The Warriors have had a tough first training session in Tamworth, Australia. VIDEO / NRL / Sky Sport
Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck admits his first training session after arriving in Australia was "tough", but he's thankful for the opportunity to get back to work ahead of the restart of the NRL season.
The Warriors are back training at their base in Tamworth in regional New South Wales, where they are seeing out a 14-day quarantine period before the season starts again in May 28.
Tuivasa-Sheck says training back with the team took some getting used to after spending weeks in lockdown at home.
"It's a different type of training inside your house and your little backyard," he said. "Then you come out here to Tamworth and Scully Park – it's a beautiful park as well – trying to run up and down is a lot.
"I think when you try and measure 60 metres back home compared to the real 60 metres it's a big difference. It was a tough day today but I'm just glad to be back into it."
It's been a challenging period for the Warriors players who were only given approval to fly into Australia on Saturday after weeks of uncertainty around their future in this year's competition.
At the same time, players have made the big sacrifice to fly out without their families and loved ones in order to join the competition, while having to adapt to a new home in Australia for the foreseeable future.
Despite all that, the 26-year-old fullback says the players are excited to be back out on the field again – with some even working overtime in the evenings as they attempt to get back to full fitness.
"It's only been two days so far and the boys have been so keen. They've just been in the gym trying to get a workout. Some boys went two or three times a day. The trainers are definitely in there every day – they love it.
"For us it's more of an exciting time. We've been in lockdown for the last four weeks back in New Zealand. So we're here in Australia and we're finally seeing each other and finally hanging out as a group again."
Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck after arriving in Tamworth. Photo / Getty
The players have also had to get used to the new way of training under strict biosecurity measures, which was outlined by an extensive 48-page document sent to NRL clubs on Sunday night.
Tuivasa-Sheck says players have been split up into groups of about seven or eight based on their positions and roles in the team, while contact during training has been minimal.
"It ran pretty smoothly. I'm pretty sure the coaches, trainers and managers all sat in a meeting yesterday trying to figure it all out because we got new biosecurity rules come through and new protocols.
"We all trained in a group today. One group is up early, they have breakfast, they do their mobility and get ready, then they're on the field. And the next group would get up and have breakfast and then so on. So almost like a chain.
"We've been trying to keep the groups quite small so each player can work on their skill which is kind of helpful for all of us. Being away from the game for so long – it's been a couple weeks – so it's about getting the rhythm back, getting your timing right. So breaking the groups down and having it real specific has been working for us.
The Warriors players during a Warriors training session at Scully Park in Tamworth, Australia. Photo / Getty
"I'm able to say hello to [teammates] as we walk by and we catch up. We're lucky where we have a room where we can come together and just hang out. We're all a distance away but we can still chat amongst each other. But it's all part of the job and we're doing whatever it takes."
Tuivasa-Sheck says training has put everything into perspective – and the team is now ready to work hard with the season restart finally in sight.
"It was a tough session today so it's going to be like that for the next few weeks. It's starting to feel real and it's not far away now so it's exciting times."
