Parramatta put through pre-season torture test
- The Daily Telegraph
- December 31, 2010
IT WAS the secret commando camp designed to put a sterner resolve into the Parramatta Eels.
A no sleep, minimal food, 48-hour physical and mental marathon where players were tested to the limits of fatigue.
Try pulling tyres with a rope through a creek while submerged in water fully clothed, or dragging an army truck 10km after two days without sleep.
Or what about nominating individuals within the playing group you consider to be the weak links within the team - in front of your teammates.
The entire Parramatta playing squad and coaching staff were sworn to secrecy about the results of the Holsworthy Army base assessment, which took place 10 days before Christmas.
But when the Eels gathered for a team Christmas lunch at club chairman Roy Spagnolo's home the next day, it was the primary topic of conversation among board members and players.The hardline military training campis the form of pre-season character assessment preferred by master coach Wayne Bennett and Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy.
Both are experienced NRL campaigners who new Eels coach Stephen Kearney has worked alongside with at New Zealand and the Storm.
"We wanted to keep it pretty much hush-hush," Kearney said. "The big thing for us was it was an opportunity to get ourselves together before Christmas and work hard. Some of the exercises, the group had to really work together.
"Without a doubt we got what we wanted out of it. I thought the whole group was great."
Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne was identified as one of the weaker links in the team and he has a reputation for at times being a lazy trainer. Switched on, there is no questioning Hayne is one of the most naturally talented athletes in the NRL.
To be fair, the 2009 Dally M Medal winner is still recovering from a hamstring injury and had been in hospital in the lead-up to the camp.
Initially reluctant to go, the fullback participated and performed strongly at times. He was limited in parts due to his injury.
It was no surprise that Eels captain Nathan Hindmarsh emerged as one of the mentally strongest members of the alternative training regimen.
And North Queensland Cowboys recruit Carl Webb also showed plenty of heart.
"Nathan's been around a long time and I think people know by the way he conducts himself generally that he's going to be a standout in that type of situation," Kearney said.
Kearney and Parramatta's strength and conditioning coaches Hayden Knowles and Craig Catterick attended the camp purely from an observation perspective. They assessed how the players responded to a variety of testing circumstances.
Catterick only became involved if injured players needed to be physically attended to.
Replies
BRING IT ALL ON...........................................
These camps are great, just what was needed to change the teams mentality of 2010.
I actually seen Ben Smith the other day at the airport, i have never seen him look so physically fit and strong. I think he will be a gun in 2011, as will many others im sure. No weak links will be tolerated under Kearney.... Thats a sign of a strong coach who wants results. I LIKE IT.....
when Parra signed Carl Webb I remember being only one the few fans who thought this was a good move. For me, Webb's UPSIDE is his talentand his DOWNSIDE was attitude. And there's that old cliche, you can't
coach talent but you can coach attitude......this article is proof that
Webb is undergoing an attitude adjustment for the posative & looks
like Carl Webb is on track for a HUGE season with Parra
......with a FIT and COMMITTED Webb - It wont be too long before plenty of players and coaches in the NRL will have to GAME PLAN Webb,who can be a real wrecking ball when his game is ON........as we all
know, having players (like Fui etc) that can provide genuine go forward
can only help our cause in 2011
...........mark it down....barring injuries Carl Webb will be the SURPRISE of the year for Parra fans
..........I said it here the day Parra signed Webb http://www.1eyedeel.com/forum/topics/webb-to-sign-with-eels-within?... ..... Go Big Carl, prove em ALL WRONG I say
Go the Eels
I would have to agree that sometimes Hayne is a weak link in the team and I'm not talking about physical but mental weakness.
He often seems unfocussed on the field particularly noticable on his kick returns when he is repeatedly caught out of position in a game. In all honesty he would have to be one of the worst positional fullbacks in the game. As I recall that lapse cost us dearly when he was caught in goal on a simple kick return leading to that first try in the 09 Grand Final (and I relaise we wouldnt have even been there if it wasn't for him).
As great as he is his attitude at times has a detrimental effect on the team both on and off the field. I think this is wake up call he needs to become one of the legends of the game because he is not there yet.
Its time he toughed it out with the rest of em and realised he has to put just as hard yards as his teammates irrespective of his incredible talent.
I think Kearney will be great for this change of culture our club needs. Gone are the days of not turining up. Gone are the days of playing 50 minute games and gone are the days you left the stadium filthy that they failed to have a real go.
carl webb should be the gun of the year, training with danny green and with sk,has big carl on fire.
ithink parra will fire and unearth a new breed of eels , willing to bleed for the eels.
happy new year boys.