Dave Woods is overseeing his first pre-season at York

York City Knights are using inside contacts to overcome the cold as they continue their pre-season preparations.

Coach Dave Woods told BBC Radio York most of the training is having to be done indoors.

Woods said: "Despite that, it is going well. Test results and body shapes have improved, fitness has improved.

"We've used it to our advantage. We've had mats down and we're doing contact and wrestling which is important for this level," he said.

Woods said the Knights have still managed to do plenty of ball work and he was pleased with how training has been going.

We've made sure that the players aren't missing out and are still doing their gym work Dave Woods

"It only affects you if you let it. We're lucky enough to have good links with some schools and colleges in the area, and the university, and we've been using those and doing a lot of work indoors which is tremendous.

"We've kept the intensity up, we've made sure that the players aren't missing out and are still doing their gym work."

York's first pre-season game is against the York Select on 27 December at the Huntington Stadium.

Woods said: "There'll be a lot of players who played in the Grand Final who we won't use, they will probably get a rest.

"Whoever doesn't get picked will be training that day anyway, but we'll probably give some of the new players a run, and some of the younger players a run to see how they do at that level because it will be a tough game.

"It's the amateur teams around here and some of them will be wanting to prove a point."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version