Reds stars in regular contact with Watson
COACHES CHECK UP ON SALFORD PLAYERS DURING LOCKDOWN
WITH the Betfred Super League in lockdown and no sign yet when it will be able to resume, these are difficult times for everyone involved in the sport, as is the case across the wider community.
But Ian Watson and his coaching staff are doing everything they can to stay as connected as possible to the Salford playing squad, who have all been issued personalised lockdown training plans by the club’s head of strength and conditioning Greg Brown, while many took gym equipment home to ensure they can continue some training despite the situation.
“We speak daily with the players,” said Watson. “The heads of the area if you like – myself, GB and our physio Rob Artingstall – are in discussions every day just to find out how everybody is.
“We still speak to the players to see what they’re up to, how they are and how they’re coping it, but most of them have got themselves a routine, which makes things easier for them.”
As of yet, there is no clear indication as to when the sport will be able to resume, but when the green light is finally given, Watson believes it will be important for player safety to have a period of full training before matches are scheduled.
“It would be important for the players because it’s the contact you can’t replicate,” he explained.
“The running, the fitness – you can keep that up and you can do a bit of lifting, so you can do that side of the game, but it’s the contact and the timing that you miss.
“Most people’s bodies will probably be feeling great right now through not having to do contact for a few weeks, but as soon as they have to do contact again, they’re going to be really sore.
“It’s probably for the sports scientists and GB and our physio will guide us on it, but it might be that if you miss two weeks like we have now, you need to do a week of a little mini pre-season just to get back to taking knocks and the intensity that the game is played at. If you throw people back in straight away, you could be risking a potentially serious injury.” Speculation persists that when Super League does get back underway it may have to be without fans in stadiums and, although not ideal, Watson thinks it is a possibility worth exploring to help protect the sport and its revenues.
He said: “You’d love to have the supporters in the stadium, it creates a real atmosphere and that’s what everybody plays the game for – to play in front of good crowds.
“But if it’s about securing the future of the sport and you have to play so many games behind closed doors to get the competition done and tick the boxes with Sky and maybe potentially the BBC for the Challenge Cup, then that’s something as a game that we have to look at.
“It’s one for the organisers, but I wouldn’t be averse to doing it as long as it secures the future of the game.
“The game as it is now – people being full-time professionals – that’s how we want it to be going forward.
“We can’t afford for it go backwards and to lose the funding from the likes of Sky and the BBC because we need that. The game needs that to grow.”
We still speak to the players to see what they’re up to, how they are and how they’re coping with it
Ian Watson