Pre-season is always the hardest time of year for a rugby league player.

Not only is it cold, wet and windy but there is the fact of doing all the floggings and fitness sessions know there is no game at the end of the week and you can't take your frustrations out on the opposition. So far this pre-season as been really tough but enjoyable! I never thought I would said 'Pre-season' and 'Enjoyable' in the same sentence but I actually mean it. Since the arrival of Chris Baron the new strength and conditioning coach it as really opened my eyes to what rugby league training is all about. Ever since I have played rugby league from the age of 11 years old I have been taught that running for 2 hours a day up and down a field, hitting the odd tackling bag and doing ball work would get me fit, its sounds like a good plan! but rugby league training as been turned on its head this year at the Wolves. Chris Baron believes in pure hard work to help bring more trophies to Warrington Wolves but he also is very clued up when it comes to the science side of the training. He records every thing we do at training, he records each players result, he records each players distance run at field sessions, with this data he can predict not only when to increase sessions but also when to decrease sessions which will hopefully help with injury prevention. I would say that me personally am very 'old school' when it comes to training and getting fit but thats just because of how I have been trained over the last 15 years. Once I opened my mind and listened to what Chris had to say then all his training methods seemed to make sense. The main thing was he could back is training methods up with evidence to say what he was saying he was right. Don't let all this science talk and data collecting make you think pre-season is going soft because i can tell you that Chris's conditioning sessions on the 'Prowlers' are the hardest conditioning sessions I have done and his hills sessions are just as bad. I can honestly say I have never felt this fit for a long time and I speak for all the guys that have trained now for 2 months.

With all the strength and conditioning sessions there as been a lot of core skills training, that means basic catching, passing, communication, and tackling techniques. Tony Smith is very good at breaking down core skills and making sure we are doing them spot on, what he doesn't do is make things to complicated. For example one of the skills we worked on last week was catching and passing, a simple 2v1. Some would say that is a skill under 10's would do not professional rugby league players, but Tony can watch that basic skill and unless its spot on then we won't move on to the next level. Tony is big on coaching the basics and making sure we are the best we can be at them. Tony also likes to see players thinking about tactics at training so every single ball work game makes you think about what is the best way to win this particular game and each game will involve different tactics. we are now starting to think differently about ways to win games but more importantly thinking under pressure. I think being able to think under pressure is a very skillfully thing to do especially once you have been whacked a round the head and fighting for oxygen. Being able to training under pressure is quite hard because you know that there isn't 7000-8000 supporters sat watching and that if you make a mistake you can go back and try again but one thing Tony is good at is putting pressure on at training. Along with the strength and conditioning and ball work I think we have set a really good standard for one and other and its up to the players that we keep the standard up by communicating with each other if we feel the need to step it up a gear. Its not all about Tony Smith coaching the team its about the team releasing when we need to step it up and so far this pre-season we have encouraged each other and there is a really good team spirit which is great.

The only person to moan so far is Mickey Higham and thats been for the last 2 weeks when we have done hill running because there is no free parking and we can't claim the money back, he is gutted. The parking fee is £1 but to Mickey thats 7 miles worth of petrol, he's tighter then a matadors trousers.

Brian Carney as settled into his new roll as welfare officer and as used his time to help a number of young lads. Brian is very well respected at the club by all the players but I can't help but feel is generosity is being taken advantage of. I think the players are setting up meetings with Brian at Nandos knowing very well Brian will pay and they get a free Nandos from it along with some advice on time management, I might have to let him know.

Can I take this opportunity to thank everybody for there support on the first launch of my Testimonial year. I released my Testimonial Shirt, DVD and mugs last saturday at the Cockhedge centre and the amount of support was fantastic and I thank you all. If you missed out and would like to come and see the Testimonial shirt, DVD and mugs then I will be at Wolfware at the Halliwell Jones Stadium Saturday between 12pm and 2pm. The Testimonial Shirt will be worn against the Wigan Warriors on the 27th January 2010 at the HJ Stadium. Also released this week will be the Paul Wood Testimonial brochure which will show my 10 years at the Wolves with interviews from players, coaches and family members along with my own words.

Hope you have enjoyed my first blog of the new season leading up to the 2010 year and lets hope there is plenty of more good things to write about.

Speak soon,

Woody