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Penrith have opted for a six-man captaincy model for this year's NRL season, with playmaker Nathan Cleary featuring among the group..

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has selected son Nathan as part of a six-man leadership group to lead the NRL club for the 2019 season.

Nathan Cleary joins James Maloney, James Tamou, Isaah Yeo, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, and Josh Mansour as captains announced by the club on Thursday.

"We've taken our time to decide on this leadership model and this specific group of players to ensure we deliver what is best for the Panthers this season," Ivan Cleary said.

"This model provides our team with strong leadership through cooperation, which is absolutely vital to success in a team environment."

Cleary's decision comes four months after his controversial return to the club, having been released from the final two years of his Wests Tigers deal.

He also used a five-man captaincy model at the Tigers last year, including Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer and Benji Marshall, who were all new faces at the time.

It was widely expected Yeo or Maloney would resume their roles at the Panthers after taking over mid-last year following the shock retirement of Peter Wallace.

Watene-Zelezniak is the current New Zealand skipper, while both Maloney and Tamou are former Kangaroos and NSW State of Origin representatives.

The sextet will now share the role in what looms as a significant season for a side considered a genuine premiership threat.

"The shared leadership model will also encourage leadership from players outside the named group," Ivan Cleary said.

"We are confident it will see every Panthers player contribute in their own way and help create real ownership of this team in 2019."

Maloney, Yeo and Mansour will all feature in Saturday's trial against South Sydney, while Nathan, Watene-Zelezniak and Tamou are being rested.