St George Illawarra have today officially announced Cameron McInnes as the Dragons' new captain ahead of the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership season.
McInnes replaces Gareth Widdop as the club's skipper following the English international's departure to the Warrington Wolves.
McInnes joined the Dragons from the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2017 and has only missed one game since arriving at the Red V. McInnes has also won every performance-based award available in his three seasons at the club.
At 25 years old, McInnes becomes the second-youngest captain in the joint-venture's history.
"It's a huge honour to be named captain of the St George Illawarra Dragons. It was an unbelievable feeling when I was told I would be the captain," McInnes, who has played 112 NRL games to date, said.
"This club has a great fan base and following so to be their captain is a huge responsibility. I'm focused and plan on upholding the club's legacy and doing everyone proud.
"It's a challenge I'm looking forward to. There's plenty of great people at this club who will help me along the way, which is great as I have plenty of learning and growth as a player to come."
Dragons coach Paul McGregor said the decision to appoint McInnes as Dragons captain was a huge positive for the club leading into the new season.
"Cameron demonstrates, drives and reinforces what is acceptable and not acceptable in our club's behaviour and standards. His ability to play through pain and fatigue is as good as anyone I have coached," McGregor said.
"Cameron plays with passion, he's gritty and he's a trustworthy liaison between the staff and players. He's been our most consistent player over the past three years which was really important when it came to deciding the leader of the club."
