Dragons captain Kezie Apps breaks old habits to stay injury free for women’s NRL premiership
St George Illawarra Dragon Kezie App has endured extraordinary pain for the pleasure of her sporting career. But that’s about to change in the 2019 women’s NRL premiership.
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She has twice broken her leg playing for Australia but for the first time in “a very long time” Dragons captain Kezie Apps is proud to claim she is injury free - and she has worked out a plan to keep it that way.
One of the most injury prone players in the women’s game, the long-serving Jillaroo has worked overtime to reinvent herself as one of its strongest and most durable.
“I’m injury free and loving it,” Apps said ahead of season two of the Holden women’s premiership.
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It took until the Australian forward felt her leg again snap playing for the Jillaroos late last year for the Dragons captain to acknowledge she needed to make major changes in her life off the field.
Changes to ensure she not only maintained her body better but protected it for her future in rugby league after breaking her leg in an Auckland Nines event in 2017 and again last year while representing the Jillaroos against the Kiwi Ferns in a rugby league test.
Apps admits she would sometimes skip the extra work her body required to keep it in top shape for the rigours of the game.
But that’s all changed.
Apps, who lead the Blues to their Origin victory over the Maroons in June, has worked long and hard to now be injury free - and she plans to keep it that way.
“I have been doing a lot of ankle and foot mobility work, knees and hips, stretching and rolling out, exercising to strengthen the areas,” she said.
“I’ve really ramped things up. In the last when I get all better and am able to run. I then tend to shy away from doing the little things because I’m time poor but this time I’m doing it a lot.
“I’m focusing on body maintenance, finding the time to stretch after session. Some times you are time poor but I’m really scheduling time to do the one per centres around my ankle and mobility.
“It’s helped me stay injury free.”
IN OTHER NEWS
This season the Roosters and Dragons will play in a standalone match at Leichhardt Oval on September 29.
The NRLW is played alongside the men’s finals series with the Dragons up against the Roosters, defending champions, the Brisbane Broncos, and the New Zealand Warriors.
2019 NRL HOLDEN WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP
Round 1
Saturday September 14, 3:05pm AEST
Sydney Roosters vs. New Zealand Warriors, AAMI Park
Live on Nine (NSW/Qld); GEM (all other states), Live on Fox League, Live on Sky NZ
Sunday September 15, 2:05pm AEST
St-George-Illawarra Dragons vs. Brisbane Broncos, Bankwest Stadium
Live on GEM (national), Live on Fox Sports, Live on Sky NZ