It might not have always been "natural" for him, but new Raiders captain Joseph Tapine has grown into one of the great leaders in rugby league.
The 30-year-old, who burst onto the scene a decade ago with the Knights before off-field dramas and contract disputes hit, was announced as the club's new skipper after their 2024 campaign ended in heartbreak, narrowly missing out on the finals.
Tapine was unveiled at Canberra's end-of-season awards night and joins a tremendous list of players to have led the proud club during their careers.
Among those ex-captains down in the nation's capital is head coach Ricky Stuart, who took the Kiwi enforcer out to dinner in September prior to the official announcement.
But according to Tapine, he wasn't the first member of his family to find out the news.
Joseph Tapine's wife Kirsten found out about the captaincy before him. Â Getty
"I was obviously proud," he said in an exclusive interview with Wide World of Sports.
"Sticky and that took me out to a dinner and announced it. I think he told my wife the week before, so they were keeping secrets from me.
"I have been striving for that positon for years now, building up to it and doing the best I can to better myself and my leadership."
The career moment for Tapine was a far cry from a few years ago, when he and Stuart were at loggerheads after a very public turn of events.
At the time, Tapine's wife Kirsten took aim at the Raiders boss on social media, leading to uncertainty over the New Zealand international's future with the club.
However, the two-time Dally M Prop of the Year believes that rift was the change he needed to blossom into a leadership role he never saw himself holding.
"Definitely not – I probably only grew into it the year me and Sticky actually had a little bit of a biff – well not a biff, but a disagreement," Tapine reflected.
Joseph Tapine had to bide his time to become a favourite of Ricky Stuart's. Â Getty
"My wife has always said that I'm a leader and I've always tried to lead by actions.
"I was never a big voice, especially in junior footy. I didn't make many rep teams when I was younger and in U20s I was just there to do my job.
"It's been a lot of work that I've had to do individually … I set huge goals for myself to reach. It's not natural for me, I had to work on a lot of things."
That turning point also shifted Tapine's dynamic off the field with the veteran coach.
"Me and Stick are good mates – chalk and cheese now [to how it was]," he said.
"I can call or text him if I'm thinking something about a player or how we want to train.
"We are just on the same level. He can always contact me too and say 'Taps, I need you to do this' and I think that healthy relationship will help our team in the long run."Â
Joseph Tapine and Ricky Stuart have become close over the years. Getty
Tapine takes the reins as skipper from English star Elliott Whitehead, who left the NRL at the end of last year and will likely finish his career in Catalans.
While the departures of Whitehead and Jordan Rapana will be massive for Canberra in the short-term, Tapine believes it will only help other voices come to the fold.
"They are a huge void, but we have got a lot of younger guys ready to step up," he said.
"A lot of younger boys are putting their hands up to lead as well, which I enjoy. If everyone is striving to reach that leadership group, it makes the entire squad better.
"The transition we have had, losing a lot of experience, has been made easier because of these fresh guys standing up."
Joseph Tapine is ready for a big season. Â Getty
Canberra will welcome a host of new faces to its squad this year, with Warrington back-rower Matty Nicholson and former Eels halfback Ethan Sanders at the top of the list.
Tapine also gave a special mention to young Queensland hooker Owen Pattie, who joined the club last year and has been working his way through the lower grades.
The side kicks off its NRL campaign against the Warriors in Las Vegas on March 2.