RAIDERS recruit Craig Garvey has taken his fitness to a whole new level, so much so he’s suffered a hiccup in his bid to be the team’s round one hooker.

Meanwhile, the plan to reignite Wests Tigers prop Ben Matulino, and a Cronulla star nominates himself for a key role.

Check out what your team has been up to in Summer Slog, our weekly wrap of each club’s pre-season preparations.

RAIDERS

Round 19

While some of his teammates are doing extra sessions in ‘fat club’, new recruit Craig Garvey is so fit, he’s become ill.

Weighing in at 87 kilos, the hooker’s skin fold recordings have impressed the staff with the 24-year-old’s commitment to his diet and training putting him at the front of the pack.

Sadly, after joining from Canterbury in search of a fresh start, Garvey’s push for an NRL nod has been derailed due to a virus.

Canberra recruitment officer Peter Mulholland told the Market Watch podcast that Garvey’s fitness level has given his immune system a hit.

“Craig has had a bit of an issue with sickness at the moment,” Mulholland said.

Craig Garvey shows off his physique. Source: Instagram

“He’s that fit. He’s on the edge of those marathon runners that they get a germ or a bug and they go down pretty hard.

“Craig is suffering from that at the moment. I’ve never seen him as fit, actually.”

With Josh Hodgson recovering from an ACL injury, Adam Clydsdale retiring, Kurt Baptiste released to England and Erin Clark returning for New Zealand due to personal issues.

That’s left former Dragon Siliva Havili and Garvey to fight for the starting No.9 jersey, although Sam Williams has also returned to the club and may enter the fold.

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“We’ve got young Craig Garvey there you could even find Sammy Williams could fill that role eventually,” he said.

“I know there’s some media speculation about Blake Austin but I think what Rick will do is probably start with Havili and work it out from there. He’s a good player Siliva Havili.”

BRONCOS

Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters is back at Brisbane as Wayne Bennett’s assistant and five-eighth Anthony Milford believes he’s already had a huge impact on the playmakers.

It’s Walters’ third stint as an assistant at the Broncos.

“He’s awesome, he’s been helping us big time,” Milford told Fox Sports.

“Just getting the confidence between Kodi and myself and the other halves that we’ve got.

“Also that we do have a licence to run — that’s one of our main strengths — just to make sure we don’t go away from that.”

BULLDOGS

New Canterbury skipper Josh Jackson has hailed the way coach Dean Pay has approached the team’s preparations for 2018.

“He’s been a really breath of fresh air,” Jackson told Fox Sports.

“He’s not come across and tried to reinvent rugby league. He’s done the opposite and really simplified it for us.

“We’ve done a lot of work on basic skills. Catch, pass sort of stuff which I think we struggled with a little bit last year.”

Jackson said Pay’s aims for the season ahead were straightforward.

“He has spoken about bringing a lot of aggression to our team and footy,” he said.

“We want to be known as the team no one wants to play against.”

SHARKS

Cronulla playmaker Chad Townsend says he’s love to take over as goalkicker in 2018.

The Sharks need a new kicker following the departure of James Maloney, and Townsend is right in the mix along with a couple of other teammates.

“I’ve put my hand up to potentially get that job,” Townsend told Fox Sports.

“I’ve been practising a long with a few others — Kyle (Flanagan), ‘Moyza’ (Matt Moylan) and Val (Holmes). We’ve all been kicking together.

“It could be my job and I’m feeling really good about the way I’m hitting them at the moment, but ‘Flanno’ will make that decision when it’s time.

“I’m than happy if one of the other boys gets the job if they’re striking them well. It’s what’s best for the team.”

TITANS

The Titans took part in an opposed session overseen by NRL referees on Wednesday that got extremely physical and claimed one of the club’s new recruits as a victim.

Former Dragon Will Matthews took a shot to the ribs that felled him to the ground and after recovering to make the next tackle, was quickly whisked from the field by the medical staff.

Kevin Proctor (throat) and Mitch Rein (elbow) were other notable absentees in a session Matthews conceded he would like to have finished.

