PRE-SEASON is being done a little differently at Warrington Wolves this time around.

Since head coach Steve Price took over the role in 2018, the squad have endured a two-day army camp prior to Christmas as part of their preparations.

However, in a change of tack, that will not take place this year.

Instead, Price is planning to send his players off for Christmas in a very different way.

“There won’t be an army camp this year. I’m looking at incorporating the community and the town into our pre-season work,” he said.

“We’re going to be doing a 36-hour community challenge through Warrington town centre.

“We’ll train right up until Christmas, and the challenge will bring together the whole club, community clubs and our supporters.”

Details of what Price’s community challenge will entail are yet to be confirmed.

After a short break for the Christmas period, the players will return to training on January 2 and they will be joined by squad members who were picked for post-season internationals.

New signing Gareth Widdop and Great Britain teammates Blake Austin, Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Joe Philbin and Jack Hughes – plus Tonga’s Ben Murdoch-Masila – will all join the group as they continue preparations for the season opener against Wigan Warriors on January 30.

The squad will travel to Portugal for a pre-season training camp in mid-January before taking on two pre-season friendlies

They will face Salford Red Devils at The Halliwell Jones Stadium in Mike Cooper’s testimonial fixture on a date yet to be confirmed before visiting Championship outfit Swinton Lions on Saturday, January 25.

This year, Price has been keen to keep things as close to home as possible, with the vast majority of the pre-season work centred around their Padgate training base.

“Bar the week in Portugal, everything will be based here in Warrington,” he said.

“I’m a big believer that pre-seasons set up your seasons. They get harder and harder now and a lot of work goes into them.

“We’ve had some tough conditions of late and there’s been some icy pitches, but we’re fortunate with the facilities we have at Padgate.

“I’m really pleased with what the new guys have brought to our organisation.

“They are all different to what we’ve had in the past and that makes it exciting.”