HIGH performance director Nick Johnston believes he can get 40 per cent more out of his players as he strives to make Worcester Warriors one of the fittest teams in the country.
Dean Ryan’s squad have been put through their paces since Johnston left Northampton Saints to join Warriors in December 2013.
Johnston admitted the club’s strength and conditioning department (S&C) was “not adequate” for top flight rugby and the players’ fitness levels were “below average” when he arrived at Sixways.
This led him to make drastic changes to the backroom staff, with the arrival of Carl Hart from Northampton to head up the S&C department, which includes Ryan Fisher and Aaron Hyland who have joined from Gloucester.
A number of fitness coaches, physiotherapists, sports scientists, performance analysts and nutritionists have also been appointed to try and put Worcester’s players in the best shape possible.
“It was not adequate for a Premiership or elite rugby full stop (when we arrived),” Johnston said. “The attention to detail around an individual approach to each player and athlete wasn’t there.
“All players are treated as individuals now and are in the middle of that decision process with Chris and his team.
“The medics are also involved as they work closely together, so it is not two separate departments in our eyes.
“I think we have gone ahead of some Premiership sides due to the amount of resources that we have got now. We are probably operating at a top four level behind the scenes.”
Johnston admitted many players have found it tough to adapt to the changes, while he also revealed some members of last season’s squad were forced to leave due to their failure to respond to the increased workload in training.
“I think the players struggled with the workload to be honest,” he said. “I don’t think they were used to working so hard and to be brutally frank we could not work them as hard as where we had been previously as they weren’t able to cope with that.
“There were (players who didn’t respond) and they are not here now. But we have got a group who are vibrant and positive young men and are growing together which is what we wanted.
“They have made some good ground, but I still think there is a 30 to 40 per cent development in this group yet to get really where we really want them to be. We want them to be as fit as anybody else in various competitions.”
The former Sale Sharks and Northampton man also said the strength and conditioning department were already working on plans for the summer to ensure their players are ready for what could be a campaign in the Aviva Premiership.
“Pre-season won’t be as tough as next summer’s,” he added. “We had to be a little bit steady with them last time.
“To get to the top of the pile, the best prepared or the fittest team, it doesn’t happen in one summer. In fact it happens over a period of two or three summers as you are always wanting to move the bench higher.
“We have already spoken to Chris and his team about the summer and seen some of their plans and they are doing an excellent job.
“The way we like to work here is if the number five fitness trainer comes up with the best idea then we run with that because one person can’t always have the best ideas. It is quite an open environment and I think that is very healthy.”