Brisbane head coach Kevin Walters has been forced to loosen his reins on the Broncos following reports that members of his squad believed that were being overtrained.
According to reports from News Corp, Walters was alerted to the fact that those within his playing fraternity were fatigued by his training program following conversations with star half Adam Reynolds and the recently hired head of performance Dave Ballard.
The decision to lighten the load for his charges on the training track has come off the back of Tesi Niu's hamstring injury sustained last week, as well as the fact that the club was forced to use as many as 36 players across the course of last season.
Desperate not to let Niu's ailment foreshadow what was to come for the former powerhouse, Walters explained that it was groupthink that led to his call to ease up.
“There is often hamstring injuries and soft-tissue stuff, so we have backed off a bit,” the second-year Broncos steward stated.
“We had a group meeting and you have to listen.
“The players need to listen to their bodies and if they are not feeling 100 per cent, which is rare that they do, but if they are sore and complaining, well ... we need to hear that.
“They have been coming forward with the information, which is good to know.”
The views of Ballard will likely have held extra weight in such conversations given the specialist was sourced to join the club following a disastrous 2021 campaign.
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Ballard performed his particular role in an interim capacity across the dying embers of last season before being handed the job on a full-time basis in early September of last year.
Such was the strength of his input, the former Knights employee shared the honour of being named Brisbane's Clubperson of the Year.
While Ballard's inclusion across the entirety of summer has seen the embattled Broncos thrashed on the track, Walters expressed that finding a balance between rest and play would serve his side best in 2022.
“It’s a fine line,” he said.
“Last year we were accused of not pushing them hard enough."
With key stars such as Payne Haas and Reynolds sitting out of the club's opening trial game against Gold Coast last week due to soreness, the Broncos legend added that while it wasn't his preference, he understood their hesitancy towards lacing the boots.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s the world we live in," Walters continued.
“We have to push our players hard in pre-season. Sometimes it creates injuries, but generally, I am happy with their fitness and the feedback from players at other clubs is their training has been pretty solid as well.”
Walters signed off by stating that there was "no concern" regarding Reynolds' fitness and that the club would be "resting him this weekend and making sure he is right for Round 1".
The Broncos are set to battle the Cowboys on Saturday night in Mackay before their season proper commences when Reynolds faces his old side Souths on Friday, March 11 at Suncorp Stadium.
