Bomber fans will be hoping for a solid four-quarter performance by the team in its first official hit-out for 2003. The team copped a lot of criticism in 2002 for its final quarter fade-outs. This is something the Bombers fitness staff addressed post season and as a result, introduced different training techniques in the pre-season. Fitness coach John Quinn attributed the 2002 final quarter fade-outs to a number of reasons including fitness, team structure and the changing of the game.

""The tactics of the game have changed a lot. If you look back to 1999 and 2000 we were just running away from teams, playing a running brand of football. Then one team exposed in 2000 that you can stop that running team from winning if you create a flood. So teams in 2001 started flooding and then they realised you still had to score to win. In 2002, I think the stoppage was born and a lot of the physical stuff was more in the game.

""I think last year fitness wise we were every bit as good as other teams, but didn’t have the physical conditioning to match the better sides. We have addressed that and we will see the change in the next couple of months,"" Quinn said.

From the team’s exhibition match last Sunday, people would have noticed a remarkable difference in the physical conditioning of a number of the players, including Joel Reynolds and Jordan Bannister. The first round match of the Wizard Cup against the Kangaroos on Saturday will be an opportunity for these players and others in the red and black to show the improvements.