https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/cowboys/work-does-not-stop-for-the-transformed-coen-hess/news-story/e15a3455c2134122698ed96a891a59c6 THE enormity of how the coronavirus pandemic has decimated sporting codes has not really sunk in for Coen Hess. But having put in such determined training efforts at Cowboys HQ, he and his teammates are not about to let the hard work go to waste. Hess has cut an imposing figure courtesy of his offseason efforts. However, with gyms closed under the health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, he has had to turn to other avenues to maintain the physique, strength and fitness he gained. Fortunately, the 23-year-old did not have far to travel. “Funnily enough I had a pretty decent home gym set up when I was living with mum and dad and then when I moved out I actually sold it to Mitch Dunn,” Hess said.
“I moved into an apartment so I didn’t have any room for it and he was keen to take it all on board. “I sold it to him, delivery fee include, and so I put it all on the back of the Ute and drove it around. “The boys head over for sessions to train by ourselves then wipe it down afterwards so it’s nice and clean for the next bloke.” However long that lasts, Hess is not sure. But it has given the team something that keeps them bonded even within the social distancing guidelines. The North Queensland enforcer’s visible transformation has been as dramatic as the changes rugby league have been forced into amid the coronavirus crisis. Instead of putting the foot down each day to ready themselves for a title push, the spreading disease has kept the NRL’s best from the paddock and in a rare standstill period. Hess admitted he played a little heavier than he would have liked in a lacklustre 2019, and put in the hard yards in the gym to turn his form around. His kick chase against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs before the NRL season was postponed epitomised the dedication he had shown in improving every aspect of his game. And it is now up to his mental fortitude to demonstrate how far he has come as a player to ensure his work was not in vain. Away from garage gym sessions each player has been given an eight week program to maintain fitness and muscle at a time where the isolation could encourage bad habits. While he is continuing to diligently train in anyway he can, Hess will look to use this time to further his studies towards his MBA. It is only the early days of self-isolation, Hess said, so keeping “everyone sane” would be a crucial step to ensure they are ready for the season to resume. Nothing will replace the euphoric feeling the team get from taking the field each week, but the former State of Origin star said it was important to keep perspective at this time. “You want to be playing footy because that’s what we are, we’re athletes, it’s what we love doing,” Hess said. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work during the pre-season to get our bodies in the right shape to play week in week out footy. “Now with what’s happening around the world it’s restricting that, but on the other side of the fence everyone is going through a tough time and everyone is struggling.”
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AuthorThis section showcases a collection of some of the work I did covering the North Queensland Cowboys - from match reports, to player features to breaking news. Archives
June 2020
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