Morgan will demand more of Coventry's leading players..
By Brian Dick, Coventry Telegraph.
March 18 2014
...to mount promotion push.
Scott Morgan has revealed Coventry will be stepping up their bid for Championship rugby next season by demanding more of their players off the field so that they can perform better on it.
The Cov head coach says the National One outfit will improve their strength and conditioning programme and make their top-earning players more accountable for their fitness, as they seek to mount a challenge for promotion in 12 months time.
Former Wales international Morgan says he is reluctant to introduce full-time rugby where it isn’t sustainable but admits Coventry need to become more professional off the pitch – and that starts with their expectations of their leading players like points machine Cliffie Hodgson.
The South African goal-kicker was able to turn down two offers from Championship sides to remain at Butts Park for a third season and Morgan says such new deals will demand more professionalism.
“We are not just talking about Cliffie here, we have got lots of players we want to sign in that kind of position,” Morgan said. “Yes, these boys are playing rugby but some are getting what is effectively a full-time wage for two nights a week and a game on a Saturday.
“What we will be expecting of them is that they manage themselves in the week so that they can perform to a higher level on a Saturday. That doesn’t mean they have to be in the gym five days a week but we aren’t asking these boys to look after themselves – we will expect them to.
“And we are going to monitor that to ensure they are doing the right training. That monitoring will really step up, we need to introduce some sort of process to the way we do that.”
That effectively means the expansion of their strength and conditioning team, with the possibility of another specialist coming on board.
“We want to take these players into the Championship with us and that means starting that process now.”
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I have to say that I am more and more impressed with the way that Scott and the rest of the 'upstairs' group are quietly going about their business of rebuilding the club and squad, with a very focussed aim of putting it back somewhere near where it should be.
As Old Statler says, it's a quiet and determined, but clearly identified, route which Scott believes is the most appropriate means of getting Cov back to where we should be. There are no histrionics from him, even when he's not playing he doesn't shout and bawl at the players. He just goes about his business with a resolve which is to be admired. All power to his elbow.
Next season really does look very interesting.
Quote:Charliebravo
This has be one of the most positive approaches to the next season that we've had in recent years.
As Old Statler says, it's a quiet and determined, but clearly identified, route which Scott believes is the most appropriate means of getting Cov back to where we should be. There are no histrionics from him, even when he's not playing he doesn't shout and bawl at the players. He just goes about his business with a resolve which is to be admired. All power to his elbow.
Next season really does look very interesting.
So hopefully this will lead to more season tickets being sold this coming season.
covmick/Michael Carter