WITHIN a month of James Ford lauding the efforts of Ed Smith, another second-row has shot to prominence to storm up The Press Player of the Year standings and take over top spot.

Smith was voted our Press Player of the Month for March but he has now been usurped at the top of the 2015 leaderboard by Josh Tonks after the latter’s two man-of-the- match awards in the last three outings and, now, the Player of the Month award for April.

To think Tonks didn’t start the season as a first-choice back-rower - with Smith and Ryan Mallinder tipped to continue forming the successful pairing of 2014 - then it gives the 23-year-old all the more reason to feel proud of his recent efforts. He came top of our April poll ahead of the likes of Liam Cunningham and Kriss Brining.

Said Ford: “Josh has played very well all season, most notably in the last three or four games when he’s gone up a level.

“He’s carried the ball frequently with lots of vigour and he plays with intent and skill - he knows we’ve got confidence in him to use that.”

So much so, he was asked to fill in at half-back after a minor injury crisis against Oxford.

As for his place in the second row, Ford said: “Ryan Mallinder’s been playing a bit in the middle unit - he does a good job and brings lots of physicality. To facilitate Ryan moving there, Ed and Josh have started on the edges and they’ve done a really good job.

“Ed was Player of the Month last time and has been as good this month, and Josh has been really good as well.”

Since the Player of the Year leaderboard was last updated in these pages, Tonks was man of the match in the wins over both Oxford (3pts) and Coventry (3pts), and the additional bonus points for being April’s star man overall (3pts) means he goes clear at the top of the standings.

The other players to pick up points against Oxford were Liam Cunningham (2pts) and Tyler Craig (1pt), as our second and third best performers respectively, and against Coventry last week they were Pat Smith (2pts) and Harry Carter (1pt).

In between those two league games was the Challenge Cup fifth- round win at Leigh Miners Rangers in which hat-trick ace Kriss Brining was our top pick (3pts) followed by Adam Dent (2pts), who excelled on his season’s bow, and Ben Dent (1pt), who included a bit of showboating in a confident show at full-back.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Tonks 10pts, E Smith 7, Cunningham 7, Brining 6, Haynes 5, Minikin 3, Presley 2, P Smith 2, A Dent 2, Roche 1, Morrison 1, Aspinall 1, Applegarth 1, Craig 1, Carter 1, B Dent 1.

IT’S not quite bus wars but fans will have various options to get to the Challenge Cup tie at St Helens on Friday, May 15.

It’s fair to say the Knights Independent Supporters Society have not seen eye to eye with club chiefs in recent weeks amid the fall-out to the community stadium saga.

But they are all agreed that fans should do their best to flock over the M62 to noisily back James Ford and his brave young charges at Langtree Park as they, the lowest ranked team left in the competi - tion, face a daunting task against the 12-time winners and current Super League champions.

The club themselves are offering special packages comprising match tickets, return coach travel from York and a 2015 replica shirt.

The price is £55 for all three items, £22 for ticket and travel, or £45 for ticket and shirt. Prices are lower for concessions and under-16s.

They can be bought via www.yorkcityknights.co.uk or by visit - ing the club’s Roland Court office, phoning 01904 767404 or emailing info@ycknights.co.uk. These coaches will leave from the city centre Cedar Court Hotel at 4.30pm.

A Knights statement - referring to potentially slow going on a busy motorway ahead of the 8pm kick off, plus potential York Races traffic that day - said: “Because the game will take place on an evening, and with the nature of the travelling that will be involved, we hope the special deal will allow more supporters to attend the tie and cheer on the Knights.

“This is a huge game for our city, club and our team, and we hope the people of York and beyond can be there to cheer on the Knights in this fantastic cup tie.”

KISS, meanwhile, could trump that travel deal as they are offering a free seat on their coach for the first 50 supporters to book via their number, 07443 564453.

KISS said: “We would like to see as many fans as possible at St Helens supporting the players and coaching staff.”

Their coach (or coaches if necessary) will leave Huntington Stadium at 4.45pm returning to York directly after the game, dropping passengers off in central York and at Huntington Stadium.

Admission prices for the game, meanwhile, start at £10 for adults and £5 for children from either www.saintsrlfc.com or the Knights’ office.