GREATER Western Sydney is set to forgo established ruck Kieren Briggs for Academy product Nick Madden for a second week after the 21-year-old impressed coach Adam Kingsley in round five.

Kingsley acknowledged that while it is rare for a 21-year-old to hold his own in the ruck, he's backing youth and "extreme drive" over experience in Friday's Derby against Sydney.

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“Nick is highly competitive, extremely driven, professional, and prepares extremely well, and he's a big guy. So, put them all together, and he’s probably ahead of most 21-year-old rucks,” Kingsley said on Thursday.

“We've been pleased with his progress so far, but we want more, and he wants more, and he'll get the opportunity to do that. 

“For Nick to displace Kieren out of the team, he's clearly going really well. We have high trust in him, but again, go out there and perform, and provide the sort of service he did last week for us; that'll help our stoppage become a real strength for us.”

Kingsley also broke down the tactical rematch between Madden and Sydney star Brodie Grundy, viewing the Derby as a crucial test for the young ruck’s development.

“(Nick) played against him in a practice match probably seven weeks ago and didn't do all that well,” Kingsley admitted.

“So, it's an opportunity for Nick to apply the lessons that he learned from that game.

“We can get more out of his hit-out dominance, but all in all, we got great service (last week). 

“We have great faith in Nick. We’re certainly hopeful that he's going to be a terrific ruck in the league.”

To bridge the gap against a veteran like Grundy, Kingsley challenged Madden to rediscover the physical edge that defines his game.

“Brodie was more aggressive than Nick in that practice match, and that's a bit of a trademark of Nick — that aggression. So, I would expect to see that return to his normal levels,” he said. 

“The follow-up game is really important. If you look at Nick’s follow-up last week, (he was) our highest-pressure player (with) seven tackles, five clearances.

“That's the type of game we expect from our rucks. It's, funnily enough, a strong part of Brodie Grundy's game, too. 

“I'm looking forward to seeing how he adjusts to that and embraces that challenge, and there's no doubt that he will.”

Despite Madden's relative inexperience, Kingsley confirmed the Giants would not deploy a dual-ruck setup.

“It's something that we flirted with in the practice match, then earlier this year against Collingwood to great effect. We won't do that Friday night, but it is something that we can do in the future moving forward,” he said.

Last week, Kingsley suggested the five-day turnaround into the Sydney Derby could force the club to limit minutes for Brent Daniels and Toby Bedford as they returned for their first appearances of the season. 

While both pulled up well from the Tigers game, the Giants have opted not to risk Daniels for the Derby.

“The second week back from a hamstring (injury), the five-day break is (far from ideal),” Kingsley said of the decision to leave Daniels out. 

“To be quite frank, he's fine, and he was pushing to play, but I don't think that's the right decision from a return-from-injury standpoint. That's ultimately my decision. That's not ideal for us, but it is what it is.

“Toby Bedford's fine. He has had a bit longer prep than Brent has, so we're a bit more comfortable with him playing.”

Kingsley also described outgoing CEO Dave Matthews as arguably the most influential figure in the club’s history, following the long-standing leader’s decision to step down.

On Wednesday, the Giants confirmed Matthews will depart at the end of the season.

Having been with the club since 2011 — predating their AFL entry — Matthews noted it was time for his "next challenge" after 15 years in Western Sydney.

Kingsley hailed Matthews’ impact as "enormous" and paid tribute to his foundational role at the club.

“His influence on this footy club is profound. It's enormous. He's arguably been the most important person across the club in its entirety,” he said.

“The level of support he provides everyone, not just myself, is incredible. He will be sorely missed.

“The process for us now is to find a replacement that is of high quality... Dave will work until the end of the season and then move on, which will give us plenty more time to find a great replacement. 

“We'll continue to thank Dave for his contribution across the course of the year, but it's been enormous, and it's been a large part of why this club has had the success, albeit not the ultimate success, but the success and the continuity of finals that we've had. We’re incredibly thankful, and we’ll continue to express that for the remainder of the season.”