If Gold Coast forward Jarrod Wallace thought he was as fit as he could be heading into last year's NRL pre-season, he's shattered those limitations in 2019.
The Titan made his boxing debut earlier last month, defeating fellow debutant and former rugby league player Nick Timm in a points decision after a four-round bout on the undercard of Anthony Mundine's November 30 bout with John Wayne Parr in Brisbane.
Wallace said the physical fitness gained in the build-up to the fight had put him in the best shape of his rugby league career.
It's blown out of the water his estimations on his fitness after last season impressing then coach Garth Brennan by avoiding shortcuts that he'd taken in his pre-season the year before.
"I think I'm 50 per cent fitter than I was last year," Wallace said.
"I thought I came back to pre-season pretty good last year until I came this year and saw the difference in my weight, the difference in my running and things like that. I just felt a thousand times better.
"That was my biggest thing, I wanted to try something different, put my body into a comfort zone it had never been in before and train hard in the off-season. I did that and it's paying dividends, hopefully now just carry it on into the season."
Wallace endured a mixed 2019, winning back his Queensland State of Origin jersey for game two of this year's series only to then be axed following the Maroons' 38-6 mauling in Perth.
With star back-rower Jai Arrow's future still very much undecided, Wallace remains an important part of new coach Justin Holbrook's plans for the Titans' future.
His boxing gloves however are unlikely to be dusted off any time soon.
"I definitely enjoyed it but to be honest it took a lot out of me with doing both for pre-season as well," he said.
"While I'm playing footy I think it might just be a bit much. At the end of the day I'm a football player not a boxer.
"At the moment I'm happy with just the one win and we might just keep it there for a while."
Australian Associated Press
