Most forwards would tell you the advantage of strong leg drive but not many would be more well-equipped than Carina skipper Steve Tyrrell.
The second rower recently set a new Australian record for heaviest squat in the under 105kg division, pushing a whopping 282.5kg.
Tyrrell, the brother of South Sydney prop Dave, won two Colts premierships (2009 and '10) plus FOGS Cup silverware ('12) with Easts but took up powerlifting in a brief hiatus from the rugby league a few years ago.
He returned to football with Carina in the Brisbane Rugby League in 2015.
However, mixing lifting with rugby league has proven a balancing act.
"It does help but I can't train for powerlifting if I'm doing football. There's too much running, so it's sort of counterproductive but strength-wise it definitely helps," he said.
The extra power though could be paying dividends, with Tyrrell scoring four tries in the opening three rounds including a double in his side's 36-20 victory over Logan Brothers last weekend.
Carina won five games last season with coach Peter Edwards coaxing Intrust Super Cup veterans Kevin Stephensen and Isaac Kaufmann out of retirement to fill a leadership void.
They've since hung up the boots for good but their absence has been tempered by influx of players and a more reliable relationship with ISC affiliate Easts, who provide five or six players weekly.
Edwards, Tyrrell's Colts coach at Easts, says his side is aiming to punch above their weight.
"We're under no illusions that it's a challenge for us to compete with the likes of Redcliffe and Wynnum Manly," he said.
"But on our day, last year, we beat (premiers) Ipswich and were one of the few teams to beat them.
"We need things to go right but the guys that are here, we train hard ... we're a tight bunch."
Carina host third-place Redcliffe at Leo Williams Oval on Saturday, with the Dolphins buoyed from a last-minute win over the Tigers.
Regardless of the result, Edwards is pleased to have Tyrrell on his side.
"If he gets the ball close to the line and runs a good line ... he's just like a boulder."
BRISBANE RUGBY LEAGUE - ROUND FOUR
Saturday, April 30
Carina v Redcliffe Dolphins at Leo Williams Oval, 3pm
Gaters v Wynnum Manly Redland City at Southpine Sports Complex, 3.30pm
West Brisbane v Normanby Hounds at Purtell Park, 4pm - LIVE STREAM
Ipswich Jets v Logan Brothers at North Ipswich Reserve, 4.15pm
Sunday, May 1
Easts Tigers v Valleys Diehards at Suzuki Stadium, Langlands Park, 1.15pm
