Player poll: Pre-season torture tests

It's the toughest part of the year for most players, but the pain of pre-season is all worth it once the start of the new Telstra Premiership season rolls around. Each club has their own unique set of pre-season torture tests, but which stand out for some of the game's stars?

Isaah Yeo (Panthers)

We don't really do sand dunes but we do time trials. For the first two or three weeks [of pre-season] twice a week we do 2.5km time trials and a couple of 1.5km time trials so they're probably the most miserable sessions. If you're not making times you're doing some extras at the end. Those 2.5km time trials are probably the toughest.

Tyrone Roberts (Titans)

It's MAS, Max Aerobic Speed. Depending on how fit you are you get put into different groups. If you're in the lower group you'll do more reps and in the higher group you do less reps but higher intensity, so you run longer but less reps. The other day we did 65 metres with 15 seconds on, 15 seconds rest before you go again and we did 54 reps. After 12 times you get a minute's rest and then you go again. Either that or the hills at Burleigh.

Matt Dufty (Dragons)

We've got new coaching staff and conditioners from rugby sevens and the AFL and they love running. All the boys are getting flogged a bit but we're getting through it as a team and helping each other. I think we're averaging about 11 kilometres a session. It all adds up in the end and I can tell you that no one likes the yo-yo. 

Dale Finucane (Storm)

It's hard to put a finger on the hardest one but I think it's a combination of everything together. Going from a conditioning type drill into a conditioning game fatigues you the most, but that's all designed to help you make decisions under fatigue and duress.

Konrad Hurrell (Titans)

MAS. I just did it yesterday. We did 62 reps of 70 metres. We used to do it with the Warriors but we didn't do it like that. We'd do three sets of eight and that was it. That was the first time I'd done it and I was running and spewing at the same time. I just didn't want to miss the times, it was tough. The boys all say the hills at Burleigh are worse but I don't know about that.

Andrew McCullough (Broncos)

I'd have to say 'Malcolms'. You hit the ground, run 10, hit the ground at the next one, come back and hit the ground again. We do sets of six at a time but there could be a few of them one after the other. That's the one that tends to blow you out.