PATERNAL PRIDE SPURS CENTRE
TRAINING has changed vastly for Cowboys centre Tom Opacic.
But it has far from taken a backwards step since coronavirus restrictions were put in place – rather he is training more now than he would have been with the season in full swing.
When the NRL is charging ahead, rest and recovery is a priority.
Without those games, and plenty of time on hand, Opacic has upped the intensity in a bid to force his way back into the North Queensland starting 17.
The lockdown on travel away from Townsville has meant he has been unable to see his son, Jagger, for months.
That absence is likely to continue should the situation in southeast Queensland not ease drastically.
Daily Facetime with the two-year-old has kept Opacic in regular contact.
But the separation has added fuel to the fire of the 25-year-old’s desire to get back to first-grade, so at least his youngster will have someone to root for on the TV.
“It would’ve been good, I actually had booked in a few flights to have him up here – I think four different return trips so that’s been disappointing,” Opacic said.
“First goal is to get into that starting team and getting a run when it gets up and going. I know he looks forward to the games, he always talks about it.”
Complicating Opacic’s ambitions to get back into the Cowboys line up is the cancellation of the 2020 Intrust Super Cup.
With that, his chance to force coach Paul Green’s hand through performance has been taken away.
Full story at townsvillebulletin.com.au.