What is the training regime/program of a rugby league player?

[Knight87]

To any of you who watch NRL players train at camp or who actually play (or have played) rugby league yourself (whether it was during school or in actual competitions), what is the training regime/program that you undertook (both during the season and off-season)? Like, what things did you do or certain days and the duration of each activity?

Also, how much holidays (weeks) does a topgrade NRL player get a year, and when do they go back to training?

Thanks

 

[Dutchy]

Bout to go to bed. Will give you a huge type up tomorrow.

Pre-Season Matts, Ball, Flegg training. Not PL or 1sts.

 

[t-ba]

Bout to go to bed. Will give you a huge type up tomorrow.

tl, dr.

 

[adamkungl]

Well never played anything above local club comps, but once you get into teen years the training gets pretty intense. twice a week, usually tuesday thursdays. Tuesdays for us would be a 90 min fitness session, followed by some skills and ballwork. Lots of endurance running, sprints, with pushups, situps, other strength stuff in between, not too much rest time for the first half hr or so. back in 16s it was normal for us to do 100+ pushups and situps in a session. Seemed hard back then. A common exercise is 5x30m sprints, then 4x40m, 3x50m.
Thursdays would have half hr or so of lighter fitness stuff, the rest of the session focusing on skills and ballwork.

 

[Knight87]

Bout to go to bed. Will give you a huge type up tomorrow.

Pre-Season Matts, Ball, Flegg training. Not PL or 1sts.

thank you so much JS. I've always wanted to know what goes on behind the steel fences at training camps, it'll be great to hear it straight from the horses mouth (ie someone who's actually played at competition level).

 

[Perth Red]

Does it involve getting smashed out of your head on a Saturday night or is that optional?

 

[donkey|rope]

Does it involve getting smashed out of your head on a Saturday night or is that optional?

the nrl and its teams stand behind its supplementary independent study program designed for advanced students.

 

[ozzie]

when I was playing several years ago - it used to be 2 laps around the oval, kick the ball to give the fullback some practice, 2 tackles and for sprint training it was a print to the pub 300 yards away - the quickest was always the lock. The loser paid for the first shout.

though when I started to play first grade the coach used to play for Canterbury and he worked us hard, but our training was based around what most of us did for work, most of us used to work on the railway and I loaded wool bails, so for me it was more endurance work.

But we would die if we had to do what the players do now

 

[sherrinator]

Does it involve getting smashed out of your head on a Saturday night or is that optional?

friday and saturday

 

[sooperdooper]

did you want a copy of some nrl training regime? is this for personal knowledge or for schoolwork/uni?

 

[Knight87]

personal knowledge, sooperdooper.

I was also wondering how different training was say 20-30 yrs ago, in comparison to today's game. For the Newcastle Knights, I read somewhere that when they first started out in 1988, Allan MacMahon use to make the players go on a 9.5 or 10km run at the beach during the Summer (before season commenced), which the players (except the forwards) had to complete within 45 minutes.

 

[Shorty]

Do you want like an actual program or just the gist?
It usually depends on the part of the season.

Footballers train almost every day at least a small part.
Agility,strength,power,endurance,maximum strength etc and these all depend on where the players are at during the season.

You can look up what is called a 'Annual training program' on the net and it will show you what different athletes have to do all year round.

PS I don't play football but know strength and conditioning.

 

[melbourne_belle]

A friend of mine plays U20's for Melbourne.
Not excatly sure on the details, but he trains twice Mondays and Tuesdays, pool session Wednesdays and a training session Thursday and Fridays, its pretty full on.
Just found out he also has a training session tomorrow so thats 8 sessions this week.
But it is the pre season so I expect it to reduce a bit during the season.

 

[Slackboy72]

I used to work briefly in ultimo in 2001 and we got to watch the rooters training on wentworth park. It was mostly skills and fitness but they were there 4 days a week. Rain or shine.
At the gym yesterday the faders were doing weights at 7:30 in the morning. Needless to say it's a lot of hard yakka that a lot of people fail to comprehend.

 

[HevyDevy]

It also depends on the player - different players will work on different areas.

Some will do explosive work, others fitness etc and it can change from year to year for that player.

Obviously someone like Buderus was given a heap of extra time off this off-season to recover from injuries while some of Newcastle's younger players came back early to get a head start.

A lot of players don't do any long distance running once they've had knee problems.

So it is really quite varied Knight87

 

[fourplay]

Post full training programs please if anyone has them!!

 

[DeeJ]

A few years ago there was an article published about the Cowboys training regeime when they complained they had too much.

I remember they had 2 training sessions every day although something light like a game of golf was included.

 

[JB]

If your training for a local club comp generally do most of your fitness and strength work during the off season. You want to establish a good aerobic base during this time. So that means lots of long runs, or vary it a bit by including swimming and cycling. Gym work to improve your strength.
As you get closer to the season you go through your anaerobic stage which is a lot more shorter, sharper runs, interval training, speed work, plyrometrics, that sort of thing. Also lighter weights at the gym, more reps.
Also start doing skill based work during this time. I find playing high quality touch in a strong comp helps with this.

Just a basic idea of a programme. The club you join should have one set up. But remember everyone's different so what works for others may not neccesarily work for you.

 

[Hanscholo]

It depends greatly on the time of the year, the players health, age and level of energy reserves. It ranges from getting flogged daily up sand hills to a light swim + go carts.

 

[Broncos#1Fan]

sooperdooper, i know this reply is late but do you have copy of some of the nrl training regimes i need it for a school assignment. thanks.