2010 Coaching Structure

It's not just new personnel on the field that has Lang's mind ticking over since taking the reins in September last year. A new look coaching and training staff has meant changes have occurred in the way training is conducted, affecting both the players and the staff at Australian Technology Park Performance Centre. "It's all part of the same puzzle," Lang said. "For me, I didn't come in with a definite idea of how I would do things. "It's something that we've worked on as a coaching team, and it's worked well I think. "I give people autonomy in their areas. Errol (Alcott), Grant (Duthie) and Eddie (Farah) look after the strength and conditioning and medical, Gordie (Tallis) works with the forwards and Kurt (Wrigley) does most of the skills work. But in saying that we all work together on our plans and what we want to achieve out of each session. "Kurt is my assistant coach and it's an ongoing thing with Kurt and me. He looks after most of the skills and drills and games, and he has input into everything we do. We work out what we want to achieve and he comes back with plans and games and ideas. "He brought in Andrew Gorton who is working with the players on defensive techniques. He works exclusively with our Club which I think is a big advantage for us this season. He worked with Kurt at St George Illawarra and he really understands the game of Rugby League and what the players need to work on and what he can adjust in their game. "Kurt also looks after kicking for us, and also works with Zane Campbell, our sprint coach. Zane comes in twice a week and his work focuses on conditioning and technique. I personally think it's a good idea to keep our experienced players running as fast as they can, and work with the younger guys on their technique to get the most speed out of them too." "Then we have Gorden who comes in every Tuesday to work with the forwards, but really he has involvement with the whole squad. He has his thoughts on how we should do things and he's up to speed on what we've been working on and the way we do things. "In saying that he also has the autonomy to work with the team on areas he feels need adjusting with a view to the overall picture. He's very hands on and we have similar philosophies on the game." Lang says everything is going swimmingly on field at this stage of the pre-season, yet the off-field work and attitude of the players is equally as important. He couldn't be any more pleased with the approach of his charges to their responsibilities away from the field of play. "It's all part of it," Lang explains. "Our guys have a terrific attitude to the off-field responsibilities of being a professional footballer. "They've really taken it on as part of their job and they do it all in the right spirit.