New South Wales Waratahs recruit Berrick Barnes wins strongman trophy

By Jon Geddes

December 18, 2009 .

New South Wales Waratahs recruit Berrick Barnes has wasted no time living up to the high expectations on him, emerging as their strongman after a fearsome contest on Thursday.

Barnes and his new teammates threw themselves into six demanding challenges in the gym, with players receiving encouragement and good-natured abuse during each event.

"Come on golden boy," one player yelled to Barnes in an attempt to put him off as he did his chin-ups.

But Barnes said that kind of banter provided him with extra incentive.

"I hate losing whatever it is, you come in wanting to do your best," Barnes said.

The former Queensland Reds star finished ahead of the real bolter, rookie Manly five-eighth Ben Seymour, a member of the Junior Waratahs in his first year out of school.

Seymour was a standout in the farmer's walk, in which he had to carry 50kg weight in each hand up and back 10 metres.

In third place was Nemani Nadolo, a powerhouse winger formerly known as Ratu Nasiganiyavi, who smashed two records.

Barnes's performance was all the more impressive given that he was unable to take part in two events as he recovers from the ankle injury he sustained at the start of the Wallabies' spring tour.

But he completed the most chin-ups, with 30, breaking the record of 22 set by Timana Tahu.

Barnes was also equal first in the iron cross, holding a 7.5kg weight in each hand at right angles from his body for 85 seconds.

He capped his session with third place in body-pressing his own weight with 18 repetitions.

Prop Dan Palmer set a record by lifting the bar 24 times.

"That was about the first thing I have won since the Kingaroy under-11s, so it was nice," Barnes said after he was presented with the trophy by 2008 victor Damien Fitzpatrick.

Barnes's signing is a major coup for the Waratahs, who have lost high-profile backs Lote Tuqiri and Timana Tahu for next season.

Barnes appreciates there will be a bit of heat on him at the Waratahs next year.

"There will be some pressure, there always is, I suppose," Barnes said.

"I fortunately have a fair bit of leadership around me and won't have a lot of the responsibilities I had to deal with in Queensland."

Waratahs physical performance manager Peter McDonald was especially impressed by the efforts of Barnes and Nadolo.

Nadolo was a man possessed as he set a benchmark on the rowing machine with 740 metres in two minutes, breaking the previous record by 27 metres.

He also lifted the 40kg log above his head 61 times, another record.

The signs are very encouraging for the 120kg winger, who missed the entire 2009 Super 14 season with injury.

"The last six weeks, my aim was to knuckle down and get really fit and the work has paid off," the cousin of former Waratahs winger Lote Tuqiri said.

"That is in the gym, so hopefully there are good things to come.

"I want to give the big boys a good run and get a spot in the 22."

McDonald said the results in the competition were generally up from last year.

"It's something the players look forward to," he said.

"In the week it comes up, they start practising the events and the banter starts against each other.