Taylor wants energy-filled Rhinos to bring out the best during training

Coach Darren Taylor says the current situation has been 'very strange' as their isolated playing roster prepares to head back to the field for training in the coming weeks.

"A lot of the boys have been doing their own stuff at their own houses, we've all been keeping in contact and made sure everyone's stayed active through it all," Taylor said.

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"We talked before the break-up and the boys all knew then that they'd have to keep busy and stick to their own schedule."

While the pressure to stay fit and active in a country undergoing lockdown has been difficult for the 2020 roster, easing restrictions look set to cause a few headaches of their own, with the side now focused on how to train to their best without causing any incidents.

"It definitely makes it hard," Taylor said.

"It's a case where we know that we've all got to be switched on with it, we've all got to stick to observing these new laws and rules."

"If we're 1.5 metres apart, which we have to be, then that's what it is and we'll do that, but we're hoping as the weeks go on, things can relax a it and we'll see the restrictions will start to fall away even more as we've already seen happen."

Complicating matters is the restrictions that impose limits on player numbers at one time and what activities can be conduced during training drills.

For Taylor and his Rhinos, that means no lineouts, no tackling, no wrestling and no chance to work with the whole team at once.

"All you can really do is run and be a few metres apart and only have ten people in that group, that's what we've been told and what's what we're going off of," Taylor said.

"Not being able to practice those skills and everything we need, it's going to be very hard."

"Once it's all finalised next week, we'll have a better picture of it all and how it'll work."

Taylor says the first order of business will be continuing the fitness work that's already been started by the playing group during isolation.

"Luckily, we don't need the ball to train at this stage."

The Rhinos seemed poised for a strong year after being bouyed by playing and hosting at the Ella 7s tournament, but only a few weeks later were having to shut down operations as isolation measures were put in place.

"At the start of the year we sat down and talked about where we wanted to go," Taylor said.

"Everyone bought into it, our fitness was going really well, the Ella 7s was a great opportunity and the boys did a great job there, I was very happy with them there and in our two pre-season games afterwards."

"We were building really nicely and we had a good roster, I think it still is, we just have to get back to training and see who's fit."

Taylor says one positive benefit of the isolation is that he's been able to spend much of it planning and developing strategy.

"All those weeks of being locked up didn't go to waste, I had to keep myself entertained, so I had the whiteboard out and was scribbling and drafting stuff up."