Rugby League: Warriors enjoy Bay's weather as they get ready for season

Kevin Locke cut a relaxed figure at Warriors training at Grenada Park. Photo/George Novak

New Zealand Warriors general manager of football Dean Bell was just one of a number of interested onlookers at Grenada Park yesterday during the first day of the NRL side's third pre-season camp.

The former Warriors and Wigan captain, whose growing influence can be seen in the presence of England fullback Sam Tomkins and the upcoming fixture against the Wigan Warriors in Hamilton, said there was one major factor that drew the club to the Bay.

"We wanted to come somewhere where there was good weather, and the Mount and Papamoa is always a place you can guarantee that," Bell said.

He believed the side was in great shape heading into a busy section of pre-season play.

"If the truth be known we are streets ahead of where we were at this stage last year in terms of [head coach] Matt Elliott knowing the players and the players knowing Matt.

"The players' fitness levels are so far ahead of where they were. That's testament to Matt and his team for implementing the high performance stuff slowly over the last year.

"We are starting to see the benefits now. That means nothing until you put the points on the board, but we are looking for long-lasting success. We have to stop being that inconsistent side that one year makes the top eight and then the next year are out of it."

The camp is another opportunity for the coaching staff to deliver an intense, holistic programme designed to develop the players in multiple ways.

Time will be spent on attack and defence, bonding, presentations from consultants as well as a nutritional challenge requiring players to purchase and prepare their own food.

The issue of players combining sleeping pills with energy drinks as a substitute for alcohol is being dealt with following the NZRL expressing concerns about the practice occurring within the Kiwis squad during the recent World Cup.

"Funnily enough this morning we had our regular Monday morning meeting and the doc was there and we spoke about educating our players ... there is always something new.

"It's a concern of New Zealand Rugby League and it would be naive to say that it is not happening at every club - NRL, Super League, everywhere ... we'll be testing the players throughout the year.

"It can have serious implications on their health - let alone their performance - and obviously we want our players to be as alert as possible.

"We'll put some pretty strict protocols in place to make sure that we adhere to what the players should be doing."

Bell said that the camp was the first time players from the World Cup - including new signing Tomkins - had been in camp with the squad, and tipped a pair of players still eligible for under-20s to make their mark in first grade this season.

An original Warriors ring bearing the year 1995 - given to foundation members of the club - confirmed Bell's devotion to the club.

"It helps that I can use it to replace my wedding ring that I lost. It takes pride of place on my hand."