Zillman gets back to business

[K2G]

From NRL.com
Mon 13th January, 2014


A month of doing nothing at all may sound like heaven to many but Titans fullback William Zillman is happy to hand in the university text books and resume full training with the team less than a month from their first pre-season trial.

Zillman missed eight of the Titans' final nine games of the 2013 season due to an osteitis pubis injury, with David Mead and Kevin Gordon sharing the duties in his absence. The 27-year-old insists he is now back to full fitness and eager to put the disappointment of last season behind him.

Caused by an inflammation in the pelvic area that results in pain in the groin region, the primary treatment of osteitis pubis is simply rest, a prescription issued by the medical team that one of the fastest men in the game found hard to cope with.

"It is hard when you go from being fairly active day in and day out, it's hard to really rest the body and do nothing at all, which is what I had to do for at least the first month of the off-season," Zillman said. "It was tough but I'm reaping the rewards now so I'm glad that I did.

"I'm still studying [a Business degree] at university so it probably gave me a chance to knock a bit of that over but it was hard; I just walked to the beach and back most days.

"I battled with [the injury] for a couple of months before I realised that it wasn't getting any better while I kept running. The off-season was really kind to me, I got a chance to rest the body and up until Christmas I was probably doing 70 to 80 per cent of the training and aiming to be back at full-strength after Christmas and now the body's going really well."

The injury to Zillman last season coincided with other serious injuries to Luke Bailey, Jamal Idris and Albert Kelly, with ironman Luke Douglas the only Titans player to appear in all 24 games in 2013.

Despite completing the full session on Monday morning, Kelly continues to be under the microscope of the club's medical team with an ongoing issue with the veins in his left foot. If it doesn't respond to recent injections aimed at reducing the blood flow through the troublesome veins, Kelly could require high-risk surgery to rectify the problem.

"He did a full session today, we'll see how he pulls up," said Titans coach John Cartwright. "He's had some injections in there on the weekend so we'll see how it pulls up from a full session but the medical guys are pretty confident that he'll be fine."

With the first trial against the Warriors now less than a month away and co-captains Greg Bird and Nate Myles not due back at training for another week, Zillman knows that the long off-season has formed a disappearing act that would impress most magicians.

"It does, it comes around so quick," he said. "When you finish one season you think you've got so long – what is it, five or so months until the next season – and then Christmas comes around like that and then you're a month and a bit away from playing. It does come around quick but we're ready.

"The first few weeks [of pre-season] we had a few guys who were away on World Cup duties so we had a really young squad. I think myself and maybe Ashley Harrison were the only older players that were training at the time so it's been a good learning curve for the young guys. They've had to step up and take a bit of a leadership role as well.

"We'll welcome 'Birdy' and Nate back with open arms but it has been a good experience."

[K2G]

Shackles off for zippy Zillman

From titans.com.au
Monday 13 January 2014 2:25 PM

It's a welcomed sight for all Titans fans – a fully fit William Zillman striding out at 100 per cent with a month to go before the club's opening trial match of 2014.

After overcoming a frustrating battle with osteitis pubis, the club’s Vice-Captain is now back to full fitness as he looks to regain the form that saw him make a scintillating start to the 2013 season.

Zillman’s standing as one of the senior members of the Titans’ squad has been emphasised this pre-season, with many of the club’s other senior player such as Co-Captains Nate Myles and Greg Bird experiencing late starts to the pre-season following their extended Rugby League World Cup campaigns.

[Hail Sezer]

lol liks almost smashing him in the titans video

[K2G]

See Neil Henry go ass over titts at 0:18!!
Paul Carter showing some agro collaring zilly. Loved it.

Like Carty, I think this will (should/must) be Zillman's make or break year with the titans (in their current capacity). I felt the same way prior to the 2013 season, and he started with some decent form, exaggerated by the solid team performances we put in during the early rounds. He's had a bad run of injuries since he signed in 2009, but now being the club VC and a highly regarded senior player and leader internally, this year has to be the year he (like carty) shows us why he is worth the 5 year contract.

