Hooker Kriss Brining happy to commit to Knights (From York Press)

Hooker Kriss Brining happy to commit to York City Knights

10:47am Tuesday 18th September 2012 in Sport

KRISS BRINING has signed a new deal with York City Knights which will keep him at Huntington Stadium for the next two years.

Forward James Houston, however, is leaving the club, becoming another player to go back to Hunslet after a campaign curtailed by inury.

Brining, the 18-year-old who broke into the injury-hit first team towards the end of this season having come through the Knights’ old scholarship system, is rated among the best young hookers in Yorkshire. The Scarborian has just moved to York, too, to study a sport science degree at York St John University .

Knights general manager Ian Wilson said: “He signed on the scholarship when he was 13 and came right through the system. “He played in the under-16s three years ago and this year he’s had a good year in the reserves and broken into the first team – and played pretty well under difficult circumstances.

“With another year under his belt, another year’s experience and another good pre-season, we think he will have a lot to offer next year. Moving to York will give him a better opportunity to do his extras in the gym as well.

“He’s been one of the most committed players at the club in the six years he’s been here – he can’t have missed more then ten training sessions in that time, including when he was coming over on the train from Scarborough.

“It’s great to see a local product coming through and we’re excited to see how he develops over the coming years.”

Brining, then 17, had been the Knights’ youngest-ever player when appearing off the bench at Widnes in April 2011, a record since taken by Tim Stubbs and then Liam Ellis, towards the end of this season.

Brining featured ten times in the season just ended, including in the last six games of term, and becomes the third hooker to be signed for 2013, following regular number nine Jack Lee and under-18s player of the year Harry Carter.

Wilson added: “We believe that in Kriss and Harry, we have two of the best up-and-coming hookers around and they’ll be challenging each other to break into the 17 and push Jack next year and in the future.”

Houston, meanwhile, has rejoined Hunslet less than a year after coming the other way. He played 12 times for York before his season was ended by a peculiar leg injury – a worrying lump on a thigh – in May. The 29-year-old scored one try.

Warrington full-back Ben Hellewell, who had a spell on dual-registration with the Knights early this season, has signed a permanent deal with Championship grand finalists Featherstone for 2013.