The announcement that Mick Potter will take over from Daniel Anderson at St Helens at the end of this season had been widely predicted in the media over recent weeks.

He has done a remarkable job with the Catalans Dragons in the last two years in what must be the most difficult of all coaching jobs.

When he first started he could hardly speak to half of his team and relied on his personality and messages to be translated. If ever there is a case to have a divided dressing room it's when one half speak French and the other English - with an Antipodean accent.

Potter: From Catalans to St Helens

The travel and logistical difficulties have also made life hard for the boys from the south of France. I know that it's only a two-hour flight but their budgets are very tight and airline timetables have never been kind to Potter and his team.

They sometimes travel for over 12 hours to get from their home ground to their hotel prior to a match in the north of England. To return however, it's common for them to get up at 3.30am to begin the journey south again.

Mental toughness

This type of lifestyle helps to breed a mental toughness necessary to be a top coach. I have never heard or seen Mick Potter complain, although he has had every right to on occasions.

His circumstances will change considerably next year when he will be within an hour's drive of several grounds and be in charge of one of the strongest clubs in the competition. He may though, still have a language difficulty with that St Helens dialect!

The announcement of his appointment is almost unique to rugby league in this country. You don't read about football managers or rugby union coaches agreeing to work at their rivals mid-way through a season for the following year.

But I completely understand the need for clubs and coaches to plan for the future and recruit staff well in advance of their start date. It is sensible and a part of human nature to want to have some security for yourself and family.

I wouldn't have a problem if a club signed a coach or player 18 months before the end of his contract, providing both the club and individual were happy with the deal. However, as a fan I am not sure how I'd take it if I knew what was happening.

Transparency

In some ways we should applaud rugby league and St Helens for being such an open, honest and transparent sport and club. Rather than let rumours circulate, they have told the truth.

The current rules in place state that a club cannot approach or sign a player before September 1st. They are abused by every single club and simply prevent clubs from publicly stating which players that they've signed for next year. This is done because the administrators believe that fans wouldn't want to know, or should I say not be able to handle the negative consequences. This rule does not apply to coaches.

I am fascinated to hear what you think. Do you think that clubs should remain quiet about which players and coaches they've signed for the following year until this season is over? Or would you like to be told the truth and know that your star player is leaving to join your rivals when you've just bought a replica shirt with his name on the back?

How do the Catalans supporters feel now that they know that Potter is heading for canonisation?

Now to this week's questions...

Email Phil Clarke. Click here to send him a question...

HARD KNOCK LIFE
Hi Phil, can you tell us what goes on in a typical day or week in the life of professional rugby league player? For example, what time do they typically start training, how long do they train for, what training do they do? Do they train Monday to Friday? What do they eat typically? Do they drink alcohol regularly? What time do they devote to press and how is this organised? How much free time do they have? Just interested... Paul Thwaites.

PHIL REPLIES: This came in a couple of weeks ago and has taken me some time to talk to the relevant people, Paul. Also it does vary from player to player, club to club, but I hope this satisfies your curiosity.

Each club has a slightly different view on how to prepare for games and the 12-month calendar year is firstly broken down into:

i) In-Season

ii) Post-Season

iii) Pre-Season

Even within these broad periods there will be further division in which the frequency, type and intensity of activity alters. If we assume that a team plays on Sunday afternoon, their post-match routine may differ depending on whether they have played at home or away, and whether their next game is the following Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Some teams like to visit a swimming pool to aid recovery after a match, and will do this either directly after showering or early the next morning.

Most teams meet to start their preparation for the next match on Monday morning; some teams meet earlier than others. I did know a coach who had his players arrive before 7.30am, whilst others prefer a 10am start.

The initial priority for teams is to ascertain an injury report from the doctor/physiotherapist. This information helps the coach plan for the following sessions. The remainder of the morning will be taken up with skills training/gym work/stretching/massage and most teams have lunch together before conducting the review session of the previous day's game (from my experience this can last from between 20 mins to 60 mins). The players would be free to go home at approx 2pm.

A typical Tuesday would start in the morning, with treatment from the physiotherapist, massage, and individual video analysis with a coach. Following this the team would do a combination of strength/skills/rugby training. Variety is popular with the players and it's not unusual to see the players boxing, wrestling, skipping or even playing basketball. This would last for around four hours.

Wednesday is very often a rest day for the players.

Thursday would be similar to Tuesday, but would usually begin with a preview of the upcoming game. They tend to watch the strengths and weaknesses of their opposition and highlight the ways in which they can be most successful. Most players would practise on the field and perhaps undergo some strength training. If Friday is game day they usually rest. However, it was very interesting to listen to Mick Potter talk about the Catalans' routine when they're playing in the UK.

Finding the right balance between resting and being active is difficult as it varies from one player to another, but it can be a draining experience to sit in a hotel all day and wait for the match at 7.30pm. Mick Potter told us on the Interactive Show that he has now encouraged his team to be far more active in the day and it seems to have worked judging by the results at Huddersfield and Wigan.

If you were to summarise a player's working week, you might find that they are at 'work' for about 20 hours a week. This is about half of a normal working week, but their intensity is much greater than most. Managing their down time is a difficult task. Too much free time can be tiring, but players do need a rest after working their bodies so hard.

This is only a generalised summary and as I say, will differ from player to player and club to club, but I hope that it gives you a snap-shot of the life of a player.

Email Phil Clarke. click here to send him a question...

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