https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/rugb ... t-22724331 Looks lean now, his fitness has gone to another level, Are Saints are a more professional club which he needs?

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/rugb ... t-22724331 Looks lean now, his fitness has gone to another level, Are Saints are a more professional club which he needs?

No. He’s just wearing skin tight and darker clothing than he’s usual seen it. Besides,looking leaner won’t help his defensive reads or handling skills. Enjoy

IIRC he looked the same before last season.

However, It’s also no secret that we haven’t had the best conditioning set up for a few years which is why the club have brought in arguably the best in the business in thst department.

I think the key is what happens when he picks up an injury or the pre-season lens isn't on him.

The point above is correct that, alongside conditioning, it is his defence and handling that are issues. As far as defence goes, if he can't improve under Woolf he won't improve anywhere. Condititioning can help with both defence and handling too as tired players make more errors.

It willl be really interesting to see how he goes but at the end of the day he's there as back up to the first choice centres so anything positive is a bonus. I can't see him being a particularly important player if we are healthy in the backs.

If he stays fit he's a good signing for you imo. Will cause a bit of havoc off the bench and still has ability to score key try's.

Konnie can be one of the most damaging players in the game on his day, but I don't think the errors he brings will magically disappear at this stage in his career (although you can always improve).

It's not like they won't have identified and worked on these things during his time in the best resourced RL competition in the world. NRL has the best coaches and facilities, and you're playing with higher-standard players every day... it's just how it is.

Anyway good luck to him, really likeable guy although his decision making on and off the field is questionable at times. Be interesting to see what happens if/when he lines up against Leeds this season.

Him playing in a side that dominates and will be able to continually put him into space is a scary thought. At times because we have no organisation we were playing him like a prop.

Agreed. I think he'll go well for Saints.

Ironically I think he would have been a lot better for us this year with the new set up but obviously wasn’t to be.

I don’t think Saints fans will be as forgiving when Newman skips round him when he’s out of position in defence though.





Joking aside I too think he’ll go well for saints then sign for the Dolphins in 2023

Had we got rid of Thompson we might have kept Hurrell.
Him and Newman as centres with decent halfbacks would have seen the best of him.

Saints have great backs but front foot quick ball created by the forwards especially walmsley and a quick intelligent transition from Roby creates the platform for them to perform in attack. I agree Hurrell could go well this year especially in attack.

They do have all that but its the first 2 carries from the likes of Grace and Makinson that provide that momentum for Walmsley and Roby etc.

What’s he done off the field? Are you referring to diet?

Yes mate, much as I like him I've never been happy with modern-day professional players presenting out of condition. For me if it's a job you're getting paid £200k-300k a year for you owe it to your employer and fans to be in the best possible condition. (Even if you're being paid 1/10th that it's still up to you to have a committed and professional attitude).

I wasn't delighted about Merrin either, which I know is contentious here. Absolutely sank without trace on his return to the NRL after us.

Never questioned his effort on the field but it's not just about 2 hours in a week is it?

You also have to think about the message that sends across the whole squad. I'm sure that's why his renewal contract wasn't offered at anything like the same level.

Anyway it's done now and I hope he goes well because he's a great entertainer and the sport needs those.

Yeah I agree on conditioning. Is such an important part of the equation. Should be one professional sportsmen have no problems with too.
I agree Merrin was not in good shape either and I wasn’t actually disappointed when he left.
Konnie was a tricky one, as could still be devastating on a good day. But as you said we are moving forwards and so is he….

Whatever we may think of the positives and negatives of Hurrell, what bothers me is that he's probably going to end up scoring a few when we come up against Saints this season. That's what happens to players we let go, as the likes of Cas and HKR like to prove on a regular basis.

Probably, but while he was with us he struggled for fitness and was prone to errors too - if you only got "good Konnie" he'd still be in the NRL as one of the best centres in the world.

It would have been nice to keep him but we always have to balance players' value. Not just for the salary cap but for team morale too I think.

i know fitness and muscle tone are two different things, but having seen him as an opposition fan, i always thought he was chunky, like dean widders was, a bit soft round the middle,

i saw some pics on insta after the season ended at a bbq, he was shredded, didn't seem like the same person at all.

Definitely a bit chunky during his time at Leeds - to be honest I didn't see that as a problem as such. Whether the extra 5-10kg added to his injury susceptibility - maybe. I can't say I noticed a massive fitness problem as such, and the way we used him as a battering ram often in bad ball would knacker anyone out.

So yeah maybe a little more prone to injury because of the weight but the bigger problem with him is always reading the game and the odd brain fart. I guess the other problem with a marquee being out of peak shape is the message that sends to all the younger lads you're insisting have professional habits and look after themselves as well as possible - it's not a good look.

Deffo this. Sometimes it was so obvious to anyone in the ground we were just going to lazily lob him a horrendous hospital ball and expect him to magic a barnstorming run from a standing start with 4 defenders coming at him, then we'd wonder why he was gassed and breaking down in matches.

With him not being first choice at Saints I suppose this gives them a little leeway to "rest" him and make sure hes in tip top condition before putting him in, whereas because of the wedge he was on at Leeds hed have been starting with one leg hanging off. Throw in the fact he's playing under Woolf who knows him inside out and backwards then its a great move for Konnie and unless its against us he has only my best wishes to get back to the rampaging bull we know he can be.

Regan Grace has picked up a bicep injury and will miss the first month of the season, so he may find himself in the first choice backline quicker than he might have envisaged.

Will be interesting to see where he plays Friday night.

Konnie will absolutely rip it up at Saint’s and could be MoS shout…..

Another classic Shabs! Keep em coming for the season ahead.....

I have no doubt he’ll be good in attack, as he was at Leeds and throughout his career. But he’ll still make too many errors and be a liability in defence at times.
I enjoyed watching him at Leeds but think it was the right decision to let him go,

I think Saints will only be paying him a fraction of what he was on at Leeds and see him as a good value decent 3rd centre. Hopoate and Percival will certainly be first choice, although Hopoate could be moved to play elsewhere and Konrad come into the centre if they pick up injuries.

Definitely an interesting situation. Part of me wonders whether the loss of that excess weight will actually work against him, certainly in terms of blockbusting carries.