Little time for Cougars to relax

The Webbers Retravision Capricorn Cougars travel to Brisbane today but the players will get little time to relax.

Team manager Frank Murray said there would be 18 players making the trip to Brisbane for tonight’s match although one of the group, centre back Ben McMaster, is not available to play.

McMaster missed the trip to Moranbah last weekend and has not trained for a couple of weeks after going down with a virus which has left him in a weakened condition.

Apart from McMaster, second string keeper Richie Buckle is also unavailable while midfielder Jack Frahm is said to be unavailable through injury. Murray said the players know tonight’s match at Perry Park against Brisbane Strikers is the big test. The Strikers are the benchmark team of the Hyundai QSL even though they are yet to win the grand final.

Coached by Stuart McLaren, who has links with Rockhampton’s Berserker club, the side has a further attachment to Central Queensland through midfielder Reagan Alder who is a former Bluebirds player.

McLaren has gone for a young team this year but already the team has shown it will be as formidable as ever after making impressive performances in pre-season tournaments in Brisbane.

With Cougars coach Brad Smith away all week at a coaching conference, Murray said the team has made adjustments to its normal training program. “Most of the players have been working out in the CQUniversity gym,” he said.

They have also been using the pool at the complex.

On Tuesday night fitness coach Tim Grentell took the players through a rigorous session that involved hill work, sprints and body toning before former Cougars captain Roy Bob took them through some coaching drills.

“Roy worked on the players reaction times through possession in small sided games,” Murray said.