Jack Stearman back with New Earswick All Blacks (From York Press)

Jack Stearman back with New Earswick All Blacks

11:29am Thursday 6th September 2012 in Sport

JACK STEARMAN will be back for New Earswick All Blacks as they kick off their Pennine League championship campaign at home to Westgate Wolves (2.30pm), writes Peter Martini.

As reported by The Press, all of All Blacks’ matches were postponed last Saturday following the tragic death of club chairman Phil Johnson.

They will now start their winter season against a Wakefield-based side who opened their term with a 56-0 thrashing of Ossett so it promises to be a baptism of fire for new All Blacks head coach Simon Malarkey as he looks to better last season’s sixth-placed finish. However, he has a full squad available – including Stearman, above.

The 24-year-old prop has been on York City Knights ’ books but featured only once in 2012 and returns, as he has often done in past winter seasons, to his amateur club.

All Blacks will hold a minute’s silence before kick off at all of their home matches this weekend in memory of Johnson.

Kev Fellow is hoping his reign as Selby Warriors boss continues in fine fettle after last week’s excellent opening day win in Pennine League division three.

They go to Odsal Sedbergh with confidence boosted by the 24-14 victory at Pontefact SSC, a team who remained unbeaten last season in the Yorkshire League . Pontefract were a physical outfit but the Warriors – despite missing captain Wayne Fennel and at times looking disjointed with several newcomers playing – never took a backward step and had four tries ruled out.

The hosts took the lead against the run of play but Connor Smith, having had an equaliser from dummy-half disallowed, levelled from 30 yards after a Mark Hanson break.

Veteran winger David Makin powered over after a flowing move and on half-time Stevie Bell dummied in.

The hosts hit back in a stop-start second half with two tries, but Bell bagged another try from an outrageous dummy.

Danny England (3) and Nick Weaver added conversions.