Cowboys camp to hone fitness edge
WITH their 2019 pre-season regimen in full swing, the North Queensland Cowboys visited the peace and privacy of Camp Barrabadeen at Tinaroo Dam for a secret threeday training camp.
The surrounds might have been serene up on the Far North Queensland’s Atherton Tableland, but the camp itself was anything but, with the players being put through their paces in a series of gruelling exercises, as well as undertaking a number of team development sessions.
Coach Paul Green said the three-day camp was “a bit of hard work and a bit of fun”.
He said during this period of the pre-season, in the leadup to Christmas and New Year’s break, the focus was on getting a good foundation for team fitness.
“It was a really good change and opportunity to get some work done to build that base for the year ahead,” Green said.
“We’re pushing them pretty hard at the moment beworth cause we don’t have to worry about them playing any games on the weekend.”
The coach was reluctant to single out any individual players, but was impressed with the team as a whole.
“There’s a good feeling among the group,” Green said. “We’ve also got some healthy competition for spots, which is also good.
“Some of the young guys have brought a bit of enthusiasm, which is keeping the older guys on their toes.”
Spending the three days in the outdoors also allowed for a different training schedule than what players might be used to during the preseason, as well as the option to use more unorthodox training methods.
But just what unorthodox training methods, Green would not divulge.
“It was a bit of a physical test but also a bit of teambuilding. They were in groups and had to build a raft and get around a course,” he said.
“Some guys were better at tying knots than others.
“That was a fun part, a good way to finish.”
Cowboys and Northern Pride young gun Murray Taulagi said the squad got around each other when the camp got tough.
“Pretty much got to know some of the new boys, get around them and some leadership stuff we did together in groups,” Taulagi said.
“I didn’t think it was going to be that tough, but it was it – pretty happy with the effort from all the boys.”
With the team entering a new era following the retirement of long-serving stalwart Johnathan Thurston at the end of this season, there were plenty of fresh faces at the camp.
Green said it was a good opportunity to identify potential future leaders at the club.
“Obviously with Johnathan retired now, he’s been a really key guy in terms of leadership,” Green said.
“We’ve still got some really strong leaders there, and quite a bit of experience as well, but there’s also a few new guys to the club, too.
“It was a good opportunity to just get everyone together and spend a bit of time together.”
Green said the team went through a similar training camp at Cairns’ Holloways Beach during the pre-season of the North Queensland Cowboys’ premiership-winning season in 2015.
Many will just teeth and push through.
Coaching staff will generally have a good idea of who those players are already.
When these times are tough is generally when we are looking for leaders to stand up.
They are the players who will get the team together, supporting their mates and showing them how to get tasks done.
They might not always be the biggest talker but they know what words need to be spoken and when to speak. They will lead with their actions just as much as their words.
The leaders will not just be doing all the hard work individually, they will be grabbing their mates so they can share the load.
Because as the season goes on, it will not be an individual who wins competitions, it will be the team who can operate as one that will be closer to their goal. grit their their way
THEY ARE THE PLAYERS WHO WILL GET THE TEAM TOGETHER, SUPPORTING THEIR MATES AND SHOWING THEM HOW TO GET TASKS DONE.
Scott Callaghan is a strength and conditioning coach at the Northern Pride.