INCOMING Parramatta coach Stephen Kearney will break from Four Nations camp to deliver his mantra to Eels players for the first time next week.
Desperate to draw a line on the disappointment of 2010, Kearney will fly to Sydney to address the squad ahead of the first pre-season training session at Parramatta Stadium on Monday.
It will be the first time most Eels players have met the rookie coach, who will miss the opening fortnight of pre-season while he plots the Kiwis' Four Nations campaign.
And while Kearney will spend little more than a couple of hours with the squad before conditioner Hayden Knowles puts them through a torturous running session, the tone will be all about what he expects for 2011.
"That's essentially the reason for it," Kearney told
The Daily Telegraph yesterday. "As a new coach it's important I send the message what we're after and I want to be clear about where we are heading as a team. I think it's important I'm back there for that."
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Although neck deep in the Kiwis' Four Nations campaign, Kearney began planning the agenda for 2011 during a series of meetings with Eels assistant Peter Sharp and Knowles before going into camp three weeks ago.
It's meant burning the midnight oil in New Zealand, donning both Kiwi and Eels caps.
And while Kearney is tight-lipped about the sermon he will deliver on Monday, the new Eels mentor is adamant change starts on the training paddock.
"I'm not even probably going to be talking about (football)," he said. "The important thing is making sure they put their best foot forward every time we train. That will be the message and the focus of my address. The competition doesn't start for a good five months so it's about making sure we achieve what we've got to achieve in this pre-season."
With the Eels failing to make the finals this year after losing the 2009 grand final, Kearney begins his rookie season under intense pressure to immediately return the side to premiership contenders.
But the 38-year-old insists he is not concerned about the expectation or setting targets.
"I'm not thinking about that, I'm just worried about what we need to achieve in the pre-season," he said.
Asked if he had a message for long suffering Eels fans, Kearney promised a fresh direction.
"There will be changes in the way we do things, but essentially my focus now is just making sure we work as hard as we possibly can and that will lead to good performances," he said. "I'm not looking ahead to next year. I'm focused on what we've got to do the next five weeks. That will determine a lot."
Knowles, who will lead the training with Sharp, while Kearney is still involved with the Four Nations, said it was no surprise the new Eels coach followed Wayne Bennett's lead from 2008 to break camp and meet the squad.
Knowles, who was also involved with the Kiwis world cup campaign, said like Bennett, Kearney brought the best out in players.
He also joked at his recruitment powers.
"For sure players definitely want to play for him," Knowles said. "I reckon he'll attract players to the club. I'm not sure what he's doing over there now if he's bringing anyone back with him. It would be nice if he is."
