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Injury to Alex Glenn means fresh-faced 22-year-olds Patrick Carrigan and Brodie Croft will captain Brisbane against North Queensland.
Brisbane will lean on a pair of 22-year-old's with a combined 58 games of NRL experience to lead them in their blockbuster NRL season opener against North Queensland on Friday.
Lock Patrick Carrigan will become the NRL's most inexperienced captain when he runs out in his 20th NRL game, while Melbourne recruit Brodie Croft will share the duties in his club debut.
Croft struggled to establish himself in the Storm's best side in 39 games across four seasons in Melbourne, while it will be just the third start of Carrigan's fledgling NRL career.
Carrigan will beat former Wests Tigers skipper Ben Galea (23 games) as the competition's least experienced skipper, and in doing so follow in the footsteps of rugby league greats and former Broncos captains Darren Lockyer, Allan Langer, Gorden Tallis and Wally Lewis.
And it will come on the biggest stage as a sell-out crowd christens the Cowboys' new Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.
The young pair have been thrust to the helm with Alex Glenn, the man nominated to succeed Darius Boyd as captain in the off-season, unable to shake a hamstring injury.
Boyd, set to retire at the end of this season, has been named in the centres while Jesse Arthars has earned a wing spot after moving from Gold Coast and Jamil Hopoate will make his NRL debut off the bench.
Jack Bird will wear the No.1 leaving Jamayne Isaako on the bench alongside Andrew McCullough and forward Rhys Kennedy.
Speaking ahead of the side's final pre-season game, Carrigan was confident Glenn would shake the hamstring injury in time to lead the side for the season opener.
But, Carrigan, a former school captain and current physiotherapy student, said any extra responsibilities wouldn't faze him.
"I lead by my actions and hopefully the boys will follow," he said.
"I think it's cool if your peers look up to you, or want to play with you, and that's something I've modelled my game on, to be the player that everyone else wants to play with."
