Defender John Noble says the club continues to lean into the challenge of summer conditions on the Gold Coast, using the heat as a key part of its preseason preparation.

Training in testing conditions during a sweltering Queensland summer, Noble says the group are accustomed to the demands and knows they will reap the benefits in a long and gruelling season.

“We’re used to these conditions,” Noble said.

“When it’s hot like this, we get an advantage. It’s similar to altitude training. Those sorts of sessions are real hot sessions, and I feel like we get a little bit more out of it.”

Noble said the club’s fitness base had been a standout since his arrival, crediting the club’s high-performance program for preparing the group to train at a high intensity throughout summer.

“I was surprised when I came here at the end of 2024 how fit these boys were,” he said.

“That’s a shout out to, (High Performance Manager) Alex Rigby, and our high-performance team. They get us in such good shape.”

The defender said the demanding pre-season has helped build on the foundations laid during his first season at the club.

“With breaking the finals drought and being exposed to that for the first time, but also experiencing a finals loss, it’s sort of a blessing in disguise,” Noble said.

“With the young group that we have and building on those blocks that we cemented last year, we’re really taking those strides in preseason.”

Noble highlighted the leadership shown by the playing group across the summer, noting increased on-field communication and ownership.

“It’s nice to see our young boys really leading our group,” he said.

“In meetings boys are speaking up more, we’re stopping drills, talking and communicating. I think as a whole, we’re really growing as a club.”