Warren Whiteley does not have an adorning nickname like "Thor", nor does he have the bulldozing physique to warrant one.

He is no style icon, has no fashionable facial hair like Duane Vermeulen, doesn't have the nimble feet of a Ryan Kankowski and is not idolised in the same way Pierre Spies and his muscles are.

But no one has led, nay carried, his team's defensive cause in the way Whiteley has for the Lions on their Australasian tour in recent weeks, where they've mugged wins over the Blues and the Rebels. And they are looking to do a number on the Reds in Brisbane on Friday, too.

Statistics put him at the top of the tackle count standings in Super Rugby this season with 89 hits in six matches. But the stats do not show commitment in the tackle - the desire to close your eyes and cling on for dear life when someone like Scott Higginbotham comes at you like a steam train without brakes.

"I believe having your captain leading the tackle count galvanises the rest of the players to put their bodies on the line," Lions coach Johan Ackermann said.

"Players feel so inspired when they see their captain tackle and carry the way Whiteley has done this season. "He's the kind of influence that when he speaks, he's backed up by his actions. The character of the loose-forwards is what has made them top defenders."