Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:39 pm  

We don't have a thread on here that doesn't mention the problems we've had with injury.
Some of the players (Cunningham being the main giveaway) look more podgy than the 2007 version, when we slimmed down to help cope with an effort from the RFL to speed up the ruck.
Now the question is, have we been unlucky this year, or is it due to poor conditioning. If its the latter, is this likely to change next year with a change of head coach and KC taking a role in the training? Has the injury crisis coincided with Apollo leaving? If so, get him back!
What do you guys feel?

Re: Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:44 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

We don't have a thread on here that doesn't mention the problems we've had with injury.
Some of the players (Cunningham being the main giveaway) look more podgy than the 2007 version, when we slimmed down to help cope with an effort from the RFL to speed up the ruck.
Now the question is, have we been unlucky this year, or is it due to poor conditioning. If its the latter, is this likely to change next year with a change of head coach and KC taking a role in the training? Has the injury crisis coincided with Apollo leaving? If so, get him back!
What do you guys feel?

Being a nutritionist, i'd like to think i know what i'm talking about, and i haven't ever seen a bunch of players look generally so 'unfit' and have poor body composition like a lot of the Saints players do.

I personally think the conditioning of the players is quite below par.

Re: Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:06 pm  

Who does the conditioning at Saints these days?

Re: Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:25 pm  

they're looking quite unfit as a bunch, several of the players look like they have a bit of a gut, and when they do get injuries, they seem to be out for ages. It has to be a fitness and conditioning problem

Re: Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:31 pm  

I remeber scully lamenting some of his injury woes and partially blaming being too heavy, which was putting too much strain on his joints and skeleton. How accurate this was, i'm not sure.

Re: Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:38 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

I remeber scully lamenting some of his injury woes and partially blaming being too heavy, which was putting too much strain on his joints and skeleton. How accurate this was, i'm not sure.

well it makes sense, but im no sports scientist! Take Wigan or Wire for example, their squads are as old or older than ours, but have they had the same number of either serious or niggly injuries? breaks and ligaments damage will always happen, but i cant recall so many muscle tears/strains as has happened to us this year, mostly to the younger players too!

Re: Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:42 pm  

Saint Simon wrote:

well it makes sense, but im no sports scientist! Take Wigan or Wire for example, their squads are as old or older than ours, but have they had the same number of either serious or niggly injuries? breaks and ligaments damage will always happen, but i cant recall so many muscle tears/strains as has happened to us this year, mostly to the younger players too!

Which is soo frustrating! So much work has gone into the development of some really talented lads in the form of Eastmond, Wheeler and Lomax, but I doubt they've made a full seasons worth of game between them.

I want to hope we've just had a run of bad luck, but I fear that's not the case.

Re: Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:54 pm  

The new coach should have a complete clearout, The squad appear to lack both motivation and the ability to turn on the gas when required. Its the same old plod on down the middle and force themselves over when near the line.
Injuries have played a large part of team selection over the season, leaving Eastmund on in the 2 matches when he was quite clearly struggling beggars belief.
We have top class quality players who need the correct fitness tecnique, plus the game plan to achieve success, sadly neither are apparent at the moment.

Re: Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:55 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Who does the conditioning at Saints these days?

Does Anyone!!!!!

Re: Conditioning & Injuries : Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:56 pm  

The big question for me is whether Rolls Royce will have as much of an impact on fitness as yon-mon had at Wigan this season. According to form, they were given a very tough NRL style pre-season and some thought they would burn out with the number of games over here. This wasn't the case though so maybe some clubs will adopt a similar style.