Newcastle Red Bulls: Yorkshire training camp just what we needed – Alan Dickens

Only Argentina scrum-half Simon Benitez Cruz, who is on international duty this month, and winger Christian Wade, resting after his rugby league commitments with Wigan Warriors, did not take part in the training camp.

Flanker Tom Christie arrived from New Zealand along with recent recruits Cameron Hutchison and Stewart Moore to meet their new team-mates as Newcastle try to catch up with the rest of the league.

After five games, they are bottom of the table having lost all five, including three heavy defeats on the road, and are yet to pick up a bonus point.

While they have won one and lost one in the Prem Rugby Cup ahead of a trip to Northampton Saints on Saturday.

In the past fortnight, Neil McIlroy has started his role as sporting general manager as things continue to evolve at the club.

“We had good conversations and lots of questions about how things have gone in the last 14 months I’ve been here and how we can move it forward,” Dickens said.

“At the minute, Neil is having a look around and deciding the importance, and then acting on the areas that need to be done immediately.”