Coleman also loves that fly-half Nate de Thierry is super competitive and an infectious character

Ditto the way Andrew Tuala inspires teammates on the pitch and is a father figure off it.

Rather than hand one player the captaincy, Coleman decided to share the load.

Puli'uvea will be the point of contact for the referee. De Thierry will make most of the on-field tactical decisions.

Tuala is sidelined for the opening four rounds with a knee injury but will be a key figure on the pitch and in the sheds when he returns.

"The three of them all have strong attributes," Coleman said. "I was also mindful of sharing the load.

"I watched the body language of everyone when certain people addressed the group during the preseason.

"Culture is a buzz word. To create a culture, you have to live it and act it. The more leaders I have pushing that wheelbarrow the better."

Puli'uvea has led the Wildfires since returning home from Brisbane in 2022.

"Rob has a calm head and is a calm influence on the team," Coleman said. "I probably put too much on him in the past two years and his own game suffered. That was part of our review at the end of last season. I wanted him to concentrate on and be a bit more selfish with his own game.

"He has done that. He has lost 12 kilograms and is training and playing harder than he ever has. His big goal was to lead with actions and he is definitely well on the way to doing that."

De Thierry, a Kiwi who has represented Hong Kong, is in his fourth season with the Wildfires.

"Nate's rugby IQ is amazing," Coleman said. "He is a natural leader and an infectious character. He is super competitive. Sometimes that can come across a bit harsh."

Tuala, a tackle busting hooker, spent the best part of a decade commuting to Sydney to play Shute Shield. He is in his third campaign with the Wildfires, sandwiched between stints in the US.

"AT has a lot of respect among the boys," Coleman said. "They all look up to him as a father figure. When he talks everyone listens.

"On the field, he makes big plays. He was a bit quiet last year. He didn't play to his full potential. He identified that in his own review. He worked pretty hard before Christmas. Now he has done his medial and will be out for four to five weeks. He will make big difference when he returns."

The Wildfires open their Shute Shield campaign against defending premiers Randwick at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday.

In a boost, Hamish Moore has recovered from a biceps injury and will start at hooker.

The 22-year-old spent most of the preseason with Super Rugby club Western Force.

"Having Hamish cleared is a massive relief," Coleman said.

Tongan loosehead prop Tau Koalamatangi is one of three players, alongside blindside breakaway Elyjah Crosswell and No.8 Asa Lehauli making their Shute Shield debut.

"We have picked the best team to beat Randwick," Coleman said. "All the guys selected have trained really well.

"I have gone with two sevens in Donny [Freeman] and Elyjah. I think we need a bit more mobility against Randwick. Elyjah is a pest at the breakdown and has a high work rate.

"Asa gets a chance at number eight. He also has a high work rate. George Noa George has been struggling with plantar fasciitis and has missed the past two weeks. I think he would be better served coming off the bench and can give us some real punch."

The Wildfires made the finals for the first time in club history last season. They finished sisth and were unlucky to lose the first play-off to eventual grand finalists Norths.