Before we dive into the latest from Kellyville, let me recommend this content from Eels media.

It’s focussed on last week’s short camp down in Gerringong. I’ve been watching this preseason in person, but now I’m even more pumped for Round 1 after watching the footage. A highlight was seeing Wally and the Crow talking to the players and sharing their old pre-season manual, and the emotion of winning a premiership.

And so we move to Wednesday and the middle session of a match preparation week.

In the season itself, when three sessions per week are possible, the first might be a bit of a  “loosener” as the team gets over the bumps and bruises of the preceding round. The middle session would be the major training run of the week, rounded out by the last session, the captain’s run – where the players might get some videos, a tip sheet and go through unopposed sets.

This week’s Wednesday session involved unopposed sets, drilling attacking shapes, a few skills stations and systems drills, and also opposed unstructured attack and defence.

Full team contact opposed rounded out the session, with Gutherson, Moses and Brown filling out the “reserve team” – those on the extended list.

Don’t read anything into this. With a total of 26 players in the trial, adding players to the opposed allowed for rotations.

That said, it would have been a blast from the past for Gutho who filled in on the wing. He still couldn’t help being the King from that spot. His talk from out wide was incessant, even yelling instructions to the other edge and wing.

Gutherson never does things in half measures. In one play he was absolutely motoring for the corner, launching himself in a dive to plant the ball. This forced Simonsson to dive in a full contact tackle that had both over the sideline. They both immediately acknowledged each other’s efforts.

In this session it was possible to hear some of the leaders like Matto and Lane speaking to their young charges, as well as BA communicating some goals.

Obviously those exchanges won’t be detailed here, but I particularly like watching senior players take ownership of the group.

Matto addresses the group

It’s been there to see all Summer. On top of the designated leaders of Junior and the King, the likes of RCG, Lane, Moses, Ofahengaue and Matto have really stepped up. Just recently I wrote about Harper and Moretti taking charge of the younger brigade in an opposed session.

Most encouragingly, today there was plenty of talk all through the squad and all through the various drills. It’s been a feature of a pre-season that’s had a constant and consistent “fresh vibe”.

Given the length of the pre-season, with the squad coming back earlier than they have in previous recent seasons due to not qualifying for finals football, there was the potential that a long lead in to the season could have been both physically and psychologically sapping.

BA and his staff have created both an overall schedule and session structures that have resulted in squad members commenting about how much they’ve enjoyed the work.

Don’t get me wrong. There has been no shortage of times when conditioning has pushed their limits in the preparation of a gruelling season proper, and when drills and opposed work is conducted under significant fatigue. So it hasn’t been a “joyride”.

For me, the greatest barometer has been that attitude of the senior players. They’ve embraced the young players as team mates and taken on the aforementioned mentor roles.

As far as any learnings from this session are concerned, I’ll restrict my comments to the outside backs.

Firstly, the battle for starting centre is coming down to the wire. I like what both Harper and Simonsson have to offer and it’s different to each other. Both have had strong pre-seasons.

Opposed

Secondly, this Saturday I’ll encourage you to note of the size of Parra’s wingers – Sean Russell and Haze Dunster. Russell is now nudging 100kgs. Given that, Haze must be well over that mark.

I’ve already tipped Sean to have a break out season, whilst Haze looks fit and strong. There will be both competition and selection options on the flank this year.

In signing out, I have to advise that there’s every possibility that this will be the final training report of a specific session for this preseason.

Friday’s session should be a Captain’s Run. I cannot report on what happens at that.

If it is my final report, standby for my usual summation of the summer – the preseason report card.

I leave you with this photo from the archives of a friend of the Throw. It’s BA at a paint ball showdown, and the Eels coach is not only younger, he’s smiling.

Enjoy.

Eels forever!

Sixties

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