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Lockysillegitimatechild
State of Origin Rep
- Apr 10, 2015
- 5,544
- 10,739
So it's the fatigue that puts them at an increased risk of injury?It's not jet lag specifically it's fatigue your chances of injuries are more likely if you're fatigued. After a long season, WC and then travel to England you don't think they'll be fatigued?
You can't just keep flogging the players thinking they won't break down. Clubs put so much money and resources into sleep, loading and fatigue it's not because it has nothing to do with injuries and performance.
My point was the WCC has missed other years and ask 100 people and I bet 100 wouldn't even know. The WCC isn't holding the sport together.
I was going to tell you all the reasons why a game in February will not cause a fatigue induced injury in September but I can't be bothered and I can tell you will just keep on disagreeing with me so I'll make this bit brief....
I'm a physio... It doesn't....
This mentality that a game in England in February 2 or 3 weeks before the season starts will cause fatigue and affect your chances in October is ridiculous with fans. Nearly every other sport in the world does it. Players are more at risk of fatigue induced injuries (eg muscle strains) when they have to play with acute fatigue (eg 2 days after origin like smith and slater do every year). The teams know how to manage players to prevent injuries from fatigue throughout a season via periodisation and adequate recovery, and if the players aren't capable of recovering they wouldn't be athletes...
Storm don't want to do it because it takes effort. Financially they'd probably make as much money going to the Sunshine Coast and New Zealand whilst keeping their players and recruitment areas happy.
Every club has self interest, it's ok. The thing that annoys me about the storm is they pretend they need extra help in Melbourne yet have shown time and time again that they wont go out of their way for the game, and they take a real us vs them mentality as well (their bitter reaction to the salary cap scandal is a prime example of this, they do realise they robbed other teams of a chance to win it because they cheated don't they? Yet they still celebrate their premiership and claim it was unfair! You don't want the punishment? Don't cheat!!! It's like they used a motorised carriage in a harness race then whinged about being disqualified!)
I haven't said the game will die if the wcc is missed. But it's that exact type of mentality and self interest that has held the game back so much, particularly on the international stage. The game won't die because of this but why put a nail in the coffin anyway?