A BLEARY-EYED bunch met at Wolves’ Padgate training base as the journey to their Tenerife training camp began in earnest.

Living close to the base, I was able to make the short (if a bit wet) walk to meet the team just before 5am for the coach to Manchester Airport.

A few more of the team, including head of coaching and rugby Tony Smith, met us there and so the process began of getting an entire rugby squad AND all their kit checked in. It was a very lengthy process but we got there in the end!

I would love to tell you more about the flight, but the truth is the 4am start had finally taken its toll and I drifted off to sleep pretty quickly.

Well, I say sleep but I was aware of what was going on around me despite my eyes being shut. It was disturbed a few times by repeated calls by the cabin crew for people stood up in the aisle to sit down so the trolley could get through.

I opened my eyes and, upon closer inspection, it was several of the Wolves lads who were the culprits! Not that I blame them, sitting still for four hours in a pressurised cabin would not have been good for them!

After landing in sunny Tenerife at about midday, the perilous wait to see if our mountain of bags all managed to make it to the other side.

There was a bit of a nervous wait for the likes of Kurt Gidley and Stef Ratchford, whose luggage took its time, but finally everyone was reunited with their cases.

The trip to the hotel was short and, after a quick stop to change and familiarise ourselves with the surroundings, it was off to the training pitch.

The T3 training centre really is a top-class facility to cater for all sporting needs…apart from, as it turned out, massage beds of which there were only two (four were needed).

Nevertheless, training got underway in earnest with Jon Clarke leading the players through some stretches to get the blood pumping.

After a long flight, today was always going to be a light session and Richard Agar took over with some gentle ball work.

Harvey Livett’s passing was drawing admiring comments from Tony, who was watching on alongside former England international footballer and self-confessed Wire fan Stuart Pearce.

What followed was some five-on-four, attack-against-defence drills to wrap the session up as the players headed to cool down in the freezing Atlantic Ocean.

Before that, there was time for some antics from Benjamin Jullien. While his teammates waited for the lifts to the top floor of the training centre, Benji took the stairs and pressed the lift button on every floor to make his colleagues’ journey just that little bit longer!

We had a bit of time to unwind before dinner, where I decided to partake in the healthy option of pasta with some salmon, which drew a question of “are you on a diet or what?” from a bemused-looking Jack Hughes!

Dinner consumed, Hughes informed me that Wire clothing is a must tomorrow as per Tony’s orders (I was the only person on the trip not wearing any!) and suggested I borrow some of Brad Dwyer’s if I was stuck.

I wasn’t sure if he was joking at this point, until he said “There’s a forfeit by the way Matt, if you don’t do it you’ve got to spend the whole day in your underpants”, which led me to the conclusion that he was taking the proverbial…I hope!

Dinner consumed, I got the chance to catch up with Matty Blythe and his pride at being back with his hometown club was clear to see, as was his devastation at the demise of former club Bradford.

After typing up interviews and sending through pictures, it was time to retire after a long day. However, looking at Tuesday’s schedule, it looks like that could be even longer!

Keep a look out for more pictures throughout the day on the Warrington Guardian website, and the next entry into the Tenerife Diaries.