Warrington put faith in Andrew Johns's stardust rubbing off

Warrington hope that the combination of sunshine and Andrew Johns's stardust will give them a major advantage over their Super League rivals when the 2010 season starts. Johns, the former Australia scrum-half who had a brief stint with the Wolves in 2005 and is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, flew out with the squad today for their pre-season training camp in Tenerife, where he will assist the former England coach Tony Smith. "Without a doubt he will be terrific for the whole team but particularly with our young half backs such as Richie Myler," Smith said. "He's very excited about it and as we are his club in the UK he is really looking forward to doing his best for us." Johns will stay with the Wolves for another week in England after they return for a trial match at Leigh on Sunday week, but Smith believes it is the trip to Tenerife that will leave the Challenge Cup holders especially well-placed to mount a genuine Super League challenge this year. In contrast to recent pre-seasons, when Leeds have played Salford in Florida and almost all clubs have gone overseas for warm-weather camps, 11 of the 13 British Super League clubs will be staying at home this year, mainly because of the recession, leaving only Warrington and Castleford – who go to Perpignan next week for a trial match against the Catalans Dragons – in need of their passports. "With the way the weather is at the moment, it's worked out really well for us," Smith added. "In any other year I wouldn't have asked for an overseas trip but with it being my first full season at the club I thought it was important for us to get away and get some good work done, and I'm grateful to the club for making that possible. "This year the weather has been very imposing on the training schedule and you are limited with what you can do inside. The nicer weather gives us the chance to stop, talk and think about what we're doing, as in the current conditions we don't like to stop the players from moving about and keeping warm." Warrington's first Super League game is on 7 February at home to Harlequins – who have just returned from an army training camp which their coach, Brian McDermott, described as "the hardest thing some of our guys have ever done". Bradford, whose pre-season schedule has been seriously disrupted following their decision to stay in Yorkshire, have appointed Geoff Evans as their new head of physical performance. Evans, an Australian who has previously worked with a number of other British clubs including St Helens, Wakefield and Huddersfield Town FC, effectively succeeds Martin Clawson, the club's long-serving conditioner who was released with the assistant coach Basil Richards at the end of last season.