Warriors would have to cross the Tasman early next week, to have enough time to serve an isolation period, before a training window ahead of games kicking off.
The Warriors hope their players will emerge fitter and faster from the lockdown period, despite the disadvantages of training in isolation with a limited range of equipment.
Despite the National Rugby League announcing a planned return date of May 28, there is still widespread uncertainty over whether that will eventuate,and if Warriors will even be involved, given the myriad logistical hurdles.
But the club's head trainer, Craig Twentyman, says the period is a chance to advance in some vital areas, a consistent message he has been pushing to the playing group.
"This is an opportunity to progress in some key areas, going into what we believe will be a dense, intense, period … a mini pre-season, if you like," Twentyman said. "They need to be able to prepare themselves to tolerate that, and decrease their risk of injury on return."
While many might have seen the enforced stay-at-home phase as a chance to catch their breath – and catch up on family time – Twentyman is pushing a different agenda.
"It's about trying to get them out of the mindset of using this as a maintenance period," Twentyman said. "It's really a chance they don't get — maybe ever — to push fairly hard to improve key areas."
"While we can't do anything around the wrestle and the contact component, we can push hard with the running and speed side of things and maintain some off the ground (weight training) ability."
There have been challenges, as some players have much better home training setups than others, and some interesting workarounds, with players filling bags with clothes, shoes or canned food, to add extra starch to bodyweight exercises.
The Warriors' plan kicked into place soon after they returned from Australia on March 23, three days before the lockdown period began.
Players piled gym bikes, rowing machines and other equipment into their cars, while staff worked on schedules.
"We are catering for different scenarios, some with equipment, some without," said Twentyman. "Everyone has their individual work-ons that we have prescribed, as well as the broader team stuff."
The running programmes include some "double days", with sessions in the morning and afternoon, mostly structured around a balance of speed one day and endurance the next.
"There are field sessions, focused on speed, repeat speed and changing direction in a bigger space," Twentyman said. "Then aerobic development in the afternoon, using runs around the block, stairs or hills, depending on the options they have."
Complementing those sessions, trainer Ruben Wiki has devised plenty of his notorious "Zuu"-based bodyweight exercises (bear crawls, frog squats, duck walks etc) and set challenges for the team.
"For those players without weights there is a home-based conditioning circuit, with body weight, and using the odd implement around the house," said Twentyman. "There are always things you can do. Holds in extreme ranges, really slow repetition, alternated with faster ones, minimal recovery periods. You can fill bags up with things, add some external load that way."
It's a break from the normal, but also very different, so constant communication and monitoring have been important. Every Monday, the physical performance staff check in with each player, while the coaches do the same on Wednesday and the medical staff on Friday.
Players are required to send in their body weights twice a week, and Wiki has run classes and catch-ups via Zoom.
The club nutritionist is also sending out regular guidelines around dietary requirements, which can vary from those players who need to ensure they are getting enough protein, to squad members who have to manage overall body mass.
In the end, progress will come down to individual motivation and goal setting, as players are faced with an unprecedented situation.
"Some guys will go hard with this eat, sleep, train, repeat scenario, which they don't normally get," Twentyman said. "But there will be some guys who struggle without going into the training environment and having their mates to push them along a little bit.
"At the moment we need to employ different methods to achieve the same goals. We need to make sure the guys are thinking outside the box and understand what you are trying to achieve."
