COACHES at Workington Town have provided an update on training which is back under way at Derwent Park.

Head coach Chris Thorman explained the challenges involved in running a rugby league training session during the Covid-19 pandemic in a Facebook video Q&A on Thursday.

He said: “It’s a military operation in order to get people into the ground at a certain time to get them negatively tested, so off the back of that they can enter Derwent Park through a one way system.”

Covid-19 measures have been a learning curve in order to run regular training sessions.

Thorman said: “If there’s one thing it’s taught me it’s to be a little more patient with the process and realise how fortunate we are to be able to do what we do.”

Covid-19 officers and volunteers were praised for their hard work behind the scenes.

Thorman said: “Having conversations with other head coaches at Championship, League One and Super League clubs, we’re all in the same boat and I’m very satisfied with what we’re doing here. We’re squeaky clean at the minute and that’s how it should be.”

Workington Town, who play in League One, have been innovating in training to keep upping their game.

Coaches have made use of a drone, capturing the entire training field to study the footage and identify areas for improvement.

Thorman said: “I’ve watched some stuff that we’ve shot and they’re brilliant as a learning tool.

“The footage that you get from the drone is better than anything else, when you get that perspective, that angle. The thing it teaches the player is there’s no hiding places.

“Unfortunately sometimes we do miss things, well the drone doesn’t miss a beat.”

Workington are leaving no stone unturned ahead of their first game back in action on May 9 against Hunslet at South Leeds Stadium before a return home against London Skolars on May 16.

Thorman said: “As we enter March, we went into our stage two of training which incorporated contact, wrestle, tackle tech and we all know that we’re getting to the nitty gritty of what rugby’s about.”

Players in the current crop of trialists have impressed Town bosses.

Assistant coach Neil ‘Gus’ Frazer: “Some of them who are in the younger bracket, 18-19 some of them are really keen.”

Sixteen trialists were brought in initially, three have since moved on.

Thorman said: “They’re all ripping in, they’re all doing everything they need to do and for the most part I’ve been pretty impressed, especially with the young lads.

“I’ve been really impressed with how they’ve handled themselves, with they’re attitude.”