The workload that shows the Auckland Nines is harder than you think

SEE the statistics that prove the Auckland Nines has become one of the most gruelling and exhausting weekends on the rugby league calendar.

Shaun Johnson in the Warriors v Bulldogs game during the Auckland Nines at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. pic Mark Evans

THE Auckland Nines is known for its carnival-like atmosphere. A two-day party filled with fun, frivolity and flying wingers.

But after an unprecedented 26 players went down with injury during this year’s event, alarming statistics prove it has become one of the most gruelling and exhausting weekends on the rugby league calendar.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal, over the two days, players will run more than twice the distance of a regulation NRL game.

Each team will tick over 300km as some players will cover as much as 21km during games, warm-ups and warm-downs over a frenzied 24 hours on February 4 and 5 next year.

It’s little wonder clubs will closely monitor their stars’ workloads just four weeks out from the start of the NRL premiership.

Last season, New Zealand Warriors star Shaun Johnson ran for a whopping 21km as his side played 108 minutes across six games on their road to the final.

And he wasn’t alone, teammate Roger Tuivasa-Sheck made 20.5km and forward Ryan Hoffman covered 18km.

Even interchange players still ran for 15-16km and little-used players racked up 12km in the wide, open space of Nines footy.

With 19 players in each squad this coming year, the total distance ran for each team will again pass the 300km mark. Players normally run between 6-9km in an 80-minute NRL game.

“We made the finals last year so with the six games, when you add in warm-ups, our top-end guys like Shaun and Roger, even Ryan Hoffman, covered 18km-21km over the space of two days,” Warriors head of athletic performance Balin Cupples said.

“That was about 2.5-3km each game.

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“When you compare that to a normal NRL game, obviously there is a big difference.

“There is a fair bit of research out now on the Nines and just how different it is and the big difference to a weekend NRL game, in terms of activity cycles and the amount of recovery time the boys get in between efforts.

“It’s definitely something you need to be aware in the weeks leading up to the tournament in terms of training because it is a unique situation you put the boys into just a few weeks out from the NRL season.

“It’s more so about the week after where you’ve played six games, how are you going to balance that fitness and fatigue going into the next week?

“How they are roll up to that first trial, there are question marks over that. It’s always a balance.”

Hoffman, who runs 7-9km each NRL game, loves playing Nines footy and denied it was fitness overload.

“In terms of conditioning, you won’t get a better two days,” Hoffman said.

“I covered 18km last year in the two days, Roger and Shaun covered 21km. Bodene (Thompson, forward) did 18km. I was as surprised as anyone when I got told.

You don’t worry about how many kilometres you run, you just do it. You certainly get a lot of work from it. Physically, I certainly think it’s beneficial.

“It’s a lot but you don’t feel like you’re doing it because you’re playing footy. If you told me that over the next two days at training we would be covering 18km, you’d say, ‘Oh, here we go ...’

“It is the first opportunity of the season to get your match fitness. It’s not just a game of touch, you’re also getting that contact as well. I love the Nines — it’s fun tournament. You don’t have the stress of the NRL season. Personally, it’s a great way to break up the pre-season as well.”

Originally published as The workload that shows the Auckland Nines is harder than you think