A BOTTLE of coconut water, a plate of sushi or even a pinch of Himalaya rock salt could mean the difference between the Parramatta Eels making the finals this year or finishing with the premiership also-rans.
That’s at least the theory behind the cutting edge sports science introduced by coach Brad Arthur and his high-performance guru Paul Devlin as the Eels set out on three weeks and 12,000 kilometres of gruelling road trips to save their season.
In 19 days Parramatta travel to Townsville and back to play the Cowboys, to the Gold Coast to play the Titans and then straight on to Darwin to play the Penrith Panthers, needing to win each week to stay alive in the frantic race to finish in the top eight.
Every angle has been covered from ordering sushi meals at airports, coconut water, ice chambers, plane seats with extra leg room and meetings with hotel chefs to ensure the players are in premium condition each time they run onto the field.
Eels coach Brad Arthur with performance manager Paul Devlin are leaving no stone unturned. Source: News Corp Australia
THE FLIGHTS
TICKETS are booked well in advance, in fact as soon as the NRL draw is released with final dates.
It allows Devlin to purchase the most suitable seats with the extra leg room in exit rows, mainly for his forward pack.
“We’ve got some pretty big fellas who need more leg room,” Devlin said.
“Anything we can do to help the players be mentally relaxed after and in between games is a real priority for us.
“The airlines try to squeeze as many seats onto the planes as possible and that doesn’t necessarily suit football teams.”
The Eels also try to fly on Boeing jets rather than an airbus because the cabins are pressurised differently and it reduces the risk of dehydration.
Studies done in the United States reveal air in the Boeings contain more oxygen, more humidity and fewer pollutants. The study found passengers felt better and fresher during and after flights.
“It goes back to when we were in Seattle on the off-season and we were lucky enough to visit the Boeing factory,” Devlin said, “We spoke to the top guys there and they told us about the difference with jet lag and dehydration with their planes.”
DINING OPTIONS
WHAT the players eat while they are away is a big part of the game plan.
You won’t see big Semi Radradra, Pauli Pauli or any of the players for that matter at McDonalds, Hungry Jacks or the local pie shop. Not a chance.
Devlin goes to the trouble of speaking to the hotel chefs weeks in advance.
“The menus are set by me and our nutritionist,” he explains.
“As regards for room service, we educate the players all year about the correct choices in regards to their nutrition and we trust them as grown men to follow the guidelines.
“Fast food restaurants are completely off limits. It’s not something we even worry about because we never see it.”
Because they have a stopover in Brisbane on the way back from Townsville, Eels staff are using a company called Wasabi Warriors to feed the players at the airport.
“We find out what the players like and order in advance,” Devlin said.
“It’s better than them being tempted by the other food you get in airports while you are waiting around for connecting flights.”
There are no hard and fast rules with alcohol.
“We have educated all the players on the ill effects of alcohol but it will always be at the coach’s discretion if we have a few quiet beers after a game,” Devlin said.
The Eels are using cutting edge ice therapy to combat fatigue. Puc: Supplied. Source: Supplied
ICE TORTURE
A BIG truck will be parked outside the Eels’ team Hotel on the Gold Coast. Inside it are ice therapy chambers owned by a company called cryoSports.
According to the company website it’s all about “biological regeneration and chronic trauma prevention during intensive training and competition preparation.”
The temperature inside is minus 120 degrees. Yes, minus 120 degrees.
The players go inside the chambers for just three minutes the day after the Titans game before the flight to Darwin.
The apparent advantages are:
■ Faster muscle recovery
■ Invigorates the mind
■ Reduces stress and anxiety
■ Improves sleep pattern
“This treatment is often used by clubs in Europe,” Devlin said, “It’s especially good at blunting that fatigue.”
FLUIDS
The players are checked for dehydration every day with compulsory urine tests.
“We use water with a little bit of Himalayan rock salt to make sure the body absorbs it,” Devlin says.
“Rose pink Himalayan salt is different to normal salt. It’s very good for you. We also use coconut water which is high in magnesium and potassium
“We make sure we measure the hydration levels all the time, especially in places where it really warm like Townsville and Darwin. We’ve been doing it all season so we’ve already got a lot of data on the players.”
THE HOTELS
YOU won’t find the Eels staying in dumps. No expense is spared, with the help of the NRL, to find the best accommodation.
“Our three pillars of recovery are sleep, relaxation and nutrition,” Devlin said, “It’s a premium part of it all that the players sleep well.
“That’s why we make sure we stay in really good hotels. The food has got to be really good quality and natural. It has got to be wholefoods and nothing processed.”
Parramatta are looking for every advantage in their bid to make the finals. Source: News Corp Australia
TRAINING
THIS is one area the Eels have been concentrating on for weeks. A decision was made six weeks ago to freshen the players up with so extra time off. Rest and recovery is everything.
Footy is hard enough when you’re at home each week, let alone away from the comforts of home for so long.
“We work for 80 to 90 minutes in a session because it’s the time a game is played and we want to get the players concentrating that long,” Devlin said.
“It’s intense, it’s fatiguing, it’s mentally challenging and we work really hard when we’re there.
“We use GPS like speed dial on a car. We check it regularly to make sure they’re not going too fast or too slow. It’s great guidance.
“And importantly we’ve had a day off — day on schedule to give the players are chance to get the rest that they need.
Replies
Whose dick did we have to suck to get a positive article like this in the papers?
Gee so many things they are doing hope it works out.
Photo doesn't look to good.
It's more through high level muscle fatigue exacerbated through a lack of a genuine halfback controlling the game, leaving the players under enormous pressure defending set after set.
The loss of Sandow should be celebrated with a cold Bourbon, no matter where the team finishes this season.
Miatch, miatch, miatch.
The mind is a powerful thing.. If the players believe there's a benefit from it (even if there isn't) than they'll feel the supposed benefits.
Like those powerbands or those chip thingos that the rabbitohs were using last year. It's all a mentallity game.
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