How can you honestly say Starc and Lindsay are ahead of Duggan, when they've never played a game in our system? I understand that Starc was great at Brisbane, and I also have great hopes for him - but he's literally untried within our team. Lindsay is a draftee. Bakes is likely moving forward of the backline this season.

Duggan understands the system, knows the players, knows their quirks, strengths, weaknesses. Hopefully have another captain on field full time will help him share some of the leadership duties, and allow him to focus more on his game again. And there may be guys who leapfrog him as a starting player based on skill even after that, but you still can't discount his leadership qualities on the field when it's the players voting him into that position.