Newcastle's longest-serving captain Kurt Gidley has joined Andrew Johns in endorsing Kalyn Ponga to take the reins as Knights skipper, saying it could bring the best out of the star fullback.
The Knights are yet to confirm if the model of co-captains will be maintained in 2022 but Ponga appears short odds to be involved.
Jayden Brailey and Daniel Saifiti were named co-captains last year following the adoption of a five-man leadership group that included Ponga, Mitch Barnett and Blake Green. Brailey went on to be captain most weeks, but Ponga skippered the side on three occasions.
The fullback was already set to take on more of a leadership role this season given Mitchell Pearce's departure, but in the absence of Brailey - who is likely to be out for the first half of the year through injury - that may now include being skipper.
"It will be a great responsibility [for him]," Knights captain of 123 games Kurt Gidley said of Ponga taking the role.
"He has played some rep footy and been amongst those elite teams.
"He comes across as a relaxed personality, but ... there will be times where he will maybe have to change that nature and be a bit more aggressive or protective of his teammates, or honest pre or post-game.
"But that's all part of the development of being a leader."
Ponga turns 24 next month and is in his fifth season at Newcastle. He has played 83 NRL games and four Origin matches for Queensland, a number reduced by injury.
Gidley took the Knights' captaincy at a similar stage of his career and believes it would only benefit Ponga.
"I think you'll get more out of him," he said. "The extra responsibility of captaincy, it can increase your performance that little bit more because you're there to make a difference, to win the game if the ball is in your hands, inspire your teammates and make that extra effort."
Gidley, who played 251 games for the club across 15 seasons, was made captain at the end of 2008 aged 26. He captained the side a few times prior but became the sole full-time skipper after Danny Buderus left the club.
A born-and-bred Novocastrian, Gidley is certain Ponga is captain-material.
"He understands what the culture of Newcastle is about, his family have embedded themselves here, he is always very polite and comes up to all the old boys - I think he has embedded himself in the Newcastle way," he said.
Gidley said Ponga wasn't just a talented player, but had a "toughness" - recalling a try-saving tackle he made on Akuila Uate in his club debut.
"He just threw his body on the line, led with the head and knocked Aku over the sideline. I knew at that stage we'd signed an amazing and courageous player," he said.
Handing Ponga the captaincy might be viewed by some as a way for the club kill-off speculation he could join the Dolphins, but Gidley didn't see it that way.
"It's about getting the best out of your players," he said.
"The captain is about inspiring your teammates and being the best leader in the team.
"You don't always have to be the most talented player, Kalyn obviously is, but if your the captain of your club it's about what you're doing off the field, in the community, but it's also about the effort, desire and courage you show on the field."
NRL Immortal and now specialist coach at the Knights, Andrew Johns, believes it's a "no-brainer" to make Ponga captain.
"I knew he was a special player - we all knew that - but he's got that something about him that will make a great captain," Johns told News Corp.
"He's got that real presence about him whenever he walks into training.
"It's his personality, his demeanour, it's everything."
