Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett says Corey Parker was the obvious choice to become the Broncos' next leader.
Bennett was full of praise at Red Hill on Friday as he named Parker as his captain for the 2016 Brisbane Broncos squad.
The pair have worked together since 2000 when Parker joined the club, forming a bond much stronger than coach and player.
"He epitomises what all the captains of the Broncos I've appointed have done, he leads from the front," Bennett said of Parker.
"He has a great ability to communicate but his actions are much stronger than his words and he does a great job in that department.
"He has the respect of all the players and that's really important. He'll lead it by action more than words
"He came here as a kid and I was a younger coach then. We've had a long journey together.
"He's always done his best and I admire that. The players that have stayed here for most of their careers have always done their best and he's been right at the forefront of that."
It is the professionalism of Parker that has set him apart from others, with the 33-year-old seemingly getting better with age.
Bennett said Parker's ability to learn had developed him into an ultimate professional.
"He's taught himself to be a wonderful professional. There were some great men here when he came. These men were at the top of their game," he said.
"Parker was smart enough to hang around with the likes of Brad Thorn, Shane Webcke, Petero Civoniceva. He learnt a lot of lessons from them.
"He's carried these lessons into the future and made himself into an extremely good professional. That's what the good players do. They do everything right 24/7. They don't just turn up on game day and try and get it right. They get it right all week and he does that year after year."
Video first published at broncos.com.au
