Jesse Bromwich has all the qualities Wayne Bennett likes in his captains which is why he has been named the Dolphins inaugural skipper for the 2023 NRL season.
The 33-year-old New Zealand skipper and former co-captain of Melbourne was officially announced in the role at the Dolphins season launch in Brisbane on Friday night.
The prop, a three-time premiership winner, will lead by example with the no-nonsense style that has been a hallmark of his career.
Dolphins coach Bennett senses a kindred spirit in Bromwich and said he was the right man to lead the club in its historic first year.
"I like the way he carries himself and his mannerisms. I like someone (as captain) who leads from the front, and there's no more leading from the front than playing front-row," Bennett told AAP.
"Jesse is a very measured person...and that suits my style too."
Bromwich told AAP he was "very thankful and honoured for the opportunity".
"To be the first captain of the Dolphins NRL side...I never thought something like this would happen to me. I am pretty much blown away," he said.
"I am at the stage of my career now where I have had a lot of good experiences and a couple of bad ones as well.
"I am very comfortable with the role now. I really know who I am.
"I was very fortunate to be under the best captain of all time in Cameron Smith at Melbourne.
"It is going to be quite easy to lead this Dolphins team around because the players are all selfless and hard working. They are the types of groups I love working with."
Bennett said Bromwich had "proven with his record at Melbourne and with New Zealand" that he had grown into roles as both a captain and one of the game's best props.
It is why the Dolphins went hard to secure his services.
"He has done extremely well with the premierships he has won, all his success and the way he has done it," Bennett said.
"We wanted him here because we wanted what he brings."
Bromwich was co-captain at Melbourne for the last two seasons after he did the perfect apprenticeship, learning from Smith and diverse leaders such as Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater, Ryan Hinchcliffe and Bryan Norrie.
The Storm had leadership programs that Bromwich became a part of. Former Collingwood premiership-winning captain Nick Maxwell was the leadership coach at the Storm for six years and helped Bromwich find his own voice as a skipper.
Bromwich has a big job ahead of him at the Dolphins but has his younger brother Kenny, former Storm teammate Felise Kaufusi and ex-South Sydney veteran Mark Nicholls beside him to share the load in a pack that is strong on experience and clout.
The Dolphins will play their first trial on Saturday against CQ Capras in Gladstone.
The team for this match, made up mostly of NRL hopefuls and Queensland Cup players, will be coached by assistant coach Nathan Fien and captained by former Wests Tigers, Newcastle and Canberra prop JJ Collins.
