The following morning, the first fifteen minutes of the session proved they weren't there yet.
The defensive line lurched forward one moment and hesitated the next.
Sometimes O'Shea stepped first while Leo held.
Sometimes Leo went, and the rest arrived a heartbeat late.
The Wigan forwards turned opponents for the day running the drills found themselves clean through often enough that nobody needed Dawson to point out the problem.
Things improved, but it was still lacklustre, causing Dawson to half the game and call Leo, O'Shea and the rest of the defensive setup to his side.
He rolled another ball into play himself before striking a measured pass.
"This," he said as the ball moved forward.
"This is what we are looking out for. The moment the pass leaves the foot of our man," he stepped back, "everything is too late."
The players nodded keenly as they reset, and the results after that gradually became a night and day difference.
