With the 2009 Super League season well underway, skysports.com have pulled off a Dorn raid to bring you an exclusive blog!
In association with Maximuscle, Harlequins' Luke Dorn will be talking about all things to do with rugby league having also played in the top flight with Salford and Castleford.
The Australian will provide a fortnightly insight into life at the Twickenham Stoop - starting this week with his thoughts on a busy Easter schedule...
Forward thinking: Easter is no holiday for those in the pack
Easter proved to be good and bad for Harlequins. We should have probably got away with a point against Les Catalans but we were disappointed with how we played.
The good thing about it is if you have a bad result you can have a go at turning it around - and that's exactly what we did at the Celtic Crusaders. Again, we didn't play brilliantly, but we did do enough to get the points.
From the first year I arrived in England, it was a case of the likes of Saints, Leeds and Bradford being well ahead of anyone else. I don't think you can say that any more
For nutrition and fitness tips go to
www.maximuscle.com
Playing twice in quick succession is certainly different. It's not quite so tough for us outside backs, but for those guys down the middle it's gruelling to put your body through that much effort.
It would be better for the players if we only had to play once during the Easter period. The games would then be of a higher standard and there would be more emphasis on just one fixture.
But, coming off the back of a Challenge Cup weekend, it is such a key time of the year. Although we got beaten in the cup by Huddersfield, but playing three league games (including this weekend) in quick succession can make or break a season.
If you get through the period with three wins from three, it really can set you off. On the flip side, if you lose the lot then you've made life difficult for yourselves.
Target
Regardless of how many points we pick up during this hectic time, this year for Quins a top eight finish is a minimum. We've got a good attitude but consistency is the key - if we can find that then we can push for the top four.
Once you get in those play-offs, anything can happen. The slate is wiped clean and it's a cup format. If you're on top of your game for three or four games in a row then you can suddenly find yourself in a Grand Final.
This season it seems there are plenty of sides with play-off ambitions. While bringing in two teams was going to challenge the depth of Super League at first, the franchise system should even things out in the long run.
From the first year I arrived in England, it was a case of the likes of Saints, Leeds and Bradford being well ahead of anyone else. I don't think you can say that any more.
Doing away with relegation is the best thing for the competition. I've spoken to people who are for and against the change, many of whom refer to football, which has the money and the depth to deal with such a situation. That's not the case in rugby league - a team can't expect to go up and down in the space of two years and still expect to be a force.
Now there will be a spreading of the talent, while clubs will also be able to develop their juniors much more because the need to buy stop-gap players has gone. Rather than bring in an older guy to use up some of your salary cap, you can now use that money elsewhere to develop your youth system.
That is certainly the case with Quins. The club has changed dramatically since my first stint. It is now run a lot better and there is no longer such a strong overseas influence, it is more of an English club.
We've also got the right blend of youth and experience in the playing squad, and the definitely the right man for the coaching job in Mac.
