According to the Guardian:



Not sure if this is cost-saving or a change of training strategy. I'd like to think it's the latter. Although warm-weather training has it's benefits for skills work, I think a week of graft in the hard, wet cold at army camps and such, would be more beneficial for hardening us up. The last time we did this was prior to the 2018 season. That team was actually pretty decent at hanging in and grinding out wins, it just lacked any attacking talent or game-tactics (we were promised they would follow the year after).

Let's hope it takes us back to basics and shakes off any hangover of failure from the last few years. At least we're doing something different. For a fan, there's nothing worse than seeing Instagram shots of cappuccino's on the balcony of a spa resort in Tenerife, followed by an embarrassing thumping at the hands of a 'lesser' team in a semi-final a few months later. Harsh, but that's the way the fans will see it (just IMO our course). I'm not sure how Powell ran pre-season camps at Cas, but with money being tight I guess he managed to somehow get them playing attractive rugby without the luxury week in the sun?

Cas regularly went to Lanzarote for a training camp (including before their 2017 season) as do many clubs who have won Grand Finals. I think its probably too simplistic to look at previous Warrington pre season training camps abroad and tie that to unsuccessful campaigns. No reason of course why you couldn't do an 'army style' preseason camp as well as a Lanzarote trip, what is important is to get he best out of whatever you are doing and getting the players bought in to a way of playing the game that will bring success.

The squad might turn up at that castle in Wales with Ant & Dec ;.

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk//n ... -training/ It must be in the new coach handbook.

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk//n ... -training/ It must be in the new coach handbook.

I thought it was just the 2018 season, but seems Price did it two years running. Obviously didn't fix our problems.

In that case, I guess it's more of a cost-saving measure by the club. More money in the kitty for a mid-season transfer of an extra prop maybe

Could be just a sign of the times and potentially worried about any future lockdowns or travel restrictions

We don't need to go abroad to honest, get used to playing in the weather you'll be playing in for the first few months of the season. Also we have the indoor facility on the chester campus for Skill session and other stuff, so again the trip abroad to get out the rain and colder weather isn't needed.

I wouldn't have thought the venue for a preseason training camp has anything to do with club finances. This will surely just be a decision by Powell that it's how he wants to do things this year. It will fit in with how he wants to run the whole of preseason training with a view to getting the best out of his squad.

Bit of hard love might be the way to go for a squad that is perceived to have a soft centre, especially in the mental aspect of the game.

Whisking them off to warmer parts of the world, when in the middle of a British winter, could easily be perceived as pandering to a group who have barely earned the right to such treats?

I don't really care what they do for preseason so long as they get to the first game physically and mentally ready. Not at all like last year when we were humbled and realistically well beaten by Cas.

Out of interest is Ady Gardner still on the team?

Not read anywhere that he has left Wire, so I assume he must still be here.

I hope so. In amongst the tripe served up on the pitch at least you could see a very fit and conditioned team.

As far as i Know yeah it's still Ade and Chris Baron doing our strength and fitness which is good

TS generally liked to go abroad because it meant he was guaranteed decent weather to practice quality sessions. I dont think it was anything to do with whether they deserved it.
DP presumably things the best way to prepare this team is to stay at home.

Quote ="fez1"TS generally liked to go abroad because it meant he was guaranteed decent weather to practice quality sessions. I don't think it was anything to do with whether they deserved it. DP presumably things the best way to prepare this team is to stay at home.'" True to form he is doing it again. www.hullkr.co.uk/robins-head-to- ... -training/ I'd rather we develop skills in difficult conditions as the GF is not played in warm climes.

Quote ="fez1"TS generally liked to go abroad because it meant he was guaranteed decent weather to practice quality sessions. I don't think it was anything to do with whether they deserved it. DP presumably things the best way to prepare this team is to stay at home.'" True to form he is doing it again. www.hullkr.co.uk/robins-head-to- ... -training/ I'd rather we develop skills in difficult conditions as the GF is not played in warm climes.

Anybody know whether pre-season matches are scheduled? Going to be in Cheshire for the first time in, er, 32 years and a Wire game is top of my bucket list (above getting a house, car and job)

There will definitely be a preseason testimonial game for Stephan Ratchford, but the details have not been released yet.

Enjoy your game.

Judging by Powell's pre-season comments, Ashton is a winger until further notice. Says he needs to build the skillset of a fullback. Leads me to think Thewlis will be back-up for Ratchford and Ashton's main weapon of pace will be kept for when we shift the ball wide. Hopefully he'll get to break some tackles on the kick returns too, as he seems pretty good at that sort of thing.

I hope Powell will use him as an evasive runner on kick returns and not a battering ram. I have high hopes.

It's really encouraging to hear Powell speak about preseason and to see him so hands on with ball in hand.

Predicted to finish 2nd. We just can't be a bad as one or two of our "fans" say. https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/how-the- ... son-45565/

Predicted to finish 2nd. We just can't be a bad as one or two of our "fans" say. https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/how-the- ... son-45565/

Interesting that the journalist in that article isn’t tipping Leeds. At the back end of last season they were the darlings of all things good according to the Sky commentary. They’ve arguably made the biggest signings with Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer in the key positions, and I’d say they are the team under the most pressure to deliver the goods. No more ‘transition period' excuses.

I think that seriousaboutrl.com are underestimating HKR a bit, too. I don’t think they will be top 4 but I’d have them above Cas and Wakefield. Hull FC certainly have the squad to be top 4 - 6 but consistency remains the issue.

Personally, I think we’ll end up 3rd or above, it’s just whether we can win the important games at the end. EDIT: At least we have made some significant changes to try and achieve that.

Must admit I thought Leeds would be higher.

Quote ="Smiffy27"Predicted to finish 2nd. We just can't be a bad as one or two of our "fans" say. https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/how-the- ... son-45565/'" There are a lot of "fans" on here that can be super critical of the club but have supported the club financially and from the terraces for a long, long, long time. They have seen owners, coaches, players, initiatives, gimmicks, stadia developments, rule changes, league changes come and go. They have seen new fans join and leave. Players grow old and their sons replace them, great teams built and fall away. Stay long enough on this forum and you find once vocal passionate Warrington forum members who posted ad-infinitum about "fans" for a few years now silent and long gone. These core "fans" are loyal, passionate, persistent and committed. I'm not talking 5 or 6 years or since the HJ was built - I am talking decades and generations. Some of them were watching the Wire before their accusers were even born. These people deserve to be called fans, they have the right. I often see the insertion of the quotation marks by people who are intolerant of differing viewpoints to their own and it is their way of making a sly dig as if they are superior to others in some way. In my opinion it is facile.

Quote ="Smiffy27"Predicted to finish 2nd. We just can't be a bad as one or two of our "fans" say. https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/how-the- ... son-45565/'" There are a lot of "fans" on here that can be super critical of the club but have supported the club financially and from the terraces for a long, long, long time. They have seen owners, coaches, players, initiatives, gimmicks, stadia developments, rule changes, league changes come and go. They have seen new fans join and leave. Players grow old and their sons replace them, great teams built and fall away. Stay long enough on this forum and you find once vocal passionate Warrington forum members who posted ad-infinitum about "fans" for a few years now silent and long gone. These core "fans" are loyal, passionate, persistent and committed. I'm not talking 5 or 6 years or since the HJ was built - I am talking decades and generations. Some of them were watching the Wire before their accusers were even born. These people deserve to be called fans, they have the right. I often see the insertion of the quotation marks by people who are intolerant of differing viewpoints to their own and it is their way of making a sly dig as if they are superior to others in some way. In my opinion it is facile.