Gold Coast defender Steven May admits that his first year as captain alongside Tom Lynch was a steep learning curve at times.

After being re-appointed as captains once again, May is confident that not only do they have a better understanding of themselves as leaders, but also the entire playing group.

He’s confident that the pair, alongside Senior Coach Stuart Dew, are ready to take the club forward.

“He’s [Dew] been a bit more like a senior leader, like a teammate,” May told Melbourne’s RSN Breakfast Club on Thursday.

“He’s trying to teach you a lot and he’s also out on the track training with you.

“He’s a different sort of coach but I think he’s connecting really well with the group.”

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That connection with the playing group is leading to results on the training track, with defensive pressure and setup being a key focus for the SUNS.

The key defender is confident that the efforts from players throughout the pre-season has the team trending in the right direction.

“I have 100% faith in our squad and that’s why I re-signed last year, because I could see the direction we were going,” May said. 

“I’m really excited and the way that we’ve trained this pre-season, we’ve been a lot harder to score against.

“I think that’s only going to propel us and will surprise a few teams this year.

May and his teammates don’t have long to wait until they can get to work in implementing the new game plan.

Gold Coast will head to Riverway Stadium in Townsville for their first game of the JLT Community Series against Geelong on March 4.