Will Hopoate confident injury woes behind him as St Helens look to prove a point
WILL Hopoate hopes to leave opponents hamstrung by showing what he can really do in a St Helens shirt.
The four-times defending Super League champions have flown Down Under to win the World Club Challenge and prove to many doubters English rugby league is good enough.
Will Hopoate believes his hamstring woes are behind him as he aims for 2023 glorySWPIX.COM
The Tonga star has enough of those on this side of the world after a string of leg problems blighted his campaign.
But as the challenges start with today’s trial match against the Australian Saints – St George-Illawarra – Hopoate is eager to show time and adapting his technique can see him finally live up to the billing.
He said as he enjoys time around family after heading to his hometown of Manly: “It was the same hamstring problem every time, through no fault of the club or the physios.
“I did everything I could to be fit to play but for whatever reason it didn’t hold up in the games, no matter how much acceleration and deceleration training we did.
“But this time around, with the gift of time of the off-season, that’s been a big help in getting me right.
“The physios have also put in place certain things I need to do before field sessions, just to get my mechanics and body in the right positions so I can run in a good state and that my running form is good.
“They’ve also got me doing exercises in the gym to help with my hamstring strength.”
Saints and Hopoate have been experiencing unfamiliar feelings for a Super League pre-season – while temperatures hover around freezing here, temperatures of about 31 degrees are expected in Wollongong.
And some stars have felt the heat as Hopoate, 30, added: “Hydration’s been a big part of our preparation as it’s so hot and some of our body clocks are still adjusting.
“The first couple of days were a bit rough. Everyone was waking up at 3am and 4am. A lot of the lads have realised how hot it is too – they’re as red as tomatoes!
“The sun’s out and it’s warm, so we go straight into the water – it’s definitely not like our Cowley training ground!”
