GWS star Stephen Coniglio will thrive as captain, says Lenny Hayes

Stephen Coniglio lifted the spirits around Greater Western Sydney when he announced he was re-signing, and his ascension to the captaincy has given the club another lift.

Giants midfield coach Lenny Hayes believes the captaincy will not only take Stephen Coniglio to greater heights, it will be like welcoming a new signing to the club.

Hayes, who knows the new GWS skipper better than most, has no doubt the “Cogs effect” can strike twice — just as it did last season when the star midfielder ended months of uncertainty by signing a seven-year deal and becoming a Giant for life.

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The Giants had endured a mixed second half of the campaign and finished sixth on the ladder at the end of the regular season.

A week-one finals date loomed with a Western Bulldogs side that had hammered Leon Cameron’s men in the penultimate game of the regular season.

But on August 27, Coniglio strode into the press room at Giants HQ and announced he wanted to help build GWS into the biggest sporting club in Australia.

From that moment, spirits soared and the men in orange and charcoal roared into the Grand Final.

Stephen Coniglio will captain the Giants next season. Picture: AAP

Coniglio cannot guarantee Grand Final glory but everyone he leads — on and off the field — will give their all for him.

“I think Cogs will take it (captaincy) in his stride,” Hayes said.

“He’ll thrive.

“Some guys might see it as an added pressure but there’s no doubt Stephen will rise to the occasion, as he has throughout his career.

“He’s one of those players that brings people together, whether a first-year player, staff or fans. He’s always giving of his time. He’s a pretty special young man.

“I think we’ll see another boost with a changing of the leadership, like we did when he re-signed.”

@stephenconiglio now wears el capitano mask #NeverSurrender pic.twitter.com/NYaOHBFxs4

— Heath Shaw (@LordHeathShaw23) December 3, 2019

And even though outgoing co-captains Phil Davis and Callan Ward described it as a changing of the guard at Tuesday’s press conference, Hayes is delighted that the change won’t rob the club of their services as players.

And with Ward closer to returning to full fitness after a season all but wiped out by an ACL injury, Hayes cannot wait to have Coniglio and Ward back in the midfield.

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Ward suffered his season-ending injury in round four, while a knee injury ended Coniglio’s year in round 16.

“I think with him and Wardy not playing (for much of last season and missing the grand final), they are both in the same boat. It’s almost like having two new recruits,” Hayes said. “Cogs was having a very good season before he got injured and was probably our best player up to that point, along with Jeremy Cameron and a couple of others. A big loss.”

Teammates have expressed delight about their new skipper. Heath Shaw joked on Twitter that Coniglio “now wears el capitano mask” (Coniglio mimics the mask goal celebration of Juventus star Paulo Dybala), while Jeremy Cameron (on Instagram) wrote “Skippp” accompanied by a fire emoji.

Originally published as GWS star Stephen Coniglio will thrive as captain, says Lenny Hayes