How do you top a three-day army camp for intensity? In the words of C Montgomery Burns: release the hounds.
The Reds have continued to think outside of the box as they gear up for pre-season, bringing in the Brisbane Dog Squad for a series of exercises.
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This saw players don the protective suits whilst the dogs attacked them, taking a unique outlook at building how they view and operate under pressure.
“There were many situations where you are going through tunnel vision. It could be in a game where you are stuffed and you can’t think, get your breath, and then they come in and make us think under pressure,” prop Harry Hoopert told the media.
“It’s about talking to each other, finding a threat and talking to each other so they’re showing how relatable it is.
“(Being attacked by a police dog) was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I wouldn’t like to be attacked by one without a suit on, I’ve already got bruises from it…we want to be hungry like dogs, always attacking and I think that was a great way to put it into perspective.
“It’s good for the younger boys (to mix it up), good experience and something they’ll talk about for the rest of their life.”
Hoopert was identified as a standout from last week's gruelling camp believes it will only be beneficial as they look to back up their impressive 2021 season.
“Coming off that three day camp at Canungra, you can just tell we’re all tight, everyone talking about the bad things and how hard it is for our mental thinking,” he noted.
“I think as a group it’s brought us together so much as a group."
“When we made contact with the dog squad, we spoke about what we wanted to get out of it and soon realised that our values aligned,” defence coach Michael Todd added.
“Army camp last week was all about working under pressure, they were a bit fresher this week so it was all about bringing in external stimulus, putting the guys under mental pressure with a bit of tunnel vision starting to develop and being able to do under duress.”
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