Injuries and the Season so far

 Round one of the Super League I managed to get myself injured and usual! I had a grade 2 tear to my AC joint on my left shoulder, which is one of the most common injuries you can get playing rugby league. But I am glad to say after a good few weeks of rehab work with the medical team at the club and a few reserve games under my belt I’m back to full fitness and ready for selection.

How to get back in the side is the question I’m asking myself at the minute, with the team doing so well it’s going to be a real struggle to catch the eyes of the coaches and get back in the side. But it is fantastic for the team that we have such a strong squad that no matter who plays every player is on board doing their best for the team and their best to stay in the side.

When we played Harlequins last week I thought that was outstanding performance buy us on how to execute a game plan, the lads stuck to it all game, and it was a real credit to the lads and coaching staff that put that game plan together. That game really stood us in good sted for the game against Wigan on Friday night. And what a night it was the stadium was rocking and the Warrington fans where bouncing all game. It was a tough match and some people are saying its a warm up for the grand final but there is still a long way to go yet. I thought our attitude to fight in contact to win the floor in attack and defence went along way for us winning that game .

We have another tough game this weekend against the Catalan dragons at home, for many years now teams have a big win, and then the week later they let their form lift, if we want to win this comp this year, we need to play like every game is a grand final and I think so far that’s what were managing to achieve. I hear the Catalans have a big pack of forwards too so it looks like it’s going to be a tough encounter, but I’m sure whoever plays for us will get the job done.

1st and 2cnd round of super league 2011

In the first game of the super league, we took on the Huddersfield giants and to be fair they completely dominated the game from the off. I think the 1st carry from earl crabtree set the tone for the rest of the game. Having watched the game back a few times now I think sometimes we were are own worst enemy in the sense that we might of tried to overplay a little bit too much. In our last game against hull kr I thought we showed some great patience at times, which in the end paid off after having numerous sets on there own line. But fair play to hull kr they look like a really strong side that I'm sure will be challenging for a top 4 spot come the end of the season.

This week we take on st helens a team that we havnt beat for a long long time. Unfortunatly I won't be involved down to injury but I'm still very much looking forward to watching the game on Friday night. A night which im sure will be one to remember for wolves fans.

How I got started and the Ups and Downs of being a Proffesional Rugby League player

By far for me the positives most deffantly out way the negatives, and the reason for that is, this is what I have always want to do, its that simple really.

Growing up Rugby league as im sure your aware is in my family's blood, its all we talked about especially on sundays at my Granparents and im sure many other Warrington famiily were talking about the Wolves or as the Wire back then aswell, so nothing out of the ordanairy.

I have always been into sport and as a kid at school I mainly played football untill around the age of 11 were I played in a mixed game of touch rugby were I got scouted, and it all went from there. Now obviously I had better advise on those sundays of Rugby league, with my uncle playing for warrington and my dad and grandad both playing rugby aswell, so I kinda had a head start.

From then on or me and my younger brother Jack it was Rugby league mad, we would spend hours and hours with my dad on the back field of where we would practise all sorts of drills that my dad made up. He even made a set of ladders out of wood and we would practise footwork drills up and down the garden, and that is with out a doubt the reason why me and my brother are both known for having  good late footwork into collision, and we did this because we both wanted too.

Once I was in high school It was all I was focused on, which affected how well I did at school really, and I do regret not putting as much work in, but to fair I was player rugby league for Latchford Albion, Warrington wolves and then also playing Basketball and Rugby Union at school, so as you can see sport was taking up alot of time and my mind.

I think I can safelly say that all i remember about school was that i was always tired, and that no doubt was becuase of the ammount of training Iwas doing all week.



I will move on to Leaving school at a later date and answer a few of your questions from twitter.


The posistives of being a Rugby League player as I said earlier on its because i always wanted to do it. Also everone says it in sport but its true, the fact that i go to training in the morning and spend the day with my mates exercising, and then we put that hardwork into practise at the end of the week in a hard tough enviroment is brilliant.

The negatives have to be injuries. There is nothing worse than watching everyone else train and you have to sit there and do rehab it can get you down. Also being soar after a game, I can imagine alot of the older player must feel terrible the next day after we have played, becuase I can in all honestly say that the next day it feels like you have been run over.

Recovery after a game is hard, and to answer a question on sleeping then yes most sportsman do have trouble sleeping after a game. An 8 pm kick off are the worst becuase you have alot of time before the game to think about it, and then you get yourself its such a physical and mental state during the game, its then becomes very hard to wind down after it.
With most contact sports, the people who take part can never fully release all of the addrenalin that there body creates day to day. Therefor leading to there bodies not being able to shut down 100% this is somehting that I would personally like to be researched more.

Thats all from me now, I hope you enjoy my blog, and please excuse spelling mistakes as I am a prop forward.

Wigan freindly game - post game thoughts

Just before we move onto the start of the super league season with are first game with the huddersfield giants on saturday, i just want to think back to wednesday nights game.

To be fair to Wigan i thought they looked very strong all over the park really, but especially in the forwards.
For mosty of the game i thought they dominated around the ruck and managed to win the floor in defence but also in attack, they seemed to be able to get up quicker off the deck and play the ball before we had time to reset at marker. This is something we have been working on since. The new movement call the RFL have brought in this year looks like it is going to make for fast flowing rugby league as soon as you make the tackle you have to move unless your dominant, i supose the best way to combat that is to make sure your dominant in every takle.
At warrington we try and make sure we hit hard 1st before we wrestle in the tackle, i think this was shown last year with alot of our players making big hits in the tackle, we didnt do that so well on wednesday night.

In attack i though we played a little bit dumb with the ball in hand and did not show alot of patience, which is something you cant afford to do against quality sides.

But fair play to Wigan i thought the looked very strong and im sure there will be more great contests with them this season.

Thats all for now, Roll on MM weekend

Super foods - Sweet Potatoe

The old Favourite of mine the Sweet Potatoe is with out a doubt in every Rugby league players diet at the minute, with the old body fat testing getting more and more frequent as we get closer to the start of the super league.

Why is it so good?

Welcome and why?

Hello my name is Mike Cooper. I am currently a part off the Super League side Warrington Wolves.

Having been a part of many long training sessions in and out of season, i would like to give my advice on all matters in training, nutrition and suppliments.

Rugby League is well know for being the world toughest team sport, with each individual player needing to be at there peak in physical and mental fittness. I have had many lectures with the country's most acclaimed Nutritional experts and would like to pass on the information and guidlines they have given me to anybody else who is intrested in keeping fit and healthy.

I have had many people ask me about training and nutrition, and i try my best to teach them the reasons for perfroming excersises and eating certain foods at certaing times.

Knowing what your eating and why and  knowing what your training and why is crucial to getting all over health.

Knowledge and Health go hand in hand.