NRL 2021: Jake Turpin puts up hand for Broncos captaincy as Alex Glenn era comes to an end

A player who has just 80 minutes to score his first points of the season is among the leading candidates to succeed retiring Broncos skipper Alex Glenn. Who should get the role?

Jake Turpin, Brisbane Broncos training, Red Hills. Photographer: Liam Kidston

Brisbane hooker Jake Turpin has thrown his hat in the ring for the Broncos captaincy as the NRL’s richest club begins preparing for life without skipper Alex Glenn.

Brisbane’s first-choice skipper for the past two seasons, the retiring Glenn will draw the curtain on his glittering career with his 285th and final game for Brisbane in Saturday afternoon’s clash with Newcastle at Suncorp Stadium.

Glenn’s impending departure will leave a leadership void at Red Hill, with Turpin, Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas and Souths import Adam Reynolds among those being considered for the Broncos captaincy.

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Jake Turpin is keen to turn his hand to captaincy.

Turpin made his captaincy debut this year, filling in three times when Glenn was out injured, and says he would relish the prospect of emulating club legends such as Darren Lockyer, Allan Langer and Gorden Tallis by becoming Brisbane’s full-time captain.

“It would be a massive honour,” Turpin said ahead of Brisbane’s final-round clash against the Knights.

“Whether I’m captain or not, it’s not something I’m not going to think too much about, I just want to be a leader anyway in this team.

“The captaincy is something I liked doing throughout this year.

“Even when I had to step up in the role, I was filling the role for ‘Lexi’ (Glenn), but I definitely like being a leader in this team.

“It (Brisbane’s next captain) is a long way down the track. If anything happens, I would be honoured.”

Turpin has filled in three times this season as skipper.

Turpin has 80 minutes left to avoid the dreaded ‘nudie run’. The Broncos hooker has yet to score from 21 appearances this season and will be desperate to cross the white stripe in Brisbane’s final clash.

Turpin has been Brisbane’s midfield rock this season, amassing 875 tackles at an average of 41 per game, but the former Storm rake admits he needs to get more creative around the rucks to cement the No.9 jumper.

“I have a lot to work on with my game,” said Turpin, who returned a fortnight ago after a two-week layoff with an ankle injury.

“I just feel I’m not at my best at the moment and if I can get back to my best footy, it will help this club a lot and that’s what I want to do next year.

“There’s some skills with the ball and some attacking things I need to really work on. I am always working on my kicking game, but there’s some attacking things I need to work on and I have some people to help me with that.”

Alex Glenn will call it quits after this weekend.

In team selection news, Tom Flegler and Brendan Piakura are out suspended, with Jordan Riki (ankle) cleared to return to the back row, while Cory Paix and David Mead will join Rhys Kennedy and TC Robati on the interchange.

Turpin said Broncos players are determined to send Glenn into Red Hill retirement with victory.

“Alex has been such a good player on the field and a great leader off the field,” he said.

“It’s definitely his week and we want to send him off as a winner.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Jake Turpin puts up hand for Broncos captaincy as Alex Glenn era comes to an end