IF you rocked up to a Port City Breakers training session it is likely you will see a different style of training to any other group football team.
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While they work hard on the fundamentals, as every team does, they have a special edge that they believe has aided them in remaining undefeated all season.
They host the Taree City Bulls on Sunday, and in what should be their toughest test of the season. But they’re quietly confident thanks largely to their training regime.
Jerome McKittrick from CrossFit2444 played with Breakers from under 10s through to seniors and how now returned to the club as a CrossFit trainer for the squad.
“I’ve always wanted to give back as soon as I could. When I started coaching I was thinking about how good would it be to give back to the club,” he said.
“The variety is the most addictive thing about what the boys are loving, and so is winning footy games. They understand that hard work and varied training – and training with intensity – is addictive.
“I try to provide something every week that is the methodology of CrossFit that will test the boys. It’s something that I’d love to continue to do.
“I know what we do works. I don’t think there’s anyone in group footy doing this type of thing, because if they were they’d be head and shoulders above other teams like the Breakers are.”
Multiple NRL clubs are doing some kind of CrossFit program and at the top elite level it is not uncommon practice.
Coach Dan Kemp praised McKittrick for the program.
“He’s been fantastic for us. He does all of our conditioning and is very knowledgeable,” he said.
“It makes our sessions more enjoyable and every session is completely different. The results are better and the boys enjoy it more than the mundane sessions we’ve been doing forever.”
Breakers captain Ben Stewart said it was a nice change of pace at training, which gets them away from the repetitiveness each week.
“It keeps it interesting and I feel it’s helping us on the field. It’s all cardio based and it’s game related, so it makes us be able to go for longer periods and getting big minutes under the legs,” he said.
He is also wary of Taree, who he says will be a big test for them on Sunday afternoon.
“Their spine are decent players and they have size in their forward pack,” he said.
“There’s a level of expectation on us and every team comes to try and knock us off considering we haven’t lost yet this year. We seem to be improving each week.
“What we’re doing each week seems to last for longer periods which is really positive for us. Not having many injuries really helps as well, which means we can keep the same team on the park each week.”