Will K.Pryce ever be fit enough?

[East Stand Faithful]

Been reading the pre-Wakefield game threads. They have many topics interlaced within it. An interesting one is Karl Pryce. Thought a seperate thread would be ok.

It seems most professional athletes have injuries, some may be out for years and come back. This season Karl has had plenty of time to be match fit along with the training each week yet he still seems to be below par. Tonight we've seen a young wigan #3 score twice for salford whilst tomorrow Noble will juggle our squad due to a possible Carmont injury.

How much more time, if any, does KP need? It cant be a conditioning fault more a coaching fault if not his own. I fear he's just dead wood with no confidence who came with reputation as a junior at Bradford and is now a flop. His injury isnt/wasnt too serious most people recover fine.

Whilst Karl Pryce has a major responsibilty to himself and his career, there is also a major underlying conditioning problem at Wigan.

When we signed Inga, he was in worse physical shape than KP. We simply made him run up and down Rivington and turned him into a world beater. Even before we signed Pryce it was blatantly obvious that fitness wise we have problems. It is several months ago that IL stated at a fans forum that Forshaw couldn't do the job on his own. What have done since then to improve our conditioning team? NOTHING.

The most frustrating part of this to me is that before every game, I see one of the world's highest regarded fitness instructors waiting to take his seat - Steve Hampson. He is Wigan through and through. He pays to watch them play, so imagine how much he would like to work with them. World famous sports stars like Freddie Flintoff and Darren Clarke have selected him as their personal fitness tutors. Surely this says something about the reputation he has.

If our chairman thought Mike Forshaw couldn't do this job alone months and months ago, then why is he still working alone? I thought Karl Pryce was a good signing for us, deep down I think most people on here had quite high expectations and thought he would be a prominent feature in the first team this year, hence the sponsorship. Unfortunately, there is no sign of progress with Karl, and time and patience are running out, especially if his development is coming at the expense of Shaun Ainscoughs'.

My sons train with Hampo and he is a very good fitness trainer and there were discussions about him working with the club earlier in the season. Maybe Nobby or Forshaw dont want him?

[cpwigan]

Forshaw does have a part time assistant conditioner now, Mick Turner IIRC Forshaw appears reluctant to give anybody control of his role and thus will only support such appointment if they offer no threat to him.

Numpty brought Forshaw in like Vievers and others because they are yes men and stroke his ego.

[East Stand Faithful]

Forshaw does have a part time assistant conditioner now, Mick Turner IIRC Forshaw appears reluctant to give anybody control of his role and thus will only support such appointment if they offer no threat to him.

Numpty brought Forshaw in like Vievers and others because they are yes men and stroke his ego.

CPW - Sounds right to me. Maybe this is why IL is reluctant to sack Nobby as he knows he needs to clear out his yes men as well?

[KOOCH]

It's a right royal cock up.Pryce should be a world beater,Unfortunately he could not beat eggs at this moment in time.Whilst I respected Mike Forshaw as a player it does seem that as a conditioner he is lacking.We will never progress as a club both on and of the field whilst Noble is in charge.The man to blame for this farce must surely lay at the door of IL for continuing to employ this numpty and those around him who quite clearly are not up to the job being asked of them.We have a world class conditioner in Hampo waiting to do the job.What are we going to do sit around until he is signed up by our rivals.And then live to rue the day.Wake up for god sake IL and recognise that not all of the fans can be wrong when calling for the head of the Numpty and also rans around him.We deserve better we expect better because we are Wigan.It is our divine right as wiganers to have the best and be the best.

[GeoffN]

My sons train with Hampo and he is a very good fitness trainer and there were discussions about him working with the club earlier in the season. Maybe Nobby or Forshaw dont want him?

I've seen him at a few reserve games as well, but not had chance to chat with him yet.

[cpwigan]

At the end of the day. Every club is restricted by the salary cap re players. So you need to get the best out of what you are allowed. No club is restricted in terms of what they spend getting the best out of those players. You can invest in World Class backroom staff, even bring in such staff on a temporary basis for say the pre season and such forth.

Jennings who works with Penrith now and has a Page in RLW is used by lots of British RL Clubs. They pay him to design programes for them re conditioning. Personally, I think you can do better than that.

Forshaw is not armed with the qualifications or the world class knowledge of his post playing career profession nor are many we seem to employ.

People talk about Wayne Bennett, the coach. He has transformed St George in a pre season. No give me 3 years etc etc. What is far less well knopwn is that Wayne Bennett has not achieved that single handedly. What he did was cheery pick a list of staff with frightening qualifications / skills so he brough a World Class team with him. The results are plain to see.

[East Stand Faithful]

CPW good points but whatg does "What he did was cheery pick a list of staff with frightening qualifications / skills so he brough a World Class team with him." mean?

According to my lad Hampo doesnt get on with Forshaw so thats why he didnt join Wigan.

[weststand-rich]

This is where RL is particularly backward - a world class brand like Wigan should have an elite crossover with the leading UK sports University Loughborough and shouting about it from the rafters.

To those who think hammering up Haigh and Rivvy is the answer to our problem, sorry but you're wrong. That type of work is part of a balanced programme, but if that's all it took then the enthusiastic unpaid amatuers who train with guts and drive would be playing for Wigan

[cpwigan]

CPW good points but whatg does "What he did was cheery pick a list of staff with frightening qualifications / skills so he brough a World Class team with him." mean?

According to my lad Hampo doesnt get on with Forshaw so thats why he didnt join Wigan.

I will see if I cn find the article but he took some people he had worked with at the Broncos with him to St George. He also had fantastic hands on links with the iuniversity during his time at the Broncos. He has already set that up with the university closest to St George. The links are far more than what Leeds, huddersfield, Wigan do here. The Aus universities play a real role in developing players physically / medically etc. Far more hands on.

I know the Bronco had started looking into genetics etc when selecting youngsters for scholarships etc.

[cpwigan]

This is where RL is particularly backward - a world class brand like Wigan should have an elite crossover with the leading UK sports University Loughborough and shouting about it from the rafters.

To those who think hammering up Haigh and Rivvy is the answer to our problem, sorry but you're wrong. That type of work is part of a balanced programme, but if that's all it took then the enthusiastic unpaid amatuers who train with guts and drive would be playing for Wigan

Rich we are not talking about how to become players. Everybody knows Pryce has/had ability but they also know that for all the ability if you are not fit enough physically / mentally then you are wasting your time.

What concerns many is that there seems to be a very namby pamby approach to conditioning. I do not claim to be qualified but my understanding is fitness / strength. You stretch yourself, the body reacts and adjusts and become better equipped and you keep doing that.

Is that not what the armed forces do with ordinary people? Boxers in a more demanding sport flog themselves and use the physical elements, marathon runners have to put in the hard slog.

Modern Gyms make their money from people playing at fitness, never turning up. Strikes me Wigan RLFC play at conditioning and it is their livelihood.