Manly Sea Eagles prop Taniela Paseka credits a gruelling pre-season camp and a new focus on preparation as the keys to his superb form this season.
Paseka has played every game this season as a starting prop with his form earning him a new two year extension with the Sea Eagles until the end of 2026.
The giant prop almost grimaces in pain when reflecting on the intense 'Mission Readiness Exercise' camp the Sea Eagles squad underwent in heavy bushland on the outskirts of Mudgee prior to Christmas.
The camp, run by ex-serving Special Forces veterans working for Mission Ready Group, saw the players sleep deprived, physically challenged, and cognitively challenged with different activities over 48 hours.
It was all part of a plan by new Coach Anthony Seibold to put the players under physical and mental pressure to see how they handled themselves.
“That camp put you in survival mode. You found things within yourself that you didn’t know were there. The camp brought that out of me,'' Paseka said.
"I’ve used that during the season. You have tough moments in games where you are that tired, you can’t move your legs, and you are rattled.
“You think you can’t get through it, but then you remember the camp and you say to yourself, I’ve been in tougher positions before and I know how to get through it.
“It’s all mental. Once you are mentally broken in a game, you think you can’t go anymore, but you can. That camp helped me in that way.”
Paseka said the pain barrier was felt immediately on the first night of camp, teaching him more resilience.
“We had to carry our luggage. I don’t know how heavy it was but it felt like we were carrying a car. There were seven of us carrying it and we had to walk 12km with that on our shoulders,'' He added.
“That was the hardest part. There was little rest. We had no food. I ate all of my food that first night, so I pretty much had nothing in me. My feet were hurting, everything was just hurting.
“When I got through those three days, I was like how did I do it because my body was broken.”
With 95 NRL games behind him now, Paseka has enjoyed his most consistent season since making his club debut in 2018. He sits sixth on the NRL list for most post contact metres this year.
From his 16 games this season, Paseka is averaging 146 run metres and 13 hit ups per game with a tackle efficiency rate of 92 per cent. He has also made 31 tackle breaks and 17 offloads, such is the strength of the 25-year-old.
“The biggest thing for me this year is the consistency and that comes down to my preparation,’’ Paseka added.
“My preparation starts 72 hours before a game. I have to eat broccolini. That’s my biggest thing. I feel a lot better when I eat that. It's been massive for me.
“And then there is my meat. Steak. Any kind of meat. I have to eat it with my broccolini. That’s my dinner.
“During the day, I have to eat very well too, but dinner is the biggest one because when you sleep, I feel my body recovers more with good food in it.
“I have pasta 24 hours before a game. It's the only time I have carbs for dinner. I also have to make sure I have at least a half an hour nap before I head to the game. I then feel ready.
“The training we do during the season is still tough but you have got to be able to fuel your body enough to get the best out of your performance. I’ve learnt that what you put in your body is what you deliver on game day.
“The key to playing consistent footy is getting your body right. If I can get my body right every week, I know what I can get out of myself.”
