Captaincy thrills Lewis
01/17/2012 07:01:50 PM
Luke Lewis said it's a huge honour to be able to follow in the footsteps of his childhood hero Brad Fittler and captain Penrith in the NRL.
Lewis, a local Penrith junior who is going into his 12th season with the club, was unveiled as the Panthers new captain on Tuesday for the 2012 season, taking over from the departed Petero Civoniceva.
The NSW and Australian representative said he would draw inspiration from his team-mates in taking on a role he admits he never really aspired to do.
"To tell you the truth, it's not something I really thought about but it's obviously a massive honour for myself," Lewis said.
"I always wanted to play for the Penrith club as a junior, and my childhood hero Brad Fittler captained for the club."
"They're massive shoes to fill, but it's something that I'm definitely looking forward to. I really believe we have a big year ahead of us."
New Panthers coach Ivan Cleary says Lewis was an obvious choice to lead the side.
"It's always great to have a great leader, and I think we've got one ready to fill the boots of some of the great captains we've had in the past," Cleary said.
"As a player, he's outstanding - not only on the field, but I think he's also very well respected off the field."