KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - Getting the job as South Sydney rugby league co-captain is not enough for David Kidwell.
Now, he wants the New Zealand test captaincy, made vacant by Ruben Wiki's retirement from the international game last year.
"I have a goal, I'd like to be captain of my
country one day," Kidwell said at this week's launch of the Charity Shield match against St George Illawarra tomorrow.
Asked if that meant now -- or at least for April's international against Australia in Brisbane -- the 24-test veteran said: "I'm not too sure.
"I haven't spoken to Brian McClennan about that sort of stuff but if he asked me I'd jump at the chance."
The fiercely competitive second-rower's quest will be boosted by the sizeable Kiwis contingent -- including internationals Roy Asotasi, Nigel Vagana and Joe Galuvao -- at the Rabbitohs this year.
"We have got that great bond in the Kiwi team and I suppose it's all about trying to change the culture of South Sydney ... it's got off to a great start," he said.
Kidwell, who was given the Souths leadership job with 2006 skipper Peter Cusack, speaks as though he was destined to do it.
"All the new guys that have been brought to the club have been brought to the club for a reason and I jumped at the chance," he said.
"I had a bit of the shared captaincy at Melbourne and I loved it."
It is not difficult to understand the passionate leadership style the 29-year-old will bring to a Souths side crying out for intensity after finishing distant wooden-spooners last year.
"We want to be a team that you can't just look through the draw and say, 'there's a definite two points', you're going to have to fight when you play South Sydney for the two points, we're changing the culture where we're going out to every game to win.
"There's a lot of expectation placed on Souths this year that they probably haven't had for five or six years and I think that's a good thing and we just have to play good basic football, start small steps and see from there."
Meanwhile, Rabbitohs coach Jason Taylor is leaning towards using another recruit, Dean Widders, in the role of super-sub the second-rower made his own at Parramatta.
"He started the game (against the Sharks last weekend) and he played 70 minutes and he was probably our best player," Taylor said.
"It's a tough one because we're just so strong in that area and Dean's so effective coming off the bench.
"He's keen to be a starting player ... (but) he's prepared to do what's best for the team.
"If he starts the season off the bench, he starts the season off the bench.
"But if we get an injury or two, instead of feeling like I have to bring somebody else up, put them in the staring team because Dean can only play off the bench, that's not going to be the case where, to be honest, it was in the past."
- AAP