“It’s kind of frustrating because these are the sessions that are getting towards game-time,” said Matthews. “These are the important ones where it’s a bit more game-related.

“We had refs there so there was a bit more intensity so didn’t really want to miss that one.

“I should be good to go next week. Just ice it up for the next couple of days and stay away from contact and I should be right.”

SEA EAGLES

Manly signing Toafofoa Sipley says the lure of playing regular first grade proved too strong in his decision to move across the Tasman from the Warriors.

The former Junior Kiwis prop has joined the Sea Eagles on a two-year deal.

Having played just two NRL games for the Warriors in 2016 and none last year, Sipley admits he needed to move on and look for new opportunities.

“It was a tough year at the Warriors,” Sipley told the club website.

“I kind of fell out of the pecking order with the prop rotation so it was more about coming over for a fresh start ... the opportunity to play first grade and learn off the props here like Marty Taupau and even young Addin Fonua-Blake.”

STORM

Melbourne forward Christian Welch believes he’ll be returning a better player following an anterior cruciate ligament tear last year.

Welsh ruptured his ACL in round nine, but he made the most of his time on the sidelines.

He’ll be pushing for a spot in the Storm’s top 17 following the departure of Jordan McLean.

“I had a bit of time away and finished my uni degree,” Welch told the QRL website.

“I also worked on my deficiencies, I had some physical stuff and skill stuff that I really set some targets for.

“I truly believe I’ve come back a better player.

“I’ve really enjoyed being back out there training with the boys.”

KNIGHTS

Newcastle recruit Connor Watson admits the upcoming trials will be make or break for him when it comes to cementing a spot in the halves.

Watson is regarded as the frontrunner to partner Mitchell Pearce, but he’s got plenty of opposition in Brock Lamb and Jack Cogger.

“Those first few games — they are make or break in many ways,” Watson told Fairfax Media.

“I need to hit the ground running. But competition — that’s what footy is about isn’t it? It brings out the best in people and I’d like to think it will be the same for me.”

COWBOYS

The battle is on to claim North Queensland’s No. 14 jersey with three men fighting for a place in the Round One side.

Ben Hampton claimed the role for much of the season but with Te Maire Martin set to be pushed out of the halves with Johnathan Thurston returning from injury, Hampton’s role is in danger.

Throw in the return of hooker Josh Chudleigh from an ACL injury and competition is at a premium.

“There’s a lot of competition there,” Hampton said.

“It’ll give the coaches a bit of a headache there with a lot of positions.

“Chuds has been training well, T is a great player too … there’ll be a lot of competition but that’s good, it makes you a better player and us a better team.”

EELS

Parramatta legend Peter Sterling says he still sees Jarryd Hayne as a fullback.

Hayne’s tipped to line-up in the centres for the Eels this season with the likes of Clint Gutherson and Bevan French fighting it out for the No. 1 jersey.

“I know he hasn’t played a lot of NRL of late and that’s a very demanding position but I still think his best position is the one,” Sterling told Wide World of Sports.

“We’ve seen in the past a few defensive concerns at centre, sometimes his reads haven’t been that good, and that was case at Origin during the last campaign.

“But I have enormous faith in Brad Arthur, he’s pulled all the right strings in the past and made some great decisions.”

PANTHERS

Penrith prop James Tamou says new recruit James Maloney has a Johnathan Thurston qualities that will only benefit the side.

Tamou has had a particularly good insight into Thurston having played with him across eight seasons at North Queensland, and the majority of his Tests for Australia.

“It kind of reminds me a bit of Johnathan Thurston, in he demands what he wants and when he gets what he wants he can play to his best,” Tamou told Fairfax Media.

“I think that will help us for sure.

“Off the field he was unreal [in former Origin camps]. I was sitting in the back seat [of the bus] just watching him and laughing. He’s slowly bringing that here as he gets to know everyone. He’s so chilled and laid back he’s easy to get along with, but letting his voice be known, too.”

RABBITOHS

South Sydney rising star Adam Doueihi says he’d be willing to play a utility role for the NRL side this season.

