After standing in for most of last season, coach Paul McGregor's decision to put the 'c' next to McInnes' name permanently was not unexpected. Hear him talk about the club's tumultuous 2019 campaign and it quickly becomes a no-brainer.

A heavy injury toll and the long-running Jack de Belin saga were big factors in a 15^th placed finish, but McInnes has a simple message for his teammates as the 2020 season looms: leave your excuses at the door.

"Whatever happens outside footy, you can bring it with you or leave it at the door. You've got a choice," McInnes said.

"Throughout the course of 26 weeks you'd be naive to think everything's going to be going your way outside of footy for the whole year.

"We all have a life. For me I've got a wife and young boy, anything could go wrong there, you've got your family and things can go wrong there.

"The message I try to get across to everybody is that it doesn't matter what's happening out there because no one cares. It sounds harsh but it's reality of what we do.

"It's not easy but life happens. The sooner you realise that you just have to perform under less than ideal circumstances the better equipped you are to do it. If guys didn't learn that last year, they'd better learn quick."

He takes the same view when it comes to de Belin's looming trial on sexual assault charges that's set to begin in Wollongong Court on Monday week.

There'll be no escaping the scrutiny it brings, or it's impact on their 2019 season, but McInnes says his side can't let it affect their focus on round one.

"I don't think it needs to be addressed, it's all out there, it's well documented what the process is going to be," McInnes said.

"Jack's welfare is our concern and we'll deal with that but, when you walk through these gates, it's about doing what's important out on that field.

"That's our job and that's what I expect from myself that, no matter what's happening, I get the job done out here. I expect that from everybody.

"At the end of the day this is the job we do and we've got clock in, do it, and go home."

No one can accuse McInnes of not doing that in 2019, with the 25-year-old a lone shining light in an otherwise forgettable campaign. It had its lessons, particularly for a young captain, but McInnes is confident he and the club will be better for it.

"Gaz going down was obviously not the circumstance I wanted to captain the club in," he said.

"It was just learning for me more than anything, I took a lot out of last year. There's obviously things we can all do better but I thought a fair few guys stood up in some pretty rough circumstances.

"I think it'll be one of the best things that will happen for my career and lot of guys' careers so I'm going to use it as that positive.

"Adversity is going to strike in rugby league, every single team will go through it throughout the season. We had plenty of that last year so we'll know what to do when we get there."

He faced some adversity of his own, suffering a broken leg in the club's penultimate round defeat to the Tigers at the SCG, though it didn't stop him sweeping the club's end-of-season awards.

The club's subsequent clash with the Titans is the lone fixture he has missed since joining the club in 2017, playing 80 minutes in all but a handful of them.

The dedication is born of a desire to repay the club that took a punt on him when he was a young back-up hooker at Rabbitohs - ironically to Isaac Luke who will be his understudy in 2020.

"From where I was then to now, I've come a long way," McInnes said.

"That's what's pretty surreal about this. The club gave me such a huge opportunity bringing me over. They took a leap of faith on me, and every day I'm here I try and repay that.

"Nothing's going to change now. Being captain, it's just another thing where I need to prove that I'm the right man for the job every day."