All change as NRLW teams look to improve strength and speed for second season

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40 percent. That's been the attrition rate following the inaugural season of the Holden Women's Premiership, and the players on all four teams know they have to stay ahead of the curve to maintain their positions. Pre-season testing showed average increases of around 10 percent in both upper and lower body strength according to the test data that was released by the Dragons, Broncos and Roosters. 

Although the Warriors chose to keep the numbers under wraps, it's clear that improving fitness has likewise been a core objective in New Zealand. Their second rower Tanika Jazz Noble admitted to NRL.com that in the inaugural season, neither she nor the rest of the team were as fit as they might have been and that this is something they have worked on putting right for the season ahead. 

If the result of the opening match against Sydney is anything to go by, that's exactly what they have achieved, and sports betting enthusiasts are already eyeing the Warriors as a team that can give the Broncos a serious run for their money. However, there's still plenty of action to come. Let's see how the three other combatants who published training data have advanced since last year.

Brisbane Broncos

The defending champions know better than anyone that they cannot rest on their laurels. Winger Meg Ward told reporters that the coaching team had put together a top-quality pre-season training regime and that the girls were all feeling fitter and stronger. 

That's certainly borne out by the stats. Fullback Chelsea Baker and rookie Tarryn Aiken both set sprint records, touching 29kph in pre-season training, while Julia Robinson showed a 15 percent increase in upper body strength and was pressing 85kg in the gym.

St. George Illawarra Dragons

It's the opposite story for The Dragons, who finished the inaugural season propping up the table, and are looking to be the surprise outfit this year. Chris Jaffrey is the team's strength and conditioning coach and he picked out Brittany Breayley, Kezie Apps and Keeley Davis as star performers from pre-season training. All three ran an 18 in what is called the 30-15 intermittent fitness test. This is a shuttle-type routine in which the players run 40 metres in 30-second intervals, with a 15-second passive recovery period.

As far as strength is concerned, Rikeya Horne was a stand-out performer. Squatting 140KG with three repetitions sounds impressive under any circumstances, but is all the more so when you consider that constitutes three times her body weight.

Sydney Roosters

It was a case of so close yet so far last year for the Roosters. This is a team that's taken a slightly different approach to pre-season training, as they've been spending more time out on the field of play at NSW Premiership Clubs. 

However, we do know that Kira Dibb ran a 19 in the 30-15 intermittent fitness test and that Jilaroos coach Simon Buxton has described Roosters skipper Simaima Taufa as the strongest female player he has ever tested.