Terry Campese: Counting down the days from Down Under

Hull Kingston Rovers player writes exclusively for The Yorkshire Post website as preparations continue for the 2016 season.
Hull Kingston Rovers' Terry Campese.
 (
Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)Hull Kingston Rovers' Terry Campese.
 (
Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)
Hull Kingston Rovers' Terry Campese. ( Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)

Every pre-season feels like a countdown for a rugby league player. It’s about putting in the hard yards out on the training field and in the gym, and ticking off the days until you can get back out there on the field doing what you love.

It’s physically and mentally challenging and they don’t get any easier as you get older, believe me.

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I’m still over in Australia at the moment and whilst you may think it’s great being in the sun whilst the rest of the squad are put through the paces on a cold winter’s day in east Hull, I honestly miss being involved.

I’m over here in Canberra continuing my rehab on the knee injury I picked up in June. It was gut-wrenching at the time and it was hard being on the sidelines watching the lads go all the way to the Challenge Cup Final, but I’m determined to come back fresh and raring to go.

In my mind, I’ve been treating the last six months as one long pre-season to prepare for 2016.

My recovery has been going well and I’m working with one of the best guys in the country for ACL reconstructions at the Australian Institute of Sport.

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I’m feeling good and I’ve got some testing just before the New Year with a specialist in Ireland that should give us a rough indication of when I can play again. Fingers crossed it won’t be too long now!

I’ve been keeping in touch with everybody as best I can with the time difference and I can’t wait to meet back up with the lads from last year. We’ve got a really good bunch of blokes who make it enjoyable to come into training each day, so I’m looking forward to catching up and meeting the newcomers too.

I think the club have done well with the guys they have brought in and I’m sure all the new players will boost our squad for the coming season.

Looking outside of our club for a moment, I was pleased to hear about Kevin Sinfield being nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the first rugby league player to be nominated in over 60 years I believe.

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That’s a great achievement for Kevin personally and a good boost for the sport as well. He has done everything possible in the game and I don’t think anybody else during our lifetime will come close to achieving what he has done in the sport over there.

This nomination is much deserved and I hope he goes on to win it this weekend. I’m just not sure what the rules are on voting from Australia!