I actually don't mind zilly. There were times during the 2013 season i caught glimpses of what he could be, or could've been if not for the injuries. He is obviously well liked by other players and loved by an absurd amount of titan fans - but i just think we need a game winner in the #1, and thus far, he hasn't delivered imo. Time to put up or move along. Goes for Coach too. Good bloke, would love to see him take us to a GF, but it doesn't look like happening. Have your last crack fellas, and if it doesn't work out in 2014, move along. We need some new blood.

[TITAN PETE]

Gold Coast Titans star William Zillman vows to honour his long-term contract

Source: News Limited

WILLIAM Zillman is determined to buck the trend of recent long-term contract holders and honour his five-year deal at the Titans.

Unlike Scott Prince and Jamal Idris, who failed to see out their five-year contracts, Zillman has every intention of staying on the Gold Coast until at least the end of the 2017 season when his current deal expires.

The classy custodian said he was honoured to have been *offered such a lengthy deal and had no intention of turning his back on the club.

"I wouldn't have signed for five years if I couldn't see myself here for five years,'' Zillman said.

"At the time (I signed), I was just so honoured the club had that sort of faith in me and it's my job now to repay them.

"It's what I want to do.''

Zillman's deal was among a rash of five-year deals handed out by former Titans boss Michael Searle between 2009 and 2012, when Prince, Idris, coach John Cartwright and Zillman were all signed to long-term contracts.

New chief executive Graham Annesley has refused to rule out further long-term deals, saying deals would be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

"All of those contracts were *entered into before I got here,'' Annesley said.

"There's a lot of factors that go into negotiating a contract and term is one of them.

"Would I suggest that five-year contracts in the future are either going to happen or not going to happen?

"No I wouldn't, it would depend very much on the circumstances.''

Annesley said there were benefits to multi-year deals in terms of the security they gave both player and club.

"There will be circumstances that intervene in some cases but they are exceptions rather than the rule,'' Annesley said.

"Generally, I think when parties sign a contract of any length, the intention is for both parties to honour that contract.''

Zillman was the subject of much speculation last season as the Titans chased high-profile fullbacks including Englishman Sam Tomkins and Cowboys favourite Matt Bowen.

He responded brilliantly on the field, displaying career-best form before the chronic groin condition osteitis pubis ruined his season.

But in a boon for the *Titans, Zillman yesterday declared himself 100 per cent fit after an extended break finally allowed the condition to ease.

"It is (a weight off my shoulders). The off-season was really kind to me, I got a chance to rest the body.

"I'm reaping the rewards now, so I'm glad I did.''

Zillman has backed himself to return quickly to form to ease the pain of missing the back end of a season in which the Titans had been pushing to make the finals.

"It was tough. From a team perspective it was great being part of a team that was right up there in the top eight - even fourth at one time - so it was really heartbreaking to see us miss out on the finals and not be able to be there for the last eight or nine weeks to help the boys out."

[Coaster]

hahaha

That is one funny article.

[shamus]

WILLIAM Zillman is determined to buck the trend of recent long-term contract holders and honour his five-year deal at the Titans.

Bugger...

[DIEHARD]

I can rest easy knowing Willy Zlater is ours.

[Titanic]

I'm almost dreading the start of the season, except I want to see Dave Taylor stick that fat turncoat's head into the dirt.

[teke]

He won't be the only one trying

[Hail Sezer]

He won't be the only one trying

You gonna run on the field and drop him as well?

[Titanic]

I will … the big boofhead, what a sheila "oooh Carty's still my best friend". He needs a good kick in the cods … and dare I say it, a bloody haircut too. C'mon Toads, do you want a piece of him too?

[teke]

You gonna run on the field and drop him as well?

I will have to get in line

[gothabull]

Lol u guys are classic love the banter on here

[Toads]

I will … the big boofhead, what a sheila "oooh Carty's still my best friend". He needs a good kick in the cods … and dare I say it, a bloody haircut too. C'mon Toads, do you want a piece of him too?

LOL what?

Nah.. between the thought of Cartwright 'n the Total Package being here for the long haul has pretty well broken my spirit..

I'm expecting us to be battling it out with Parra for the spoon for years to come until those two have moved on..