With the criticism of Hayne's captaincy in dealing with referees, perhaps it is time to look at all the Club Captains, in a performance review, and see where they rank:
1. Cameron Smith - Outstanding leader, inspirational on-field general, excellent rapport with referees, good communicator with all media outlets and I imagine the sponsors love him. Great speaker and gives his club a lot of exposure, due to his demand. Hard to find a fault. 9.5 out of ten (no-one is perfect)
2. Johnathon Thurston - Great leader that has grown into the Captaincy role well, mainly through brilliant on-field inspiration, work ethic and never say die attitude. Commands respect and players follow him. Great with media outlets, mostly due to his infectious laugh, but very honest speaker that comes across that he lives and breathes what he says. Kids love this bloke and Sponsors would also love him. Not the greatest orator and has a little difficulty with referees. 8.5 out of ten. Honourable mention to Matt Scott as co-Captain.
3. Paul Gallen - Now tainted by the drug scandal, and perhaps should not be ranked at all, given his involvement as Captain during the scandal. That said, he carries the burdens of the club well. Does more media work than any other Captain, giving his club and sponsors good exposure. Unquestioned on-field inspiration and leader. Has a prickly relationship with referees. 8 out of ten (some may say 0 out of ten)
4. Corey Parker - goes about his leadership responsibilities with high level of professionalism. Speaks very well at all press conferences. Highly respected among his playing group, leading from the front with on-field performance. Not the on-field organiser as are other Captains. Seems to communicate well with referees. Good speaker and solid team leader. 8 out of ten. Can't workout how, why or what Justin Hodges provides as co-Captain.
5. Michael Ennis - A real leader in the true sense. Is very protective of his club and players. Is a good thoughtful speaker off the field and media work is well received by those in the industry. Leads from the front on the field, constantly talking and driving his team forward. His problem though is his image with players and fans outside his club. His an ordinary rapport with referees. 7.5 out of ten (would be higher with a better image) Also can't understand the role Frank Pritchard plays as co-Captain.
6. Anthony Minichiello - Squeaky clean, good with the media and sponsors. Ageing warrior that has always been inspirational at the back, but perhaps not the on-field general of others. 7.5 out of ten
7. Tim Mannah - Hard to get a feel on rating Mannah. He too is squeaky clean, prefers to do his talking on the field and obviously well respected within the club. Is good with the media, but something missing for mine in the way he puts words together. Seems to work well with the referees and perhaps Hayne should leave this area to Mannah. Not a natural born leader, but seems to handle the co-Captain role well. 7 out of ten.
8. Kurt Gidley - Very highly respected among the entire playing community, so much so that he has the rare honour of captaining NSW from the bench. Not as effective on-the field, as he is now obviously in his twilight years. Seems to have off-loaded some of the off-field speaking and media work to Willie Mason. Has good relationship with referees, but seems to be Captain in name more than nature. 6 out of ten.
9. Jarryd Hayne - Terrific example of inspirational on-field player, prefers to say 'give me the ball' and 'follow me' rather than organise the team. Unquestioned ability to inspire those around him into better performance. Has demanded the Captaincy more by his playing deeds, than anything else he brings to the role. Has a terrible relationship with referees, sometimes to the detriment of the team. Struggles with the media side of things and just doesn't speak well. 6 out of ten
10. Jamie Lyon/Jason King - probably the best example of co_captains working well together. Jamie Lyon is too introverted to handle the role on his own, he is not a very good public speaker and dislikes any form of publicity and media work. He must deliver a lot behind closed doors and the proof is in the pudding regarding Manly's constant high performance. Jason King on the other hand, is a valuable co-Captain, highly intelligent, and thoughtful speaker. 6 out of ten
11. Simon Mannering - perhaps out of sight, out of mind. Perhaps does a lot more media work in NZ that we don't see over here. Softly spoken and displays his leadership with on-field performance. Highly respected competitor. 6 out of ten
12. Nate Myles/Greg Bird - purely on-field leaders, however, Nate Myles seems to be maturing as a player, understanding his responsibilities to the fans and media alike. Both players are extremely sought after by representative coaches, which is a very telling insight of how highly regarded they are in the dressing room. 5.5 out of ten
13. Robbie Farrah - Perhaps, sections of the media give a misleading view of this bloke, resulting in a mis-understood value of his role as Captain. Does not handle criticism at all well, and he must accept some responsibility of the present club debacle. Comes across as an individual, rather than team player. 4 out of ten
14. Terry Campese - is clearly not the player he was. Carried the teams responsibilities well for a few years, leading a young team and being the voice both on and off the field. Did well with the media and referees 4 out of ten
15. John Sutton - obviously won the Captaincy by in-house paper, scissors, rock competition and can best be described as a Claytons Captain. Provides very little exposure for his team, very ordinary on-field talker and organiser. Does not handle the media or referees well at all. Sam Burgess is clearly the surrogate Captain with the aid of Greg Inglis. 2 out of ten
Ben Creagh - have not seen or heard from him all season.
Peter Wallace / Kevin Kingston - missing in action.
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