Fans will have seen images and video of new head coach Rob Edwards chatting to individual players during the first week of pre-season training.

He went to great lengths to explain that understanding each member of his squad as an individual was key to his way of working, and also to a successful and happy squad.

“The most important thing in these first four or five days has been to start building strong relationships with the players,” he said.

“The players are people first and foremost, they’re not robots. We are going to work hard, we’re going to be organised we’re going to fight for every point – they are the basics. But the players have thoughts and feelings and they’re human beings, and I need to understand them, and how getting to know them will help me to get the best out of them.

“I’ve been asking them things like ‘who is the best coach you’ve ever worked with and why’ and ‘what do you need from me to get the best out of you’. It’s a holistic approach. They know themselves better than I do at this point so it’s important we work together to get the best out of each other.

“You’ve probably seen pictures of me this week at the training ground, talking to players on their own. That’s what it’s all about. I want to understand what they need, how me and my team can help them, show they can trust us and build a bond of trust between everyone. Every player here knows they are not guaranteed to play, but if they aren’t playing they will know why and what they need to do in order to get in the team.”

Edwards repeatedly used three words when talking about how he operates as a head coach, and the traits he wants the squad to show: honesty, respect and communication.

“I want honesty around the place,” he said. “Literally the door to my office is open, the players know that they come in and grab me or any staff, whenever they want, if they need something, they want to talk, they have a family issue, whatever it might be. If the players know we will support them and help them to that degree, then they will be more willing to be pushed by us and meet the demands we put upon them.

“Respect is also a very important quality to me. I like to treat people the way I would like to be treated. I won’t treat every player the same way because they are all individuals. Some need to be spoken to in a different way, some might need more of my time, others might be best left alone. It’s down to me to understand what the needs and style of each player are.

“And I like to think that the way I communicate and build relationships with the players will be a strength of mine. I’ve worked this way, I know it works and it’s the way I know. I need to be open and honest with players, and I ask the same of them.”