Parramatta Eels appoint new strength and conditioning coach
PARRAMATTA have become the first NRL club to reveal a strategic investment in high-performance ahead of next year’s interchange reduction, by appointing a strength and power coach from the AFL.
In a deliberate ploy designed to increase the individual minutes, aerobic capacity and endurance of every Eels player when next year’s interchange drops from 10 to eight, former Essendon and Geelong head strength coach Jarrod Wade will switch codes and join Parramatta when they commence pre-season training in early November.
Further, Eels high-performance staff members are also planning to meet with AFL clubs Port Adelaide, Greater Western Sydney and also Athletics Australia to discuss their training, conditioning and recovery methods.
The appointment of Wade is just one of seven coaching and sports science staff changes at Parramatta ahead of next season.
Having failed to make this year’s final series, the Eels have overhauled their backroom staff by appointing video analyst from Manly Craig Crossman, two soon to be announced physiotherapists, former player Luke Burt as the new under-20s coach, former London Broncos coach Joey Grima will take over the NSW Cup, while former Melbourne Storm forward Brett O’Farrell, who has previously worked as a tackle technician with the Wallabies, has also signed on with Parramatta for 2016.
But the appointment of Wade will generate interest and intrigue from rival NRL clubs, who like the Eels will spend a large majority sculpting their playing roster’s during the off-season in readiness for the anticipated increase in fatigue as a result of two less interchanges next season.
Having spent the past eight years with Geelong and Essendon as a performance analyst, Wade has no history of working in rugby league — and that was one of the major appeals which led to his appointment.
“This interchange rule in my opinion, I don’t think anyone really knows how it’s going to impact the game yet,’’ Eels physical performance manager Paul Devlin said.
The Eels hope to be fighting fit for the interchange reduction.
“We’re not being reactional to it, but we’re certainly giving it the due respect it deserves and that making sure we plan accordingly for that.
“Jarrod may have some knowledge that allows us to do more and that’s fundamentally what we’re trying to do.
“We’re going to need to run more and we want to be able to run more with less effort.
“We’ll look at everything we possibly can to make sure that the players can run more and at a higher intensity for longer.
“What Jarrod will bring is a mixture of skills. Not only is very well qualified as a strength coach, but he’s also very good at rehab and has experience in GPS.’’
Aware that AFL players run between 12 and 13km a game, the Eels believe Wade will bring a skill-set suited to preparing the Parramatta playing group for what tactically, will be one of the major talking points among coaches in 2016.
“Its’ all about getting really good people and Jarrod is one of a few that we’re bringing in this year to make sure we’re doing that,’’ Devlin said.
“There’s lots of things we’re going to trial at training, but we certainly don’t think we’ve got the answers to the interchange reduction at all.
“Our philosophy under Brad (Arthur), is that we’re going to try as hard as we possibly can to leave no stone unturned — and hopefully we find the right answer.’’
Devlin is also planning to meet with the conditioning staff of Port Adelaide and GWS as well as discussing recovery and rehabilitation methods with Athletics Australia physiotherapy co-ordinator, Brent Kirkbride.
“I will be speaking to them (Port Adelaide and GWS) absolutely, how they run their players aerobically and how we might be able to integrate some of their styles of conditioning into our game,’’ Devlin said.
“I’ve got a meeting with the head physio of Athletics Australia for the same reason, because the more you run people the more they break down.
“We want to make sure that we’re looking at it from every angle, if it was as simple as just running more, everybody would be doing it.’’
