Maybe a bit unfair to stick it on AO'B. He may well be a future captain but he's still got a bit of the 'callow youth' about him as yet and a skipper has to sound the part as much as act it. Would he, at this early stage of his career, have the authority, that is the natural authority, of a true leader? MMmm..

When you look at the squad list, barring the halves and hooker, who don't look skipper material it's not easy to pick a starting 13 let alone a captain.

Purtell speaks well and with enthusiasm.
Clough has probably played at the highest level.
Ferguson?
If Addy is getting the 13 shirt as mentioned in the T and A does he look like a skipper? Probably no less so than anyone else.

I’d say Clough, Ferguson, Purtell and Sidlow are the most likely looking given that they’d be more likely to be picked in the starting 13 if everyone’s fit.

Apart from Ferguson who I see as a cert if he’s fit the backrow is totally up for grabs and anyone could be in it from week to week so even though someone like Walker has plenty of experience he may not be getting a slot in the 17.

Halfback we have Gaskell – accused of being “too quiet” by Cummins and Sjieka who is very much an unproven quality.

Fullback we have someone else who is relatively unproven and coming back from injury.

It’s a tough one.

Gaskell for me. Wouldn't have Sidlow because he's unlikely to be on the pitch for 80 minutes and I'd just prefer it if the captain was out there the whole time telling the players what he wants. I think O'Brien is probably too inexperienced at the moment but I think he may potentially be a captain in the future. Purtell has bags of experience but I'm not sure if he's guaranteed a starting place; we have a lot of competition in the outside backs.

If he ever makes the 17, Chev Walker.

I think supporters sometimes getting a little carried away with the named captain. A lot of the major decisions are decided from the sidelines during the game. You could argue that the captain is there to lead by example and rally his team. Or perhaps a calmer intellectual head capable of putting pressure on the officials might be more beneficial. In any case the senior players in our squad will all have a responsibility to guide the younger guys.

I think Chev Walker and Adrian Purtell both come across well in interviews and seem well respected within our squad. Either of those two would seem a reasonable option IMO.

I'm sure Chev will get club captain or equivalent.

Sidlow is a possibility - an Andy Lynch type of captain.

I think Gaskell, AoB,Purts, Addy are too quiet or inexperienced.

Another option, been here most of a season, committed player, leaves it all on the pitch - Jay Pitts?

Toss up between Gaskell and Purtell IMO. Ferguson maybe an outside bet.

Why are people saying Ferguson? We've seen so very little of him we can't judge whether he'd be any good or not. Frankly he needs to prove that his back is up to the rigours of weekly matches before he's a candidate.

Sidlow 'appears' to be a placid kinda guy. But maybe appearances are deceptive. He could turn out to be the Andy Lynch type captain, as others have said

There aren't any really obvious candidates to me

That's very true, BB. The concept of the 'leadership group', formed by the senior players, has been a feature for a number of years under a succession of coaches. I can't see any reason that it would be ended, in any case it would exist, in an informal sense, at every club I'd guess. Maybe, when there is no single dominant personality at the club, that is what happens naturally, whoever is named as skipper. In any case, very often the 'dominant personality' is the last one you'd want to be in charge anyway..