No off days for Warriors women
For players involved in the NRL Women’s Premiership, there are no off days.
The second season of the fourteam competition kicks off next month and while the players do get paid, the luxury of being able to quit their day jobs is still some way off.
Most still have to work, raise a family and/or study on top of their rugby league commitments.
And the strain is even greater on the Warriors who, without a home game, have to account for the travel factor for four straight weeks, that can often require players taking time off work.
But you won’t hear the players complain. It’s the reality that comes with a developing competition they waited so long to get off the ground.
But how they cope and manage those demands, particularly the travel, has been a key area of focus for Warriors coach Luisa Avaiki heading into her second campaign in charge.
‘‘The biggest learning moving forward was how we’re going to manage the responsibilities as fulltime workers, mothers responsible for their homes and being part of the competition but not being able to have an off day,’’ Avaiki told Stuff.
‘‘We knew it was a barrier, we just didn’t want to make an excuse for it. But the reality after being part of it is that it’s a huge piece we need to look at and be better at if we’re serious about competing in this competition.’’
Ironically, the Warriors’ sole win last year against the Roosters came after their travel plans were thrown into disarray by an electrical storm, which meant they arrived in Sydney five hours before kick-off on minimal sleep.
But as gritty as that opening display was, Avaiki felt they never really recovered.
With around half of the squad Round 21 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 returning, the experience alone should hold them in good stead. But the Warriors are not relying on that.
The Auckland club appointed a head of strength and conditioning, Shannon Maclachlan, at the start of the year who is devoted to the women’s team.
‘‘We needed a person that was committed to our team, committed to our needs and understood what our needs were,’’ Avaiki said. ‘‘That’s one of the things the club put in place nice and early, so we’ve had programmes for the girls since the beginning of the year. Even though they’re not with us, we’ve had engagement with them since February. 1300SMILES Stadium, Townsville 8.00pm Thursday Matt Cecchin, Gavin Badger Cowboys $1.97, Broncos $1.49 Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland 8.00pm Friday
Ben Cummins, Ziggy Prezeklasa-adamski Warriors $2.75, Sea Eagles $1.43 Live blog at stuff.co.nz Panthers Stadium, Sydney 9.55pm Friday Grant Atkins, Phil Henderson Panthers $2.23, Sharks $1.63 Jubilee Stadium, Sydney 5.00pm Saturday Henry Perenara, Liam Kennedy Dragons $1.35, Titans $3.10 Bankwest Stadium, Sydney 7.30pm Saturday Adam Gee, Jon Stone Eels $1.57, Knights $2.35 ANZ Stadium, Sydney 9.35pm Saturday Peter Gough, Chris Butler Bulldogs $2.35, Tigers $1.57 GIO Stadium, Canberra 4.00pm Sunday Ashley Klein, Chris Sutton Raiders $1.97, Roosters $1.80 Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast 6.05pm Sunday Chris Sutton, David Munro Rabbitohs $2.55, Storm $1.49
‘‘The girls have been really good about it, they’ve been really accountable for getting themselves in better shape.’’
Following the completion of last month’s national tournament, preparation for the competition, which includes reigning premiers Broncos, Dragons and Roosters, ramped up this week.
The Warriors, who have been boosted by the signing of Kiwi Ferns skipper Honey Hireme this year, head into camp this weekend in Northland, where they will also hold clinics for youngsters.
The NRLWP will again run alongside the men’s finals series, which gets under way on September 13.
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