Another 4 injuries from last weeks game!
Just saw an old episode of Sterlo on the couch where he is talking with graham about how the Bulldogs have a great recovery programme (that Hasler keeps secret) and as such consistently have the lowest or second lowest injuries in a season

We are always told Leeds have a great back room staff but in the last 3 seasons we have faced serious injury crises at some point
Has something changed in the past few years? I dont remember injuries like this before
There must be a larger issue with player recovery, we have had 6 or more people out injured now at every point from round 3 onwards

imo our post game recovery and pre game prep needs looking at

People say North Queensland were lucky to play the same 17 in the Grand Final and the WCC, and then use 19 players over the first three months of the season. I don't think that's luck at all.

Some one suggest Leeds long ago realised they had no hope of contesting the top 8.....so are saving bodies for the middle 8's. The games from here until then are thus meaningless.

Better to have increased chances of a full squad fit ready to battle our way through the matches that now matter more.

I remember doing a tour round Headingly in the Tony Smith days, and was told that after a game the players went through a series of ice baths and hot baths as part of their recovery after a game, wonder if they still do that, because we seemed to get very few injuries back then except for the unavoidable in game ones

Sounds like another excuse is on the rise!!

Err sort of the opposite

They definitely do that, it's a basic requirement now for recovery.

I doubt increased numbers of injured players is anything to do with their rehab/recovery. If there is an issue its much more likely to be in training and/or conditioning.
However, despite the increased amount of sports science there is still a huge element of luck involved with injuries. And considering the amount of injuries across the league in recent seasons I'd be more inclined to think it's the nature of RL these days (bigger, faster, fitter & stronger players and certain tackle and wrestle techniques) rather than a particular issue at one club.
I dont often criticise the RFL as I think they often get unwarranted stick given the position they're in, but they should've been monitoring injuries across the sport long ago and yet I believe they're still not even doing so now. Especially given the small squads in SL.

Also to do with players returning before they are ready or carrying injuries that then become serious and require a long lay off .

......and the totally predictable consequence of an ageing playing staff with a lot of miles under the hood. Hardly surprising that many of our senior players are feeling the effects. Even the likes of Moon and Hall have long playing careers behind them, McGuire, Ablett, Delaney, Burrow, all predictable. Briscoe is looking like a guy who is going to be advised to retire after one more shoulder problem, Achurch must have been signed with a sicknote clause, hardly been fit for more than a couple of matches in a row for what 5 years now? Falloon was a comedy signing and frankly doesn't count.
Not as much bad luck as some are making out.

That isn't actually quite the case. Smith also insisted on a morning swim the next day after a night game, where they all came in together. That doesn't happen under this coach.

Ian Kirke was a big fan of crossfit which has a reputation for causing muscle strains. If he's introduced some crossfit techniques into our training and conditioning could this be the cause of all the niggling injuries we've seen this year?

Agreed, and furthermore I'd suggest a number of absentees could and would be playing if the remaining fixtures were crucial. I'm of the opinion the club resigned themselves to the Middle 8's around the time of the GH Letter and are planning accordingly. In the meantime, injuries and minor niggles are being spun as unprecedented bad luck - issues which are out of the control of club management.

He's only an assistant and part time isn't he? I know he's an easy scapegoat because of his playing days but I doubt he's had such a key in what exactly gets done regarding fitness.

He's the conditioning coach isn't he?

Cross fit is controversial exercise. rather than controlled, monitored, gym work. You're awkwardly moving a monster truck tyre round a field / warehouse. I dont see the appeal.

Whilst performances weren't amazing they at least looked to have some fight in the team in the Hull, Saints and Hudds games. After we lost at Hudds in the league it does look however like they've accepted their fate in the Middle 8's.

According to the Leeds press release he is the conditioner for the first team but you're right that he is only part time. I never really got the hate for Kirke when he was playing, he was a decent defender in the middle of the park and wouldn't have demanded a large chunk of the cap. He was the sort of player every team needs in a salary capped sport.

I meant assistant as in assistant to Jason Davidson.

For his flaws in attack, Kirke was pretty good at getting into the tackle and slowing down the PTB's.....something our current forwards aren't doing.

Indeed, I suspect the loss to Huddersfield away was the turning point in re-evaluating the goals for rest of the season. The Cup loss a week later which effectively ended the season prompted GH's letter. It hasn't been crucial to get bodies back since then.

A lot of people accused him of laziness for being the second or third man in the tackle and then taking up a marker position but he was leagues ahead of our current batch of props at controlling the ruck area.

Might be why everyone is apparently so happy in the camp despite getting mullered every week.

Yep! Eureeka! Think the nail has had its head well and truly hammered



It is a risk still to depend on no serious injuries occuring through the middle 8's campaign....but must agree better to minimise the risks for the games that now matter by using the playing staff sparingly in the meantime.

It will also explain the smiles all round after the magic mullering: the playing staff had already been told to stop trying to bust any gut to win a now meaningless match. Lull the other middle 8 teams into a false sense of security going into the games. Hee hee. ... wouldn't it be even more funny though if the club got it wrong and still the team gets mullered

Interestingly Ryan Bailey's injury was only properly diagnosed by the Warrington medical staff and dealt with promptly. A growth spur on his achillies I believe