Hugh McGahan: Wise heads needed on tour

Issac Luke of New Zealand makes a break during the Four Nations match between the New Zealand Kiwis and Samoa. Photo / Getty Images

One of the biggest things the Kiwis need to get out of their tour of England is future leaders emerging because it's an area Stephen Kearney's side are lacking.

The absence of regular skipper Simon Mannering, together with Kieran Foran, Shaun Johnson, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Jason Taumalolo, is a big one.

Issac Luke and Adam Blair have been installed as co-captain's in Mannering's place and I have my doubts about those two as leaders.

They both have a record with the judiciary and it's imperative your captain is always on the field.

That can't be guaranteed given the way both of them play the game - Luke is prone to tip-tackles and shoulder charges and Blair is the same. I would have been inclined to install someone else, perhaps Jesse Bromwich, as captain instead. He has the same temperament as Mannering, leads by example and can play for 80 minutes. I'm also not a fan of co-captains. What's wrong with just one and then a vice-captain? What happens when both are on the field and one wants to take a quick tap and the other wants a shot at goal? Whoever imposes their will probably should be captain anyway.

It's unfortunately become trendy to have co-captains, just like leadership groups. We always used to have leadership groups, just not formalised. They were the senior players and as a youngster coming in you shut up and did whatever the senior players asked of you.

Another area I'll take a keen interest is the development of the young players in key positions and especially the halves.

Tui Lolohea probably would have gone on tour even if Johnson and Foran were there but he would have been developed as a backup. Now he needs to lead this team.

It's a big ask for someone so young and inexperienced, and even more so in a place like England where crowds can seem intimidating, so I wouldn't blame him and some of the other youngsters if they became flustered. I don't think Kearney will opt for this but I would play Kodi Nikorima in the halves instead of Peta Hiku. Nikorima gives the team options with the way he plays, taking the line on, and also provides a spark. Hiku did little against Leeds yesterday, the all-round kicking game was poor and it's so important for a half to provide direction.

Nikorima needs to get time on the park at some stage and he will get limited minutes if he plays backup to Luke at dummy-half and Luke is needed as an 80-minute player and goalkicker anyway.

The Kiwis looked lethargic in the first 20 minutes against Leeds and in the end won because of their superior power up front and offloading ability. It was exactly what they needed to blow the cobwebs out. I expect the Kiwis to go well on this tour and wouldn't be surprised if they won the series 2-1. I think all of the games will be close but the English will be confident, given the players missing from the Kiwis. It's still a really strong New Zealand side and it's a reflection of the health of the game in this country.

It's all pointing towards a good 2017 World Cup campaign.

Kearney doesn't need to do too much different on this tour to compensate for the absentees.

But that's where the leadership group becomes so important to help integrate them into the new culture. Kearney might need to monitor how things are going off the field and his medical staff, the physio and doctor, often become key allies. They can relay the feeling within the camp, and whether there are any problems, from what they hear on the treatment table.