PIRATES star Richie Worrall revealed how he had undergone a unique form of therapy to fine-tune his body ahead of the new SGB Premiership campaign.

The St Helens-born ace this week underwent an IV amino muscle infusion with a company called Tranquil Aesthetics in Euxton, Lancashire.

And the 27-year-old, snapped up by Poole boss Matt Ford on a 5.46 average, believes the natural treatment has given him a welcome boost.

Explaining the process, Worrall told the Daily Echo: “When you are always striving to be better, you look for little things which might make you better. This is one of them.

“It’s something very new to me and new in the sport. I have never heard of anyone trying this before.

“It’s not something I am going to keep a secret. It’s a company which is near me called Tranquil Aesthetics.

“Speaking with them and doctor Joel (Lambert), he explained what it does and benefits of it. It’s a high concentrate of vitamins and amino acids.

“What you would get out of eating 100 apples is in that treatment.

“The place is fantastic. I sat there for an hour in a heated massage chair and this thing just slowly drips into your body.

“The one I had was amino-based, so it helps your body recover from being fatigued.

“I purposely did a really hard session that morning, training-wise. I felt very fatigued and hadn’t eaten, so I did feel very weak.

“I went in for the therapy and, by the time I got up to leave, I felt great.”

Worrall was part of the Pirates line-up which won last season’s Premiership crown, having signed in May as cover for Chris Holder before retaining his place for the rest of the year.

And he believes putting in the hard yards over the winter will set him up for a strong 2019.

The Merseysider, who will double up with Championship outfit Leicester this season, said: “We just have to work as hard as we can.

“You always want to be better than the year before, you want to be fitter. In my case I need to be lighter than I was last year.

“I am naturally built quite big. I’m a tall guy and on some tracks it does have its disadvantages because my bike is carrying round more weight than the guy next to me.

“If we were to race with wheelbarrows and mine was full and yours was empty – you would go a bit quicker!

“But when a track gets a bit tricky and you have got to be strong on the bike, that’s when I’ll come through and shine.

“The main thing I have been working on is dropping weight without losing strength.”

Pirates will warm up for their league campaign with a challenge meeting against Championship side Somerset on Wednesday, April 3.