If you want to see what lies behind the Melbourne Storm's culture of success, ask the players about their notorious pre-season 'boot camp'.
It's not pretty. Other teams talk about having a tough pre-season; the Storm live it.
Their camps are run by the Special Operations Group of the Victorian Police, many of whom have a background in counter-terrorism. The players are put through a physical and mental grind; they are deprived of sleep and have their food rationed while completing all sorts of strenuous tasks.
"It is without doubt one of the toughest things I have ever had to do," says Warriors centre and former Storm player Dane Nielsen, who estimates he had only one or two hours of sleep per night. "It's the mental aspect more than anything. I remember sitting on the bus afterwards feeling quite amazed. I couldn't believe I could push myself to do some things under enormous pressure with no sleep, not much food - you are just running on empty but you can find that something within yourself that makes you keep going."
"It was hell - the hardest thing I have ever done," laughs Melbourne and Kiwis prop Jesse Bromwich. "We were walking for hours and hours. When you get to lie down and go to sleep they wake you up again after a couple of hours. But it does bond you together, it helps to make you mentally strong."
