YORK City Knights might be short on fit props right now, but it’s just the opposite in the pivotal positions – where Benn Hardcastle in particular must be cursing his luck.

Hardcastle, having impressed on his long-awaited return to the first team against former club Gateshead, had to sit out last Saturday’s match at South Wales Scorpions due to being best man at his brother’s wedding.

And, lo and behold, the 24-year-old now finds himself back on the sidelines.

It’s actually not anybody’s fault – there’s no way he could have missed the wedding, while boss Gary Thornton can’t really split up the half-back pairing of Pat Smith and Ben Reynolds given the way they played last week, regardless of how well Hardcastle played six days earlier.

It’s just one of those things with sport and, in particular, semi-professional sport.

Ryan Mallinder will be feeling it too. Ryan Backhouse took his place last week while he had work commitments, and he’s kept it. At least Mallinder will still feature, off the bench.

Thornton also has Jonny Presley fit again and ready to retake his scrum-half spot, but the 29-year-old, like Hardcastle, must bide his time again.

Thornton admitted it’s tough having to make such selection decisions, especially when a player does not deserve to be omitted.

“Jonny and Benn are both fit but I think the way Pat Smith, Ben Reynolds (at half-back) and James Haynes (at full-back) played last week, it’s difficult to change them or leave any of those three out,” he said.

“Benn played very well against Gateshead, but he will have to be patient again. That’s not to say he won’t come back in again.

“It’s just that the guys who are in possession of the shirt at the moment are playing well, and I’m not going to make changes for changes’ sake in those roles. Ben Reynolds was outstanding at stand-off, James played well again and Pat was very good again.”

As for Backhouse keeping his place, Thornton said: “I thought Ryan was excellent last week. His fitness is getting better. He’s always had potential and he’s nearly there. As he gets fitter he will get better. I have every confidence in him so he keeps his place.

“It is one of the problems when players miss out for whatever reason and someone comes in and does well.

“Ryan Mallinder has been playing really well but he now has to sit on the bench this time as Ryan Backhouse deserves to stay in the starting line-up.”

Harry Carter and Tyler Craig are also likely to be left out this week, though Thornton explained their situation - as developing players coming through the ranks - is a bit different.

“We’re giving them a rest,” he said, having brought another youngster, James Morland, back in.

“It’s just rotating the young guys during this tough four-week period while we’re away from home. It’s about keeping them fresh and keeping them developing.”

Craig still travels as 18th man so may yet play.

“Tyler has been good,” said the coach. “There are a few things to work on but he’s done a lot of really good things. I’ve been pleased with the way he’s adapted to first-team football, and he will come back in.”

AS reported today, the Knights are considering another potential loan move due to injuries currently in the front-row ranks.

It is good, therefore, that they are well aware of how many are allowed – unlike Championship One rivals Gateshead and, indeed, some Rugby Football League officials.

In the Knights’ latest match at Huntington Stadium, the Thunder named six borrowed players in the line-up - Kris Welham, Matty Beharrell, Sonny Esslemont and Omari Caro on dual-reg from Hull KR, and Louis Sheriff and Joel Farrell, on loan from Dewsbury.

However, only five are allowed – and, with no officials picking up on it, it was actually Thornton who ended up pointing out the oversight, leading to a bit of confusion, argument, and toing and froing before winger Caro was omitted from the 17.

Said Thornton: “If I hadn’t spotted it, they might have gone ahead with six. I don’t know what would have happened then.”

Here’s hoping it hasn’t actually happened elsewhere with others unaware of the maximum six rule, otherwise the RFL might have to take retrospective action.

THE Press reported this week that York Acorn ARLC starlet Harry Bromwich was taking part in the Commonwealth Games this weekend, having been picked to play for England in the rugby league 9s competition.

One player who so nearly didn’t make it to Glasgow, meanwhile, was South Wales Scorpions loanee Harry Cartwright - after his scrape with the Knights last week.

Rugby league 9s is making its bow in the Games this year as an exhibition sport with the aim of it gaining full inclusion come 2022. The competition, for under-19s teams, was taking place yesterday and today, prior to the main Glasgow extravaganza that starts on July 23.

England chose to run with a representative 15-man amateur squad, with Bromwich getting his call-up after impressing for BARLA Great Britain U17s last year.

Wales’ team, meanwhile, consisted of 14 South Wales Scorpions players plus Cartwright, who they currently have on loan from North Wales Crusaders.

The latter’s inclusion looked in serious doubt last week, though, when he was stretchered off unconscious following a melee during the Scorpions’ defeat to York, and need lengthy treatment by medics at the side of the pitch

Thankfully, the 19-year-old ended up okay, and he explained what had happened in the melee.

“There were arms everywhere,” he told the Wales Rugby League website. “One was around my neck, I couldn't breathe and just went dizzy.

“I was lightheaded and the doctor said I couldn't carry on with the condition I was in and I needed to be taken off.”

That doesn’t necessarily clear things up totally, but there has been no sign of disciplinary action by league chiefs after looking at video evidence of the incident.

TALKING of the Scorpions, last week’s game against York was the club’s 100th since they formed out of the ashes of the then Celtic Crusaders’ move to North Wales.

They became only the fifth Welsh team to achieve that milestone in the history of professional rugby league, after Celtic Crusaders (182 games, 2006-11), Ebbw Vale (155, 1907-12), Cardiff City Blue Dragons (135, 1981-85) and Merthyr Tydfil (106, 1907-11).

Several people in and outside of the game have regularly predicted the club’s demise, given they are trying to survive in a union stronghold, but Welsh rugby league journalist Ian Golden wrote a proud piece in the South Wales Rugby League Magazine – which acts as a match-day programme – saying it is now there to stay.

“Rugby league historian Tony Collins was once asked why Wales never really took to rugby league given the similarities in culture, economy and industry to the north of England,” wrote Ian, delving into times past when the rival 15-a-side code was supposedly staunchly amateur - a stance that led to rugby’s split in the first place.

“His answer was frank – ‘Because the Wales Rugby Union pretended not to pay their players and the Rugby Football Union pretended to believe them!

“So South Wales, that should really be a rugby league area, isn’t, and people do ask why we continue.

“...Every year when we have our problems, people tell me to give up.

“But here we are, with 100 first-team games under our belt, a thriving under-19s side, and up and coming U16s side, plus a feeder side and thriving community clubs.

“One hundred games is just the start.”

Here’s hoping Ian’s right.