League: Who should be the new Kiwis captain?

Who are the contenders to be Kiwis captain? Dale Budge takes a look at who might be announced as the man to lead the Kiwis to this year's World Cup.

Simon Mannering

Smart money would be on the ever-reliable Mannering. He's done it before for both the Warriors and the Kiwis, he's a certain starter, plays a full 80 minutes and is universally admired and respected. He is a reluctant skipper and doesn't enjoy the fanfare or extra attention that comes with the role however so they might need to twist his arm. Given the embarrassment of what happened with Jesse Bromwich, Mannering would be the safe option in terms of his professionalism and the manner in which he is perceived in the game.

Adam Blair

Blair co-captained the Kiwis with Issac Luke in 2015 and has a huge amount of experience to call upon. The 31-year-old Broncos prop has played 39 test matches for New Zealand and is one of the senior statesmen. He does play in the front row and therefore will have long periods off the park but could find himself as a starting player now that Bromwich is missing.

Issac Luke

Like Blair, Luke has experience captaining the side before and he does have plenty of experience with 37 tests to his name. His club form for the Warriors has been patchy - and that is being polite - so he probably isn't the best choice. He's a contender but not a likely choice.

Shaun Johnson

Johnson is the most polished communicator in the side - he is intelligent and comes across well when interviewed. He is a certainty to start and play the full 80 minutes and he has a massive say in how the team plays already. It makes sense that he take on the added responsibility of captain although the downside is whether that would burden him with too much responsibility, especially when he's been searching for club form with the struggling Warriors. It seems a near-certainty that he will get the chance to captain the side at some point - is now too soon?

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

You'd have to think that the Warriors skipper might be a real contender to take over as Kiwis captain as well. He is a lock-in selection and also plays a full 80 minutes. He's considered a clean-skin in terms of his behavior and the way he conducts himself. The jury is still out on his captaincy ability - he's had half a season with the under-performing Warriors and hasn't painted himself in glory just yet. Like Johnson, you figure he will be a captain at some stage in his career.

Kieran Foran

Foran has had a taste of captaining the side before but would be considered an outside chance of getting the nod this year. He has made it clear publicly that he isn't keen on the job as he continues to re-build his career. Like many on this list, he is a guaranteed selection and clearly possesses leadership qualities but it would be a huge shock if he is unveiled as Kiwis captain.

Tohu Harris

The dark horse in the mix - Storm second-rower Tohu Harris. He has become a valuable member of the side and plays big minutes. He doesn't have the experience of some of the other contenders and he is quite a quiet player. He is widely respected however and, like Bromwich, has come through the Storm system with some of the best leaders in the history of the sport. His time may come at a later point but you can't totally rule him out right now.

Benji Marshall

Who knows? Maybe the safest ploy is to go back to what worked last time. Marshall was influential in New Zealand's World Cup triumph in 2008 and he led the side superbly in their 2010 Four Nations victory on his way to winning the Golden Boot. Marshall hasn't been playing first grade this year after switching to the Broncos but being named Kiwis skipper could be the catalyst to re-igniting his NRL career.