Not sure who you would prefer as you didn't say.

Both of those would be better options than McGuire. As would Ablett and Cuthbertson.

McGuire has a skill set that requires match winning gambles. Been captain will and should restrict his skill set. He does not have the settling personality that a captain needs to show, and he has a childish petulance that rubs officials up the wrong way.

A lot depends on him next year, and he should be free to deal with that IMO.

As captain you have to remember that you aren't just captain of the team for 80 mins a week. You're the captain of the club off the pitch as well week in week out and all that entails especially regarding media stuff.

Don't think Ward should get it this season. Firstly he's going to miss around half of season and also it a big ask at his age. Now before anybody mentions Sinfield's age at taking over captaincy, he wasn't taking over a golden generation like Ward would be and Ward has only had one real full season as a starter.

Hardaker, is A leader, but not THE leader in my opinion.

McGuire has had his flaws regarding his temperament but then again he wasn't the captain at the time. Many players in the past in sport has changed with captaincy. Jon Wilkin often the crybaby of Grand Finals has matured as the senior player of his club.

I seem to remember games over Catalans and Castleford away and Wigan at home early last season with Sinfield absent and McGuire leading that we won.....seemingly other people's memories only stretch back to Boxing Day. The Castleford away game in particular was arguably our most professional 80 mins of the regular season in 2015.

mcguire is next seasons captain (2016)

We will have rethink the dynamics of the captaincy role for 2016.

We effectively had 2 captains for the last 10 years in both Sinfield and Peacock (although only one of them wore the armband) which will be an almost impossible task for one player to replicate.
Sinfield organised the the attacking/defensive structure while Peacock did a majority of the motivational stuff both verbally and using the 'follow my lead' approach. This will be as big a loss as what both these players did with ball in hand.

Expecting Mags to fill the boots of Sinny AND JP is unrealistic - we need a more holistic approach to the captains job.

I agree. Not sure if a permanent captain has been named yet but if it is to be McGuire then we should stop sniping and get behind him as he has earned the right for for an extended term.

IMO contenders for captaincy should be 'heads up' players who ideally can kick which, for me, rules out Ablett and Hardaker although the latter has shown some signs of maturing.

Because we have lost both Sinny and JP it will be difficult for any new captain to match this amount of leadership experience and there is an argument to appoint 2 or 3 vice captains to assist who could be a mix of senior players and next generation potential captains.

Hardaker seemed to do a lot of the organising work in defence last year and was a vocal leader but he's not suited to the captaincy role off the pitch or dealing with referees. Maybe a "leadership group" would be best, involving JJB, McGuire, Hardaker, Cuthbertson and Ward, but I'd fully expect McGuire to be official captain next year.

I need to know what you mean by plodder?

If you mean he's not got the pace of a young McGuire or the agility of a Burrows then I concede that he indeed does not. He is pedestrian and due to his build always was and always will be.

However if you are talking about his ability as a RL play maker then you couldn't be more wrong. He's one of the smartest in the game and had we had the technology to sow his head on McGuires body we'd have had a world beater at H/B - but sadly that's not how it works.

Few players in SL is more competent and reliable than Finn. Nearly always finishes with a good last tackle option. Good short and long kicking game. Good hands with the ability to read the game and put the man in the gap. Robust defence. Sadly without the gift of being a true athlete he will never be a superstar and will always be dependant on the players around him to finish what he starts.

However because his game isn't built on physicality he will only get better with age and that will do for me any day of the week, all teams need that kind of player.

So a bit dumpy, quite slow both off the mark and over the distance and clearly not a world beater but a plodder - nah.

sinfield didn't take over a golden generation
Leeds Rhinos team 2003 final
Gary Connolly, Mark Calderwood, Chris McKenna, Keith Senior, Francis Cummins, Kevin Sinfield, Andrew Dunemann, Ryan Bailey, Matt Diskin, Barrie McDermott, Chev Walker, Matt Adamson, David Furner

of that team bailey debuted 2002 calderwood and diskin 2001 , walker 99

mcguire s not a captain

and if he captained a different team he'd be treated like brough and briers

A pair of players with temperaments even more questionable than McGuire's. I can only imagine that fans of their clubs were distraught when they were made captains.

Until both led their clubs to their greatest successes in living memory, that is.

Mcguire hasn't got long left and is only going to be a stop gap Captain until Ward more than likely takes the role long term in 2017 or 2018.Whilst i don't see Mcguire as a natural captain myself, he is still a big link to the golden generation as has been stated and has filled in well when called on to be captain in recent times.I really don't see any issues at all with this only ever being a short term thing.

Why not have a group? McGuire as official captain, but take the pressure off him by giving Hardaker the defensive duties? JJB media duties? Cuthbertson in charge of the forwards? One man cannot fill the void that has been left by JP & kev, AND run the game at halfback with a rookie partner.

Because we have just gone through an era unprecedented with the perfect recipe. Something that would not have happened had we not gone that way.

We are now about to go through a new period with a lot of changes.

The proven model of success is to identify the right long term younger player, with the right qualities, and have that player grow and mature with the team behind him, leading a new period. Stop gaps is just a case of taking the eye off the ball and complacency.