WARRIORS’ high performance director Nick Johnston believes the fitness levels of next year’s squad will be a step up from the current crop.

The fitness guru was recruited from Northampton Saints, where he had forged a formidable reputation.

Having spent most of last season working at Sixways, he believes the Worcester squad can improve further still.

He said: “We have some better athletes coming into the squad for next season – we’ve had a few things pointed at us this year about our athletic capability - some fair, some unfair.

“They have worked hard in the second half of the season, they just needed some direction and a few things changing, so what they were doing was a bit more transferable to playing on a Saturday.

“Sometimes my reputation goes before me, but the pre-season will be very scientific and directed at individual development and, with the expertise we’ve brought in, there will be some major gains. It will be tough and a wake-up call for some of them because I felt a few didn’t train properly.”

He added: “There are elements of replication of what I did at Northampton, without doubt because it worked there, but we have a bigger region now.

“I would have liked more staff at Northampton, but never got complete support on that, but I have that now, which I feel will work.

“We have also recruited heavily at first team level in terms of support and created new posts, such as a rehab coordinator, as well as extra physios and fitness staff.

“There’s also a new head of strength and conditioning in Chris Hart, who I have brought in from Northampton and will start with us in pre-season, and he will replace Stuart Pickering, who has gone to the English Institute of Sport.”

n Edinburgh have signed ex-Worcester prop John Andress, while Chris Jones has now joined Leeds.