Novocastrian Hannah Southwell and star recruit Millie Boyle will co-captain the Newcastle Knights this NRLW season.
Southwell, who returned home to play for the Knights after three seasons with the Roosters and one with the Dragons, said she had aspirations to captain the club but thought she would have to wait to do so.
"I didn't sign at this club to be captain, that was not my goal," the 23-year-old lock said on Tuesday. "But for [coach Ron Griffiths] to ask me is a huge honour.
"Obviously born and bred here and that's something I always aspire to be, but I didn't think would happen so soon."
The duo will lead Newcastle into their first clash with Brisbane, Boyle's former team, at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
Southwell, set to play alongside 17-year-old sister Jesse for the first time in the NRLW, said sharing the captaincy with Boyle would lighten the load on both players.
"It takes pressure off me, I think it takes pressure of Millie and we can just be ourselves and play footy," she said.
"We just can't wait."
Boyle, originally from Cobargo on the state's far south coast, said she wasn't expecting to be handed the co-captaincy despite being a NSW and Australian representative.
"It's such an honour to be co-captain alongside Hannah in a town that loves their footy and [at] such a proud club," the 24-year-old prop said. "I defintely did not expect it, but to be able to go out there and do my thing and help other girls along the way, is something that is very special to me."
The duo have taken on the captaincy ahead of Romy Teitzel, who was skipper in the club's maiden NRLW campaign earlier this year. Boyle said the Knights were "lucky to have such a great group of girls who all have a lot of great leadership qualities".
Jesse Southwell will debut at halfback in Sunday's match, which kicks off at 6pm following the conclusion of the 4pm NRL clash between Newcastle and Canberra.
Knights NRLW side (vs Broncos)
- 1 Tamika Upton 2 Kiana Takairangi 3 Shanice Parker 4 Bobbi Law 5 Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly 6 Kirra Dibb 7 Jesse Southwell 8 Caitlan Johnston 9 Olivia Higgins 10 Millie Boyle (c) 11 Romy Teitzel 12 Yasmin Clydsdale 13 Hannah Southwell (c) Bench: 14 Emma Manzelmann 15 Tayla Predebon 16 Kyra Simon 17 Simone Karpani
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