Lockers: Bath will plug the champs' gaps

[josie andrews]

SEAN O’Loughlin reckons Wigan’s training session with Bath RU will be the perfect way to sharpen their focus on their last three Super League games.

Shaun Wane has used the extra time off - owing to Saturday’s Challenge Cup Final - to take the first-team squad on a camp with one of the biggest names in English rugby union.

They headed to Bath yesterday and will train with Mike Ford’s outfit today and tomorrow.

And skipper O’Loughlin hopes the benefits will be there to see during the Warriors’ three-game run to the play-offs, against Widnes, Leeds and Warrington.

“It’s a bit of a freshen up,” the England Test forward said. “When you go away you’re 100 per cent focused on training, because there’s nothing else to do, and you get a bit more out of it.

“It’s a good final bit of preparation for our last three games before the play-offs.

“Once you get into the play-offs, you know what’s at stake and that’s all the build-up you need, but between now and then this will give us a chance to focus our attention on the last three games.

“It’s good to use the extra time off to change the scenery and keep everyone fresh.”

This is the third time this year O’Loughlin and his Wigan team-mates have travelled to train with another professional team. In February they had sessions with New Zealand Warriors and Souths Sydney Rabbitohs in the build-up to the World Club Challenge.

And he reckons the element of professional pride will ensure every player gives his all.

“Whenever someone new comes to training, or you go somewhere else, you want to train your best and show what we do well - I’m sure they’ll be the same,” he said.

“It’s also a chance to look at each other and see if there are any techniques that transfer over. Whenever you meet other sportspeople you try and take a bit away.”

O’Loughlin’s England team-mate Sam Burgess will be joining Bath at the end of Souths’ NRL season. Expecting questions about the rampaging forward, he said: “If they ask, I’ll tell them they’ve got a great player on their hands. At the minute he’s playing really well, he’s a loss to our game and he’ll be a big bonus for Bath, and England as well.”

http://www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... -1-6791169

[Wigan_forever1985]

i cant really see what benifit this gives player if im honest.

Breaking it down

Lockers mentions that being away from home helps focus the lads because there is "nothing else to do", that may be the case in some of the training resorts they visit but this is bath, its in the uk, and ive been to bath - there is plenty to do. In fact taking the lads away for me installs a "road trip" mentality especially when you have a young squad.

Training with another team helps? again yes if you visit a world calss rugby league set up i would 100% agree that we could learn, but a team that finished 5th in a different sport?. What can we gain from training with them? surely the training is completely different for a start

I may be being picky but if you truely believe this is a good move ask yourself the question would they still have done it had Mike Ford not been there?.

I just dont see the benifit

[Kaii]

There is always new things to learn in any situation

[x Wigan Warrior x]

There is always new things to learn in any situation

:eusa2: :eusa2: :eusa2:

Agreed, but no doubt all the "experts" in sports training will be out in force damming this action ....... But in all honesty i think visiting a world class RL team would have been a better idea, to do that though would mean a journey down under

[Pharabus]

I think you also need to consider the team building aspect of this, and I include the whiskey tasting too, the best teams are based on more than just physical skill, look at Salford.

In rugby and outside of rugby you need a group of people who work together and are willing to sacrifice for each other, hopefully this is what Wigan are trying to build.

[josie andrews]

Rugby Codes Collide at Wigan and Bath Training Camp

Two rugby codes collided this week as Wigan Rugby League travelled to Bath Rugby Union for some dual-training in the South West.

Whilst the two sides are at different stages of their season - Wigan have just three fixtures left of their regular First Utility Super League campaign whilst Bath will kick-off their Aviva Premiership campaign away to Sale Sharks in early September - both Head Coaches could see the benefit in some cross-code training.

Wigan Head Coach, Shaun Wane said: "We'd have liked to have been playing this weekend but unfortunately we are out of the Challenge Cup so when Mike offered us the chance to come down here it was one we couldn't turn down.

"Mike and I played together back when we were both at Wigan so it was an easy conversation to have. Mike has his thoughts on how he would like Bath to play rugby next season and I take it as a compliment that he contacted me to ask if we could come down. For us it has been something a bit different and has given us something extra which I hope can help spur us on as we look to finish the season strongly and defend our Super League title.

"I'd like to thank Mike and everyone at Bath for their hospitality throughout our time here."

Mike Ford, Bath Head Coach said: "Both Union and League can learn a lot from each other. Obviously I come from a League background, and started my career at Wigan, so knew the various ways in which this couple of days of joint training could help us prepare for the new season.

"Pre-season has been a tough eight weeks or so, so it has been really good for us to be able to give the players something new to think about, a fresh way of looking at things, and a different contest in training. Being able to have players other than our own squad to run against has been really beneficial as we look to the Sale game in September."

"Wigan have been brilliant, and challenged us in exactly the way I intended. They are a very smart side, and Shaun has done a fantastic job with them. I'd like to thank him and his squad, and hope this relationship can continue in the future," Ford added.

Exclusive footage of the session will be available on Wigan TV later today and throughout this week.

http://www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... H8Aw2xA.99

[Wigan_forever1985]

I think you also need to consider the team building aspect of this, and I include the whiskey tasting too, the best teams are based on more than just physical skill, look at Salford.

In rugby and outside of rugby you need a group of people who work together and are willing to sacrifice for each other, hopefully this is what Wigan are trying to build.

Totally agree with this and i think it shows at castleford, if that is the core reasoning behind this then fair play. You have to keep the lease short though otherwise you get in the Noble zone were the players start cutting corners

[ian.birchall]

Is the fact that the team is off for an early Bath a sign that we have given up on the hypothetical link we had with Saracens when Joel went there with nothing actually coming out of that 'link'??

[cpwigan]

I may be mistaken but did Joel not say when he returned that the 2 sports are very different with very little transferable.

Its only RL and SL though. Our form is so amazing, our handling so sublime that we can just turn up whenever we want and beat anybody.

[DaveO]

I think you also need to consider the team building aspect of this, and I include the whiskey tasting too, the best teams are based on more than just physical skill, look at Salford.

In rugby and outside of rugby you need a group of people who work together and are willing to sacrifice for each other, hopefully this is what Wigan are trying to build.

Totally agree with this and i think it shows at castleford, if that is the core reasoning behind this then fair play. You have to keep the lease short though otherwise you get in the Noble zone were the players start cutting corners

Players cutting corners? And the solution to this is Whiskey tasting?

No, you don't need to keep the leash short. They are professional players but more to point we are supposed to employ professional coaches who ought not to need gimmicks to keep the players interested.

It makes it look like they have run out of ideas when given recent performances some basic skills training is in order and for one or two an "RL for Dummies" book.

I am not sure what the reference to Cas is about but as far as I know Saturday's two finalists haven't been on any Whisky tastings or gone off training with an RU side.

The Whiskey tasting and going to train with Bath are two of the most unprofessional acts I have seen from the club in the last decade. There is no sports psychology here. Just someone or some people losing the plot.