Brendan Inkster obtained a Masters degree from the University of Technology – Sydney researching applied biomechanics and then went on to work with the Manly Sea Eagles (NRL) in rehabilitation and sports science. After a stint with the New Zealand Warriors (NRL), Brendan is now working for the Parramatta Eels (NRL) where he has gone from the rehabilitation space to heading up their pathways and women’s performance programs. Brendan is an accredited ASCA Elite L3 S&C Coach. During his 16 years in the NRL his passion for rehabilitation has never ceased, always looking for ways to improve player outcomes. When not training the Eels, Brendan has a keen interest in baseball & soccer and helping schools with their high-performance education programs.

QUOTES"The basic model of rehabilitation has evolved for me from just supporting a physiotherapist with some running outside of the gym""When resources are not available, do you need a scan? No, but from an NRL perspective, I believe there is merit to it on almost all occasions""At the end of the day, the athlete is very accountable for the part they play in their own rehabilitation""I am a big believer in that you should do at least a week and preferably two weeks of normal training before you start of playing again""What does the normal week look like? Because if that is what they are used to doing they can probably do that in a rehabilitation schedule""You can have a high load metabolically and a high load neurally and the main thing you have to remember is just don’t put two high load days back to back”

SHOWNOTES1) Brendan’s back story and how he got his start in professional rugby league2) The evolution of the rehabilitation model in the NRL, interaction between different staff and the scan or no scan debate3) The good and the bad of current return to play systems in rugby league4) Roles and responsibilities in the rehabilitation and the interaction between a general S&C and a rehabilitation S&C5) Consulting and including athletes in developing a rehabilitation plan6) Roadblocks and traps in a rehabilitation process, including managing coach expectations, fast-tracking players and one person having to do it all7) The most challenging rehabilitation in Brendan’s experience8) Setting up a rehabilitation program for players, high-low days and aligning the program with the NRL squad9) Balancing out physiotherapy exercises with performance programming10) Metrics and data to focus on during a rehabilitation and appropriate exit criteria to return to play, including advantages to giving the player the final say

PEOPLE MENTIONEDAaron MurphyDonny SingeBalin CupplesRoger Tuivasa Sheck