In Week 15 of the pre-season, the Newcastle Knights have spent time industriously preparing for trial matches held over the next two weekends.
Strength and Conditioning Coach, Dave Ballard said the fulltime NRL squad maintained its usual high-intensity sessions in preparation for the trial match at Wauchope on Saturday.
"A lot of the fringe players will have their opportunity up at Wauchope," Ballard said.
"We are then looking forward to the main hit out down in Canberra (February 21) and will have just about all our NRL squad on deck for that.”
Ballard spoke to 22-year-old Tyler Randell about the week and how the rest of his pre-season has unfolded.
Randell has embraced pre-season training and taken advantage of the chance it has given him to prepare for what he hopes will be an even bigger 2015 season.
"It's been tough but it's been a good four months," Randell said.
"I always love pre-season and ripping in.
"It's a chance when you're not playing to train a bit harder and really flog yourself.”
During the past few months, much of his concentration has been focused on playing the position of hooker.
“I've been working a lot with Danny (Buderus) and other hookers and trying to get a lot better there,” he said.
"He's a really good bloke to have around and is a legend of the Newcastle Knights, and they are the people you want training you.”
After featuring in the Knights Auckland Nines campaign at the start of the month, Randell is poised to take the field again in Saturday's trial match in Wauchope against the Port Macquarie Sharks and Wauchope Blues.
With Carlos Tuimavave sidelined by injury, Randell has been named at five eighth for Saturday's trial.
“I think I'll really enjoy it. I played most of my juniors at five eighth, so it won't be a shock to me,” he said.
"I'll know what to do there and am looking forward to it."
Want to see the Knights in Wauchope? Click here for the team's schedule.
