FITNESS conditioner Paul Watson is confident the Giants squad are in peak shape.

The Australian took over at the end of last year from Mark ‘Bumper’ Andrews and has been delighted with the response of Nathan Brown’s players.

Watson has introduced some new ideas, built on the two-years of hard work put in by Andrews and expects to see the rewards from Game One against Warrington.

“I couldn’t have hoped for pre-season to have gone any better,” said the former Penrith Panthers and Cronulla Sharks staff man.

“The lads have had 11 hard weeks and they are at a level now I’m just so happy with.

“It’s time now to start taking some of the load off them to make sure we peak them up for the first match but they are fresh, they are ready to go and I think it’s going to be awesome.”

Watson’s key has been to push each individual to the boundaries of their ‘personal best’, with the aim of ensuring the squad withstands the rigours of 27 league matches, a run in the Challenge Cup and, hopefully, prolonged involvement in the play-offs.

“When we first started out, I was shocked by what the players thought was a hard session and by what I thought was a hard session – but they are now up to where I want them to be,” he explained.

Watson believes he would not have been able to push the squad so far without the input of his predecessor.

“Bumper and the rest of the guys here have done a fantastic job and there is no way we could have got to this stage without that work being put in,” he said.

“I wouldn’t want to single out anyone from the group because the attitude across the board has been fantastic.Everyone has pushed the boundaries of their personal best and you can’t ask any more than that.”

Watson was part of the Penrith set-up that secured the Australian NRL Grand Final in 2003.

He worked for Cronulla and, in 1997, was fitness chief for the breakaway Australian ‘Super League’ team.

He has also trained Olympic, national and international athletes in track and field, players from the world of cricket, rugby union, hockey, tennis, soccer and netball, and boxers, kick boxers, surfers and swimmers.