Hearts in beat as Force raises bar

[travelling_gerry]

NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian
December 11, 2010, 9:51 am


Enlarge photo
Western Force players are running with nowhere to hide as they prepare for next year’s expanded Super rugby competition.

They are being kept honest by a combination of technology, the eagle eye of new strength and conditioning coach Charlie Higgins and accountability to their teammates.

The pre-season program under the new regime has been branded “Career Best Shape”.

Higgins, who joined from the Bath club in England and head coach Richard Graham, started with a clean sheet.

“When (head coach) Richard (Graham) and I came on board we first had a look at the culture. That’s the first thing we’ve changed,” Higgins said.

“We instilled a culture based on honesty and accountability. That’s been the backbone of the program.”

Higgins has also set new fitness targets.

“We’ve got parameters from which we work, too. If you don’t meet those parameters, then often you’ll be brought in for extra work,” he said.

“We’ve got an accountability board. At the end of every session, the heart rate goes up. If the numbers show players are not working within a particular zone it’s a case of ‘numbers circled, see me, come back at the weekend’.

“It’s a simple process. It’s another form of making players accountable.”

Higgins said he would be naive to think he was doing things much differently than other Super club coach.

“It’s the little things, the 2 per cent things that we can try and do better,” Higgins said.

Which is why he introduced “Career Best Shape” and why it is raised at every team meeting and training session, and written on every notice board.

“It’s drummed into players,” Higgins said.

Higgins believes the squad is in good shape, but stressed: “You can have the best pre-season in the world but it’s got to be transferable to football. We’re travelling very, very well but it’s in January, how we front up physically, where things will be decided.

“You can push really, really hard, live on the edge and break players or you can be conservative and still have everyone on deck.

“We’re probably somewhere in the middle. We’re pushing as hard as we can but we’re also mindful of previous years where there’s been a high injury rate.

“I’ve got to have the players ready for Richard to deal with in any scenario.

“We can’t just be aerobically fit. We’ve got to be combat fit.”

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...ce-raises-bar/

[Burgs]

So in the first five seasons the players haven't been honest or accountable?
I think people need to always remain aware of what they say in the public realm and the implications on others.
It does mean ending up with a fair bit of political speak, but leave the honest assessment to the players themselves perhaps.

[slomo]

I'm with you on this one burgs, it was only a year ago all pre season records were being broken, and the players were in the best shape ever.....a few injuries later the lack of depth in our squad was exposed, but at least we manage to give a few younger players break........

[Rex Messup]

So in the first five seasons the players haven't been honest or accountable?
I think people need to always remain aware of what they say in the public realm and the implications on others.
It does mean ending up with a fair bit of political speak, but leave the honest assessment to the players themselves perhaps.

In previous seasons we've had shirkers like Kid Dynacast complaining about the hard yakka and calling team b1tching sessions behind closed doors

Player mutiny

Player power dictating culture

I hope the Bath connection hardens the place up

Watch out for a comeback from Doughnut

[GIGS20]

Watch out for a comeback from Doughnut

Who was one of the major bitching shirkers.

[Burgs]

And the new Coach was a part of that regime

[Rex Messup]

Who was one of the major bitching shirkers.

The main culprits had blonde hair, fancied themselves at the Blue Oyster on Friday nights and left at the end of 2009.

Dunning is hard and has not to be f--ked with on his forehead.

If we can get some lard off him expect a big season.

[zimeric]

he needs to stop wingeing and just get on with the job though.. too often i saw im come up from a collapsed scrum whining like a buzz saw to the ref about one thing or another..
was not a good look..

[Cowboy]

In previous seasons we've had shirkers like Kid Dynacast complaining about the hard yakka and calling team b1tching sessions behind closed doors

Player mutiny

Player power dictating culture

I hope the Bath connection hardens the place up

Watch out for a comeback from Doughnut

This is the same Rex Messup who a little while back told us that Kurtley Beale will never overcome his genetic makeup. I'll regard all other Rex opinions as the golden truth just like the previously proven performer that he isn't.

[Rex Messup]

I made no racial slur against KB.

He has surprised this season.

He's very dodgy under the high ball and you wouldn't want him making the RWC winning tackle one on one in the last minute.

Opinions are like @rseholes. Yours is faecal smeared

[Cowboy]

"Kurtley is fighting against his genetics
He's also lazy and expects everything to happen for him
He has a self destructive peronality" a quote from Chiselhead on 4/2/2009

I'm pretty sure Chiselhead was from your stable Rex.

[Darren]

and that was the "moderated" version ...

[Burgs]

Maybe Rex/Chis knows Mr & Mrs Beale? ....

[normie]

There you go, bringing genes into the argument again. Genes should not be discussed unless endorsed by a licensed geneticist.

[Burgs]

My genes got torn so I bought a new set.