YORK City Knights were hoping to tie up a deal for young Castleford Tigers half-back Ben Johnson today, The Press understands.

The departure on Friday of Tommy Haughey – who had been one of the higher earners on the wage bill but was released by mutual agreement and quickly rocked up at former club Hunslet – freed up some money for the club to bring in two new dual-registration recruits.

As revealed by The Press last week, 21-year-old back-rower John Davies, who stood out when last at the Knights a year ago, is one target and talks are set to continue with him this week.

The other on the radar is now believed to be Johnson, whom the club hope will solve their immediate half-back issues. Negotiations on a dual-reg agreement were close to being concluded.

The Knights are hoping the minor shake-up in the squad will provide them with a lift following a run of Championship losses which continued yesterday as a depleted side lost 50-12 in the Challenge Cup fourth round to Sheffield.

Of that defeat, player-coach Chris Thorman – again the only recognised half-back in the party – said: “I’m disappointed with the scoreline but our efforts were much better.

“We lost players in the build-up to the game and during the game, and that made it harder work.

“We only had another two players available on top of the 17 on duty, and that’s from a squad at the start of the year that was getting on to 30.”

Paul King and Brett Turner joined the injured list before the game, Jon Gay was ruled out due to work, and captain James Ford departed dazed after knocks to a shoulder, knee and the head.

Thorman added: “We just have to dig in, stay positive and keep going. We still had opportunities, but Sheffield are a good team. They could probably hold their own at the lower end of Super League.”

He added, probably referring to Johnson: “We need to be more threatening – but hopefully we’ll be doing something about that.”

The 19-year-old – not the same Ben Johnson who turned out for York’s reserves last year – is a former York Acorn ARLC junior who then moved to Castleford Lock Lane ARLC. He is small in stature but is thought to possess quick feet and a good kicking game.

He was signed on a full-time deal by Cas last October, at which point Tigers boss Ian Millward said: “Ben is a player that has got speed. He’s still young physically in a project sense, but he has definitely got talent and he’s a player that has been identified for the future.”

He is yet to make his first-team bow but was in the 19-man squad for Cas’ Easter Monday clash with St Helens. Assuming Johnson comes to York, Davies’ proposed return to Huntington Stadium might depend on what happens with fellow forward Chris Green.

Clubs can only have four borrowed players at any one time and York already have Laurence Pearce and Green from Hull, and Ben Hellewell and Brooke Broughton from Warrington.

Pearce, who is yet to play for York, is being de-registered, and Green, despite being the Press Player of the Month for March, may go the same way if Hull expect him to stay in their first-team picture having broken into the Super League side before Easter.

Any signings this week are likely to go straight into the Knights’ squad for the Championship match at home to Batley next weekend.

Their dual-reg players were unavailable yesterday, which, allied to injuries and Haughey’s exit, saw the Knights promote four local lads from the reserves in Ben Dent, Kris Brining, Joe Hemmings and George Elliott.

Assistant-coach Mick Ramsden said the side improved on their league display at Hunslet last week, especially in the first half, when they trailed 18-0 playing against a swirling wind.

“We need to be positive about the players digging in for each other, particularly in the first half, and there was plenty of effort and commitment,” he said. “Sheffield came out firing after half-time and cut us open a few times.”