"He plays like a leader" - Crusaders back new captain Christian Lio-Willie to rise to occasion

The call marks a significant moment in Lio-Willie’s development, with head coach Rob Penney backing the forward’s leadership credentials. “First of all, he plays like a leader,” Penney says.

“He leads from the front. His actions are classic Crusader like. He works hard, is tough, has explosiveness and the ability to break the line and change momentum. But it’s also behind the scenes. He’s a genuine, lovely man and the boys love playing for him.”

For Lio-Willie, the honour has come as a surprise—but one he’s ready to embrace.

“It's huge. It wasn’t in the plan or anything with my vision, but I know the responsibility and the legacy that comes with it and I’m pretty excited, to be honest. It hasn’t really hit me fully yet, but I know I’ve got my job at hand, and I’ve got to lead myself first before I lead others.

“I’ve had great examples first-hand with Davey and the way he leads. That’s the standard I strive to.”

Dallas McLeod steps in as vice-captain and added: “Yeah, it’s a pretty special opportunity for me.

“I’ve been part of the leadership group for the last few years and to get the VC with Christian leading the team is going to be pretty special. I’ll be around to help the guys in the back line and make sure everything’s running smoothly. We’ve got a good group of leaders around us, which makes the job a lot easier.”

There’s also a timely boost with winger Macca Springer returning from a long injury layoff.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty tough,” Springer says. “I’ve had about six months off since my last game, so it’s been about getting my rhythm back. It’s hard watching the boys train through pre-season and the start of the season and not being able to do anything, but I’m slowly getting back into it now and I’m pretty excited to get back out there.”

After a narrow loss last time out, Penney insists the focus is clear heading into Perth.

“We were very disappointed,” Penney says. “The error rate was too high, and the ball was slippery, which made things difficult, but we adjusted as best we could on the fly. We’ll be looking to be much better this week.”

With the season tightening, the Crusaders know what’s required. “Every week’s important. Every point you get is critical. We’re there or thereabouts and we need to start building rhythm sooner rather than later. We know what we’re capable of, now it’s about showing it.”