STEFAN RATCHFORD will continue to give team-mates a piece of his mind as Warrington Wolves captain.
The long-serving, versatile back was recently appointed as the new club skipper, succeeding Jack Hughes who departed Warrington for Leigh Leopards in the off-season.
Wolves head coach Daryl Powell said he saw that Ratchford “behaved liked a captain” last season, and so is confident he will thrive with the official title.
And 34-year-old Ratchford, who has played much of his career as a fullback but has been given the number four jersey for the upcoming campaign, is confident he has what it takes in the role.
“Even when I’m not captain, I’ve been quite vocal,” he said.
“I let people know what I’m thinking and what’s going on in my mind. Nothing’s going to change to what I’ve done for the past number of years.
“Whether I’ve had the captain’s armband or not I’ll always say what I think. I’m quite experienced so I’ve seen plenty of things and I’ll have a few things to pass on.
“I’ll be doing my best, talking to the lads, pulling them up if need be, but also trying to lead by example and get the lads to follow.”
Ratchford is keen to stress he will not be on his own captaining the Wolves, with Powell assembling an experienced side packed full of potential leaders.
It’s a good job that is the case, as Warrington are under plenty of pressure to bounce back from their worst season of the Super League era.
“Probably 90 per cent of us underperformed last year, so there’s a lot of pressure on all of us to get off on the right foot this year,” said Ratchford.
“I’ve been named as captain but you look at the other leaders – George (Williams) captained England in the World Cup, Josh McGuire, Paul Vaughan are all outstanding leaders – so I’m not on my own on that front.
“I think we’re all under pressure to perform and get off on the right foot but it’s a challenge we’re all looking forward to.”
