GOING into his third year, Paddy Dow is starting to feel more comfortable with his role within the team.

Speaking to media at the Club’s pre-season camp in Mooloolaba, Dow detailed the pre-season to date, which has been tracking well for both the individual and across the board.

Among a highly competitive midfield, Dow is keen to keep impressing coaches to earn his spot.

He has done that on the back of an impressive pre-season in which he has barely missed a session.

“I’m just going to try and earn my spot the best I can, keep training well and keep performing in the practice matches,” Dow said.

“I lost a couple of kilos to help my aerobic capacity last year… I’m feeling a lot fitter this year.

“I didn’t train because of a bit of a tight calf: I’ve done so much of pre-season and ‘Jack’ [Director of High Performance Andrew Russell] said to rest it.

“I’ll be ready to hit the ground running with games.”

No longer a new Blue, Dow has no hesitation asking for tips and tricks from his fellow teammates.

Admitting that the opening two seasons had been a period of adjustment, he said he was beginning to come into his own as a third-year Blue.

“[I’ve been] grabbing onto people like Jack Martin, Eddie Betts, learning the forward craft as well,” said Dow.

“Eddie is obviously one of the best in the game, so everyone has been learning off him and he’s been a great resource for us.”

While Dow has spent the majority of his career in the midfield, he is now adding a few more forward skills to his repertoire.

Hoping to secure a midfield spot, Dow said he was looking to add “more strings to [his] bow”.

“I prefer the midfield, but learning more about the forward line, it’s a very exciting role and with us performing better in the backend of last year it’s even more exciting,” he said.

“There’s a lot of competition for spots and everyone has been aiming to get in there.”