Eels’ big man Shaun Lane is no stranger to a rugby league pre-season.
It’s his eighth year in the NRL and his fourth with the blue and gold.
For NRL players, these are the dreaded months of the year.
They’re relentless.
Played out on hot summer days, constant running, back-to-back 1.2km time trials, stomach-churning contact sessions, five days a week, all in preparation for another shot at the revered NRL Premiership.
But fatigued, Lane is not.
He’s buoyed.
He has a spring in his step and a feeling in his gut that this could be the Eels’ year.
The year that dreaded drought, we’re regularly reminded of, could be broken.
“This is probably the best pre-season I've been part of in my whole career,” Lane said.
“I'm really liking how the team is looking this year.
“I know some people might say that regularly but that's the honest truth,” he said.
And he’s not the only one.
“I know the coaches are really enjoying everything too,” Lane said.
“There's just a really good feel around the place at the moment,” he said.
So for those thinking of putting money on an NRL team this year, here’s your tip.
“If I were a betting man, I’d say we’re going to go well this year,” Lane said.
