Chiefs ready to hit the ground running

In order to turn things around Gibbes said the Chiefs who are by their own admission, perennial slow starters, had had to tinker with their build-up to the first-round match this year.

“We’ve tried something a little bit different this year by not really playing last week and it will be interesting to see whether that’s made a big difference or not.

“Every pre-season you always feel really good, yet for us we haven’t been able to unlock the secret of starting well. So it’s no different to any other year but I just feel we’ve overall prepared really well, have got a good mix of guys and there’s a quiet confidence about looking forward to the challenge.”

Gibbes looks to have come back strongly from a year dogged by a knee injury looking like the time off and in the gym has benefited him.

“I think the pre-season’s been good for me. Being able to do the work with the guys has been really good for my state of mind as well knowing I’ve put in the yards as much as the other guys,” Gibbes said.

“Normally this time of year I’ve had about three runs and tried to get out there and guts it out for the first six weeks, but I feel fit.”

Chiefs coach Ian Foster said Gibbes had come back strongly both physically and mentally.

“It was never a weakness of his but he has brought in a bit more steel to his leadership and I think going through hardships like that, and he’s had a few of them in the last three or four years, has just refined him, developed his character and made him even more important for us,” Foster said.

  Super14.com