2026 Captain (poll)

[roopdog]

Has Simpkun stepped down from the captaincy yet?

 

[Frank Thring]

Has Simpkun stepped down from the captaincy yet?

Stepped down or stripped?

 

[SunnyBoner]

Parker and Harry to share for a year. Then Harry solo next year.

 

[Nylex]

Sheezel

 

[giantroo]

Might be the one.

 

[toepoker]

Whoever does become captain, it has to be an overall benefit if they are 100% invested in the group and the role. As much as he may have tried to, Jy cannot have been that last year. He just can't (the golf thing is exhibit A).
If it's Larkey, I don't think the investment side of it will be an issue

 

[DuckYeah]

Might be the one.

They’ll give it to souve. I have this feeling. He gives a shit about the club

 

[rickety]

Might be the one.

He's hard to listen to, imo.

 

[viccles]

Gut feeling of Larkey

 

[zoomba23]

Larkey says the right things and often doesn't do them. Sheezel says the right things and usually does them if he can. X says the right things and then pile drives his opponent. Parker unfortunately isn't looking like a candidate at the moment. Decisions, decisions

 

[The Talent Scout]

Larkey says the right things and often doesn't do them. Sheezel says the right things and does them if he can. X says the right things and then pile drives his opponent. Parker unfortunately isn't looking like a candidate at the moment. Decisions, decisions

Look, when you boil it down, there are lots of positives and lots of negatives for all three players for the captaincy, it almost has to be Harry or Tristan for the captaincy. Lets forget the negatives for a moment and ask ourselves a few interesting questions shall we. Harry, he's not a child, he can handle it, truly special players that lead clubs can make magical things happen, for instance our captains over the years maybe apart from the odd couple, have been tryers, not one more year, not two more years, NOW, why?

Because we need him to go to that final level, people know the time is right, Harry's the type of player that is a young general, but what's more important is he's shown he wants to pull this club out from under the mire, sound familiar? When you get players of Harrys ability and potential you harness it, you don't put a rug over him and say "Good puppy, we'll look after you"!

He doesn't want or need it, he's a lot stronger than people think, even today in three years of football, he's done things that no-one has ever done before, in history, let that sink in. A player like Harry leading our club has so many advantages its not funny, players would bleed for him, players would go where no man has gone before, players would look up to him whether they are younger or older, that's the presence he has and a player like that would make the others feel like they were bulletproof.

Tristan, while I laugh about what you said of him being captain, it's my thoughts as well, Tristan was elite last year, he has grown so much, he has also shown that he could take the reins because just maybe he would show out on the ground that we are not going to take any SH*T, and if any player wants to test big X or any of his teammates, better look out, he'd just likely say, as Rocky said to Clubber Lang in Rocky 3, "GO FOR IT"!

No more Mr nice guy, that doesn't mean he will play dirty, no no no, just that he is going to play "Old school", and if you get in his way he is going to hurt you, in a legal way. He doesn't spit the dummy {he's more likely to eat it} and for a big man it doesn't matter if your a little speedster breaking away from a stoppage, better not look behind you because you might not like what you see! Two different players, two different captains, but they have two things in common, they want to lead us up from the depths of hell to that heavenly glory that is the "CUP" and lastly, they wont back down, they wont quit and they will

keep coming at you relentlessly!

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

Putting Harry in the role now is just an unnecessary risk for probably our best player. We need him playing his best footy without the burden of captaincy. He can take it at 23 and still lead for 6-8 years. The only sane answer is Souv.

 

[RooInNorthLondon]

What does Clarko and his staff want the team identity to become over the next couple of seasons?

If we want a ball-dominating, silky, attacking outfit then the club should pick Harry.

If we want a hard, combative and relentless team then X is the guy.

If we want a selfless, low ego team that produces consistent effort supporting each other on and off pitch then it is Nick.

The choice of captain sets a tone and sends a message. All 3 options are valid which might point to a co-captain scenario.

 

[Masked Avenger]

What does Clarko and his staff want the team identity to become over the next couple of seasons?

If we want a ball-dominating, silky, attacking outfit then the club should pick Harry.

If we want a hard, combative and relentless team then X is the guy.

If we want a selfless, low ego team that produces consistent effort supporting each other on and off pitch then it is Nick.

The choice of captain sets a tone and sends a message. All 3 options are valid which might point to a co-captain scenario.

I'm not a fan of co-captains. Okay if you have a contending list with a leadership and talent group that bats deep, it can work then.

With a team that has been in the wilderness for a long time with a shallow leadership group, having co-captains increases the chance of no one taking ultimate responsibility for turning things around.

I see the sense in holding Harry back a couple of years tbh.

I look at FOS, Harry, George W, Kerch and PC. All highly competitive, combative and talented types.

I sense that group would identify with X as being the type of player to show them the way in a deadset ruthless game.

I know I would.

X for me.

 

[justroyal]

X for me

Larkey and Sheeze for Vice.

Ultimately, any mix of the three.

 

[DuckYeah]

X for me

Larkey and Sheeze for Vice.

Ultimately, any mix of the three.

I want this

 

[kool kangas]

X and Larkey will try to hard and that might be their downfall. They can fall over themselves at times with X taking the ball out of the ruck on occassions and getting caught. Larkeys frustration and pleading with umpires is not a good look and he can struggle and get frustrated if he can't get the ball. The extra pressure on Sheezel might affect his game so l'm still sticking with Parker for 2026 then one of the other 3 for 2027 depending on their 2026 performances.

 

[Bowski]

It’s a tricky one, this.

I’d still lean towards Parker. Yeah, there are negatives, but the positives — fierce competitor, strong voice, proven performer — stack up pretty well. He can wear the armband for a year or two, let Sheezel simmer nicely, and then hand it over when the kid’s fully primed.

Sheezel is obviously the heir apparent, but I’d still give him another season or two just to keep focusing on his own game and soaking everything in before he’s running the whole show.

Xerri is a genuine warrior, no arguments there, but if the long-term plan is for Sheezel to take over, it feels a bit rough to hand it to Xerri only to yank it off him right as he hits his prime.

Larkey’s a good VC, but as plenty have mentioned, he does love a little flop now and then — always fishing for the whistle.

Throw in the occasional toys-out-of-the-cot moment, and I’m not sure that’s the vibe you want from your captain. Let him stick to what he does best: snagging goals and rolling out the impressions. Keep him in his lane and everything’s sweet.

All that said, I still wouldn’t be shocked if the club rolls out the red carpet and hands Larks the captaincy on a silver platter. I don't think the club has the minerals to make a bolder choice in any of Xerri, Sheeze, or Parker. I hope I'm wrong.

And to throw a wrestling analogy in there when it comes to co-captains: a ‘co-main event’ just means there’s no main event.

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

Larkey’s a good VC, but as plenty have mentioned, he does love a little flop now and then — always fishing for the whistle.

Not an issue for the best ducker of all time, Joel Selwood.

 

[Bowski]

Not an issue for the best ducker of all time, Joel Selwood.

Selwood got the frees though, whereas Larkey gets largely bupkis — which only winds him up even more. Not saying a lot of the frees aren’t there, but he’s his own worst enemy at times with how he reacts.

 

[zoomba23]

Not an issue for the best ducker of all time, Joel Selwood.

If any player ever compensated for flopping with his footy, it was Joel Selwood. Dragged his team across the line more times than I could count. The only things Souv drags are his hands through his hair