Blood, sweat and tears (and a few laughs too)

All of Danny Grainger’ summer signings were on show as the Reds’ first team squad reported for pre-season training.

Nathan Waterston, Owen Bell, Jay Kelly, Liam Brockbank, Ceiran Casson, Jim Atkinson and Alex Mitchell joined the remnants of last season’s squad, plus a handful of players who are spending a trial period with the club, in an intensive two hour work-out at Penrith.

The only notable absentees were Sam Smith and Gari Rowntree, both of whom are on holiday.

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It was the usual first session mix of a gentle warm-up and some lung bursting drills as the new-look squad went through various sets under the supervision of the manager, Steven Rudd, fitness coach Lee Fearn, and Andrew Wills who worked with the goalkeepers.

Sheldon Mossop turned his ankle early in the session and was reduced to the role of spectator for most of the evening and Brad Carroll limped out before the end but, otherwise, the twenty four players acquitted themselves well.

The squad will have two more sessions plus a morning and afternoon stint on Saturday before embarking on their first game at Whitehaven on Thursday week.