Lindsay Collins has consumed more than 1200 avocados since the start of last year, with the superfood helping him become one of the best front-rowers in the game this season, at the centre of several big game-changing moments.
The Roosters prop chased down Cronulla playmaker Braydon Trindall during Saturday’s elimination final victory at PointsBet Stadium. He somehow denied Parramatta’s Will Penisini what seemed a certain try last month, and he outjumped teammate and NSW skipper James Tedesco to seal a series-defining Origin I victory for the Maroons in Adelaide this year.
Collins love of avocados was first raised during a colourful and fruity post-match interview with teammate Victor Radley last month.
Collins said the fruit played a key role in his diet.
“I just eat a lot of avocados,” he said. “The boys are always saying how I eat so many of them and never waste anything. It’s a bit of a joke [with my teammates].
“I’ll have a couple of avocados every day. I’ve done it the last couple of years.
“It’s a good source of fat. You have two fuel tanks, you have your carbs, then your fats, and once your carbs go, the next one is your fats. Nutrition goes a long way and how you feel your body – it helps with your performance and recovery.”
Lindsay Collins has a huge appetite for avocados.Credit: NRL Photos
Queensland State of Origin officials have commented in the past Collins eats steak and lamp chops as an afternoon snack before every clash against NSW.
Former Roosters star Anthony Minichiello, who is also a qualified nutritionist and spent time working on the players’ diets over summer, said Collins’ avocado consumption had improved his on-field performances.
“Avocados are a good source of healthy fats, they have fibre, it’s also very filling and good-quality calories,” Minichiello said.
“Lindsay focuses a lot on his nutrition and is really committed to it. The simplest analogy is if you drive a sports car, you fill it with the best-quality fuel to get the best output.
Lindsay Collins has been a standout for the Roosters and Queensland this year.Credit: Getty
“His energy output in games, I don’t think any other front-rower in the competition has the same output.
“The way he played for Queensland this year was unbelievable, the way he’s leading the Roosters forward pack without Jared [Waerea-Hargreaves] has been unbelievable, and he saves tries from places he shouldn’t be.
“Diet plays a big role in that. Eating well allows you to train harder, recover quicker, and that’s why you see the results.”
Collins has needed to aim up without Waerea-Hargreaves, and admitted feeling “a little more nervous before games because I feel there’s more pressure on me”.
“But this year I’ve definitely matured as a player and leader, which has been good for my development in the sense I know my place; I try to keep feeding off that,” he said.
Storm hooker Harry Grant, who knows Melbourne will go a long way to winning their semi-final at AAMI Park if they keep Collins quiet, said: “You know what type of player Lindsay is, he’s all effort. When he has the ball he runs it at 100 miles an hour, but it’s the little things he does without the ball – he’s always in the picture and saving more tries than most people realise.”
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