Training is well underway at Workington Town and the League One side is working with promising trialists.

New developmental coach at the club Gary Hewer is helping to carry out Town boss Chris Thorman’s vision of building the side from talent within the area, thus supporting rugby league at the same time.

The crop of trialists who are currently training with the pros at Derwent Park are impressing the Town coaching staff.

Hewer said: “They’re all doing their clubs credit now, even if they don’t make it pro this year or they go back to the community clubs. We’d like to think they’ll go back benefitting from the experience.”

Those involved in training sessions at Derwent Park have all been tagged as someone with the potential to make it to the pro game.

Hewer said: “We have them on a trialist form until the first league game of the season. What we’ve got the option to do is take them on a dual registration.”

Dual registration could see a talented player taking part at Town but playing at their community club as well.

Volunteers are working hard behind the scenes to overcome the challenges of Covid-19. Training sessions are run with players split into groups to avoid a potential outbreak of the virus impacting the entire side.

Hewer said: “Because of Covid-19 you can’t double bubble, even though the community game is unlocking, they (trialists) can’t train with both clubs.”

Regardless of the challenges, spirits at Derwent Park have been high.

Hewer said: “It’s been good to get the lads back with smiles on their faces and the banter going. If we get the opportunity now at the back end of our sessions we’re doing little team runs against each other.”

Coaches are innovating to make their training more productive, making use of a drone to capture the entire training field.

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’s first game back in action will be against Hunslet on May 9 at South Leeds Stadium. They welcome London Skolars to Derwent Park the following weekend.