Monday morning (Utah time) and the players participated in their first pre-season skills session as a full-team.
With that, the countdown to next season intensifies for coach Brad Scott.
"The first to four years (players) have been training really well and setting a good high standard and a couple of the other guys (Scott McMahon and Sam Wright) came over to Utah a little bit early. It's the first time we've had the whole squad together and they've trained well."
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Tackling, corralling and evasion took up much of the program, but perhaps the most exhausting task was left until last; running up and down the gridiron field for what would have seemed like an eternity for the players.
Most were visually exhausted, with a combination off the off-season break and challenge of breathing at altitude making things tough.
Scott believes the camp will be hugely beneficial for the playing group, particularly its emerging youngsters.
"We've just got to continue on what we've been building on for the last four years. We really want to develop an elite lifestyle and it's a unique opportunity to get the boys together for this long and to get them to live that lifestyle we want them to adopt full-time.
"It's a continual educational process. We are not delusional; a lot of these young players, they come in straight out of school, it's the first time they've moved out of home, so we take that educational role as coaches really seriously.
"There's a really strong bond and morale in the group and a steely resolve, but we've just got to put the hard work in now. We know we've got 28 days until our Christmas break. It comes around really quickly."
Andrew Swallow's absence means the Kangaroos will be searching for others to step up and lead the way. With that in mind, Sam Gibson and
Jamie Macmillan's presence in front of the group on several occasions on Monday would have pleased the coach.
"We've worked really hard on our emerging leaders program. As a club I think we've relied on Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie and Daniel Wells, Andrew Swallow, we've relied on too few for too long, so we've really got to develop that group from underneath. We've been working really hard on that for the last four years and the guys are coming along really well."
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