JON Wilkin knows only too well that he has pretty big boots to fill after taking the captain’s armband from his good friend Paul Wellens – but he will bring his own philosophies and outlook to the post and relishing the challenge.

The former international back rower, who has spent as much time deputising in the halves in recent years, approaches the job with relish and no little motivation after missing out on last year’s Grand Final with injury.

And a red letter day on the horizon is the February 22 clash against the Burgess Boys, Greg Inglis et al wearing the Red and Green of the South Sydney Rabbitohs – with the first piece of silverware of his tenure of office up for grabs.

Wilkin said: “The World Club Challenge is the meeting of the two best teams in their competitions, two iconic historical clubs coming together in 80 minutes.

“We have also got the extra dynamic of the Burgess story yet it makes for a sensational game.

“When I got into the gym after we had won the Grand Final my immediate thought was kicking off against South Sydney and that ball going down the field and a green and red jersey coming back with it.

“It is a landmark season for the game and people are hoping that the World Club Series could be a landmark moment for the game.”

The match is an immediate chance to put aside the disappointment of having to sit out last October’s Grand Final after undergoing surgery on a dislocated shoulder.

“It is strange – before the game I thought it would be devastating to watch and not be part of it – but as the game unfolded it could not be any more different,” he said.

“It was the most exciting and rewarding experience of my life and lit the flame inside me that the legacy of a team is not defined by your own personal silverware but defined by your influence on people in the organisation as well.

“I saw a lot of young guys, who played in that game that myself, Paul Wellens and James Roby had had a direct influence upon.

“And that was what really excited me – not just about being a leader but potentially a coach going forward. That was a different feeling for me but equally as satisfying as playing.

“It is an amazing feeling that you can’t really put into words. To be there and play a part all year but miss through injury was upsetting but watching the guys lift the trophy was just a mind blowing feeling that I’d been an influential figure in some of those guys’ development.”

The fact that he was there – watching from the sidelines brought a few stares from women who knew another story.

Wilkin, who got married to Megan at the end of 2013 booked and paid for their honeymoon to Mauritius for the second week of October – and then found out that the final date had been put back.

So when Saints shocked everyone and moved into the Grand Final Wilkin opted to stay behind.

“I said ‘just you go there and I will meet you out there’ which to most women is an absolutely shocking thing to hear but the reason I married Megan was because she wasn’t mad at things like that!” he said.

Wilkin who joined Saints from Hull KR at the end of 2002 is as good as an adopted Sintelliner now.

In his time here he has tasted good times and bitter disappointment and is now on his seventh coach.

He has also seen the team in transformation, coinciding with its move from Knowsley Road.

Assessing the future – looking at a predominantly young Grand Final winning squad – Wilkin believes the club is well positioned to keep on moving forwards.

He said: “I think in any development structure you get little drops in the quality of talent of people made of the right stuff to make the grade.

“We have got a lot more of them now. Not only that, we have a better understanding as senior players how to get more out of the younger guys.

“We are five years into having a predominantly young man’s squad whereas 10 years ago it was a much older squad with a few young guys.

“The dynamics of the squad have changed and the majority of our squad are young men now so we are more proficient at getting the best out of them when they get to the high performance end of the club.

“That has helped the club turn the corner – as much as we are bringing through some good young guys the stat that is telling is how many of those good young guys go on to play for the first team, go on to play for their country and become hall of fame players?

“Our ability to extract the best out of them once they get into the first team is key and that is Keiron’s remit, but the senior players can help.

“Six years ago myself and Paul Wellens were pulling out hair out with some of the young guys coming.

“We are better at dealing with it now, we have probably had to degenerate a little bit – take six years off our lives to get a bit off empathy with the younger players and am listening to rap music in the gym and making compromises all over the place.”