The 19-year-old is coming off an impressive World Cup campaign for Lebanon and will now look to make his first grade debut.

“I’m happy to play wherever ‘Seibs’ (coach Anthony Siebold) wants me to play, I’m happy to play wherever,” Doueihi told the club website.

“Half is my preferred position, but wherever the coach wants me to play, I’m happy to play.”

DRAGONS

St George Illawarra have extended the contract of livewire fullback Matt Dufty until the end of 2019.

Dufty is tipped to get the nod at fullback in round one despite competition from the likes of Kurt Mann and Jai Field.

The 22-year-old made his NRL debut last season and has played seven games so far.

“It’s always good news when a local junior re-signs. To lock him in for another 12 months is really good considering the amount of young kids we have in our squad,” Dragons director of rugby league pathways Ian Millward said.

“Anyone who is a Dragons fan would know that Matt is one of the most exciting Under-20s players we’ve ever had. Last year he made the step up to the NRL and he’s had a fantastic pre-season so far.

“There is now an opportunity for Matt to establish himself as a fullback with the other outstanding members of our spine in Gareth Widdop, Ben Hunt and Cameron McInnes.

“It’s exciting for us because if he does step up to the mark as we expect him to then we could have a spine that plays together for a very long time.”

ROOSTERS

Sydney Roosters captain Boyd Cordner and his deputy Jared Waerea-Hargreaves are expected to be fit for the NRL club’s pre-season opener against Penrith after successful stem cell knee procedures.

Both were expected to take part in full contact sessions by the end of January, but are still training away from the main group at the Roosters after undergoing treatment last month.

But the Roosters said the pair would be available for selection for their opening trial against the Panthers at Penrith Stadium on February 17.

“In a positive boost for the side, the procedure was successful and the pair are progressing well in their rehabilitation since their return from break,” the Roosters website said.

“They have both been participating in partial team training and are expected to be fit for our first trial match against the Penrith Panthers in February.

“All other Roosters World Cup participants have returned to full contact training.”

The Roosters also have a pre-season trial against Manly at Central Coast Stadium on February 24.

Kangaroos forward Cordner had fat tissue injected into his knee, following Australia’s successful Rugby League World Cup title defence.

The stem cell treatment is expected to regenerate damaged cartilage there. Kangaroos teammate Aaron Woods had the same procedure back in 2013 with success while ex-NSW No.7 Trent Hodkinson and Roosters signing James Tedesco also used stem cell treatment to repair their knees.

— AAP

WARRIORS

The Warriors enlisted the help of All Blacks skipper Kieran Read in a bid to help prepare the side when it comes to the mental demands of elite sport.

The club got in touch with Read who was only too happy share some advice.

“I was just coming in and helping them out with a little bit of that expectation that we have as an All Black is similar to what they have in the competition,” Read told the Warriors website.

“So, trying to help them a bit with the mental side of the game. Just a little chat and hopefully they took a little bit out of it.

“In all top level sport it comes down to … the mental side of sport is the difference between the really top guys and the guys who are potentially just under that.

“That’s the difference. I guess we do pretty well at the All Blacks and, speaking to a few of the boys here, they’re pretty keen to get a little bit of inside knowledge that can rub off on them.”

WESTS TIGERS

How do you reignite a beast?

You give him a clear plan to follow.

Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary can thank Warriors mentor Andrew McFadden for that.

With former New Zealand international Ben Matulino one of Cleary’s big buys for 2018, the prop has revealed the secret to unleashing his best football.

It wasn’t too long ago Matulino was in sizzling form before a dramatic dip which contributed to his exit from Auckland but it shouldn’t take much to get the 29-year-old firing once again.

“I wouldn’t use injuries as an excuse,” Matulino told Fox Sports.

“In 2015 I was a lot hungrier coming off a difficult season in 2014 and Andrew McFadden, who was the coach at the time, pitched me a couple of goals that I tried to achieve and that pretty much kept me going for the season.

“He would set it week by week and I would try my hardest to knock them over and I’m looking to do the same approach this year.”