The squad was rewarded by Head Coach Graham Arnold with five days off following three wins and a draw in their past four starts, and Wilkinson says while the group feels fresh, the heavy work has well and truly returned.
 
"It was nice to get away but when you come back in and Clarky (Head of Sports Science Andrew Clark) is setting up all these cones and you know you are going to get flogged it's not the best feeling, but it's all right, it has to be done. If you are going to have a few days off we have to pay for it a bit and make sure we get our fitness and sharpness back before we start next week," said Wilkinson.
 
The Mariners still have another five days before their next competitive hitout, against the equally high flying Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
 
"It's a bit different. It's not too often during a season you get five days off and have such a big break like we've got.
 
"I think we can use it to our advantage, we had five days away from football where all the boys got away, relaxed and got their niggling injuries right. We're back now, feeling fresh but paying for it, it's been a pretty hard week but we're looking forward to getting out and playing Brisbane, it's going to be a good test for us," said Wilkinson.