So everything has to go through the captain these days eh? Just say I dunno, Mick Ennis is kicking at goal and has none from 4, we are behind because of this ... He cant just hand it over to someone else because he is a failure? "Hey captain, Can you take the goal kicking duty of me and give it to someone else?"
Ryan may opt to give someone else a go at goal-kicking. I'm sure a Captain can "feel" a situation and I'm sure a Captain would have a quick 2-second chat. Or are you happy for Ryan to just not take any interest in anything, and let the players do as they please?
Would you accept that players decide on a penalty option, rather then Ryan calling the shots, whether we agree on the choice or not?
It is up to the Captain to reign in the players and centralize the decision making, don't you think? Why have a Captain if he can not control the decisions? If you simply want players to make their own decisions amongst themselves, while you expect Ryan to sit back and twiddle his thumbs. what the heck?
What would be hard for Ryan, to have a quick chat with Ennis (in your scenario), and say 'look mate, your confidence is down and you're having a bad night, let's give Turner a shot at the next one" - it would show that he actually is "there", rather then just being "physically there", if you get what I mean. Or should we go with your scenario "Ennis: Hey Eastwood, want the next goal kick man? You can laugh and reminisce with Jamal"