GIANTS coach Jon Sharp admits he is having to hold his players back as they prepare for pre-season training.
The official start date isn't for another two weeks.
But many members of Sharp's Super League XI squad are already in the middle of an off-season weights and fitness programme under Geoff Evans, the Giants' head of athletic performance.
And Sharp believes the extra work is having a positive effect.
"Geoff is working the players pretty hard, but it's obvious they are loving it," said Sharp, who is now back behind his Galpharm desk full-time following the Tri-Nations exit of Great Britain where he is assistant coach.
"As always, the attitude of the players to having to do this extra work has been totally professional.
"I always knew I was fortunate in having control over a hard-working group, and this is being underlined again right now.
"The hardest task the coaching staff are facing at this stage is to make sure the players don't work themselves too hard!
"I'm sure that could easily be the case if they were left to their own devices. But how can you really fault an attitude like that?
"It's pretty clear they can't wait to start pre-season training and, now the fixtures have been released, it's obvious they can't wait to go to Leeds on February 12 for the opening game."
