SWINTON LIONS coach Paul Wood has emphasised the importance of togetherness as his team took an opportunity to socialise in the build-up to their Keighley game tomorrow (Sunday).
The former Warrington man, who won two Challenge Cups during his playing days, now works full-time for Rugby League Cares, as their NHS Health and Wellbeing Programme Manager.
He said: “It’s been pretty full on. We’ve had some tough games, so we thought to have some down time together as a team and have some conversations away from rugby would be good for the lads. We keep talking about togetherness and this is one of the ways we can get it.
“We have to get that balance right between really pushing lads and demanding them to be full on, to sometimes letting the pendulum swing the other way where we’re looking after them and give them down time.
“You can’t constantly keep your foot on the gas and expect lads to perform, eventually they’ll break. So this is one of those times where we have a bit of a social together, some lighthearted chat and get to know each other a little bit better.
“I think it’s important to do that in teams. I sometimes reflect on my time as a player and what made teams I played in more successful, and that togetherness, that connectedness and that sense of belonging is one of them.
“Traditionally in my younger days it revolved going to a pub, but things have moved on from then and they do things a little bit differently today!”
Wood was the subject of Swinton’s April’s Fool Day prank this week, as they announced he would be coming out of retirement to play for the Lions.
Now 43, Wood hung up his boots after a brief stint at Swinton in 2018.
