Warriors galvanised by new captain RTS

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck gallops up and down the Warriors training paddock like a little kid at the best of times, so just imagine what he’s like with the captaincy on his shoulders.

“Now he does that twice,” hooker Issac Luke said.

“He’s actually gotten more excited.”

The new Warriors skipper led his side out for the first time in last week’s trial loss to Melbourne, and will do so again on Sunday against Gold Coast.

Seeking a captain who led by example, boss Stephen Kearney gave Tuivasa-Sheck the role a fortnight ago despite having played just seven times for the club.

But he has also surrounded the 23-year-old ex-Rooster with older heads in the changeroom for support, one of whom is vice-captain Simon Mannering.

“It’s exciting for the club and Roger, to have such an enthusiastic and respected player at the club having that role,” Mannering said.

“You get a lot of energy from him and the way he leads.”

A former Warriors captain himself, the 30-year-old stalwart knows better than most the challenges of the role.

He empathised with ex-captain Ryan Hoffman, demoted from the role, but said Tuivasa-Sheck had brought nothing but positivity to the table so far.

“All of us have to support him as best as we can,” Mannering said.

Initially tentative to take the job , Tuivasa-Sheck sounded out a number of players before accepting Kearney’s offer, including prop Jacob Lillyman.

Lillyman encouraged his teammate to embrace the challenge, saying the responsibility would help his development as a player.

If he needed help, the Kiwi could just bounce ideas off his teammates.

“A great appointment, especially with the big picture in mind,” Lillyman said.

“He wouldn’t have been everyone’s first choice but you’ve got to look at what he does on the training field, the way he prepares himself.

“He’s such a great example to everyone.”

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