Well it was always going to be a 2 horse race between Sammy & Corey.
Let's look at their credentials; Sammy's got a few more Qld caps than Corey and also owns the odd Aust cap or two. Now being at the rep level of your sport doesn't mean automatic Captain material I'll agree. But, as both would have been eligible for an equal number of occasions there must have been an 'X factor/spark' that Sammy had & Corey didn't. Being able to dig deep within to get that 'spark' consistently is what defines a champion from a good player. And those things are what Captains need to be able to pass onto their team members these days. Coaches can't convey that sort of message, it needs to come from a leading player;esp a playing captain.
The temperament? Take a look at some of the other current Captains besides Locky..... Gallen? *ahem* anyway ...
How about past champion Captains? Lewis & Langer were no bloody angels that's for sure! Let's look elsewhere; Johns, Stuart etc etc, many had fiery heads, rightly or wrongly.
Sammy's matured the past few years on and off field. He has worked extremely hard at it and achieved great results. I think he will continue the hard work for years to come.
Corey is equal to Sammy on many respects. I believe his playing career will end much sooner than Sammy's & perhaps that was a big deciding factor also; long serving Captains offer stability for long times.
This year's Origin season probably highlights what I am getting at. I was pleased Corey was selected, I felt he deserved to be there; yet when he was put out there on the field, I was edgy. I hoped he didn't stuff up. I also could see an 'immaturity' in handling the pressure in that arena. I think his involvement in instigating the blue at the end of the game showed that 'immaturity'. And I don't think it was something that Sammy would have done given the same situation.
I see so much good can happen with Sammy as Captain. I hope this does not taint Corey's feelings towards the Broncs or the game or Sammy. It's never easy when you have too many quality choices.
