BRAD NICHOLSON and Lee Waterman have been left out of York City Knights’ squad to face London Skolars in Kingstone Press League One tomorrow.

Head coach James Ford said the pair, who both starred as York defeated then league leaders Rochdale Hornets 34-20 at Featherstone last weekend, had been omitted because they had not hit the club’s stringent standards off the field.

Ford declined to go into the specifics of the duo’s transgressions but described them as “minor”. He said, however: “We have got strict discipline and players are aware of what is expected of them week to week.

“It is not just about what you do on a Sunday. There are a lot of other factors. There have been one or two cases where people have let themselves down. It was in only minor areas but it can grow and manifest itself in the squad. They have lost their place for not quite hitting the standards off the field.”

Ford said he was particularly disappointed not to be able to play Nicholson, who was The Press man-of-the-match against the Hornets, but, having laid down similar sanctions to other squad members throughout the season, he said he had to show “consistency”.

“I am really upset that I can’t select Brad this week,” he added.

“He has travelled some distance as a player and he was outstanding last week against a side top of the league. He carried the ball superbly and worked really hard and put himself about.

“I made a point of speaking to Brad after the game and told him how well he played and how happy I was with him but for him to succeed he needs to make sure he does the right things off the field. I am going to make sure he does.

“You have to have consistency. This has happened with a number of players through the season and if you don’t continue to be consistent you can lose the group as a manager and a leader. You have to be transparent and consistent with decisions.”

Consistency is what Ford is looking for on the field as the Knights look to build on their superb Rochdale display at Heworth’s Elmpark Way against a Skolars side that has won just once all season.

On returning to play in York, after their recent excursion in West Yorkshire, Ford added: “It is important for the supporters that we are playing in the city.

“It is a frustrating time to be a York City Knights supporter and we really appreciate how they have rallied round us and stuck with us through interesting times. The support of the fan base does really influence the performance of the players.

“It’s a fantastic surface (at Heworth) and they have put a lot into developing that. It will suit how we play. They (Skolars) have got a very big and strong middle of their own. We will need to be right on our game and show the same physicality we did against Rochdale. We will need to bring the same mentality or we will have our hands full.”

Ford will call again on Castleford dual-reg pair James Clare and Michael Channing and also has loanee Jack Blagborough, who has signed from Sheffield Eagles for a month, among the replacements to boost the middle.

“James and Michael are really good kids,” he explained. “That’s not just on game day. I really like what they do before the game.

They have a positive take and create that environment that we need. They have a very good influence on the group. I like how they conduct themselves in and around the club and they are great with other players and the supporters.

“Jack is a big, uncompromising, individual. He plays as a prop forward and carries the ball really well. He is someone that we can use to help us speed the game up when teams are trying to take the tempo out. We are at our best when we play quickly.

York City Knights: B Dent, Clare, Channing, Minikin, Morrison, Howden, Presley, Applegarth, P Smith, Aldous, E Smith, Tonks, Mallinder. Replacements: Carter, Blagborough, Cunningham, Pickles.