NRL Confidential: Inside Broncos’ NFL style centre of excellence
NRL Premiership
- January 12, 2018 5:00am
- by Nathan Ryan and John Dean
- Source: FOX SPORTS
Inside the Brisbane Broncos' new headquarters.Source: Supplied
THE Brisbane Broncos have given us a sneak peek at their new training facility: A $26 million colossus modelled on the NFL.
That and more in the latest edition of NRL Confidential!
INSIDE THE BRONCOS’ CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
It doesn’t open until late January but
foxsports.com.au was given an exclusive tour of Brisbane’s new $26 million training and administration centre.
Players started frequenting the facility in December which has a state of the art gym and recovery facilities.
Modelled off the Don Hutson Center, NFL’s Green Bay Packers’ indoor practice facility, the Broncos’ headquarters has all the trimmings.
The indoor gym features a physio room, cardio room, crossfit area, Olympic lifting area and wrestling zone.
Inside the Brisbane Broncos' new headquarters.Source: Supplied
Inside the Brisbane Broncos' new headquarters.Source: Supplied
The gym itself is impressive but the added extras take it to another level with the dumbbells fitted with the Broncos logo.
Behind the weights room is their recovery area which includes a lap pool, ice baths, spa baths, a sauna and dark room kitted out with bunk beds.
The players’ common room has a strict ‘food policy’ but plenty of toys including gaming consoles and ping-pong table.
The changing room is another part of the centre inspired by the Packers.
Every player has their own locker, with star recruit Jack Bird’s next to coach Wayne Bennett. Also next to the coach is new prop Matt Lodge, who has Bennett on his left and Josh McGuire on his right.
The training facility is on the ground floor, while the players’ rooms are on level one with the admin. The coaching staff and media crew are based on level one with the coach’s office overlooking the training field directly next to the gym.
To the naked eye, it’s a rectangular field with nets erected to the fence along the sideline to catch stray balls but it’s in fact a to-scale replica field of Suncorp Stadium.
The new facility is in Red Hill, across the road from their old facility which will be used for their juniors and pathways programs.
Inside the Brisbane Broncos' new headquarters.Source: Supplied
Above level one is for the heavy hitters like CEO Paul White.
This level is where their boardroom is located. On the balls are the names of every player to have ever laced a boot for the Broncos, while a giant glass black tinted logo has been secured to the ceiling above the board table.
Between level one and two is level 1.5, which is a giant dining area with a balcony and barbecue.
But the new HQ, which is located on the site of a former TAFE isn’t all about the players.
The facility has a heavy community focus.
The team’s footage room for game review and meetings is located next to a learning centre where the club can host schoolchildren.
The classroom-like set-up will see plenty of local kids come through the doors next year.
As you can imagine with a facility of this magnitude, every detail has been covered off.
There’s a museum featuring the club’s trophies in the lobby and cafe area for fans to sit at and observe training.
The players have private parking at the rear of the complex and even have a basketball hoop so they can shoot some baskets in their down time.
WARRIORS TO SIGN WIGAN STAR?
The player responsible for the bizarre charge down of a Corey Parker’s shot at goal in 2015 could be coming to the NRL.
A report in the
NZ Herald suggests Wigan centre Anthony Gelling is on the verge of signing on with the Warriors for 2018.