Kiwi bad boy a co-captain
Of the five men named as cocaptains of the Wests Tigers, none have come further than Russell Packer.
Packer joins Benji Marshall, Josh Reynolds, Chris Lawrence and Elijah Taylor as coach Ivan Cleary’s choices to lead the jointventure outfit into a new era. The decision to include Packer is perhaps the boldest choice, but won’t come as a complete shock to fans.
It was revealed in November that Cleary was considering a cocaptaincy model and Packer, in spite of his shameful history, was right in contention.
Packer was a whisker away from being rubbed out of the game altogether after he was jailed for a year for a vicious alcohol-fuelled assault. As part of his penance, the Kiwis prop was forced to spend a season with NSW Cup side Illawarra Cutters before being permitted to return to the NRL ranks with the Dragons.
The 28-year-old has made the most of his second chance, undertaking community work and earning a university degree as part of his personal and professional development off the field. The newfound maturity hasn’t affected his football, earning a return to the New Zealand national side and a mammoth four-year deal to switch to the Tigers.
Each of the new skippers brings their own story and experience to the role. For Packer, it is the completion of one the game’s great redemption stories; prodigal son Marshall completes the fairytale homecoming; Reynolds, nicknamed ‘‘Grub’’ due to his on-field approach, is given a chance to lead at his new club; local junior Lawrence is rewarded for his loyalty as a one-club man; and Taylor goes from a Penrith reserve grader to having the ‘‘c’’ next to his name.
‘‘When we started this preseason, it was pretty obvious straight away that there was no real pecking order,’’ Cleary 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.’’
Tigers fans will get a taste of how the new dynamic will work in a trial against North Queensland in Cairns tomorrow night.
While Marshall will be absent, the other leaders have been named to play.