JAMES FORD has demanded a quick resolution to York City Knights’ off-field crisis after their season ended in “embarrassing” circumstances.

The Knights could field only 12 players for their Kingstone Press League One semi-final in Toulouse, a predicament head coach Ford believes is a knock-on effect of the uncertainty surrounding the club as well as a play-off system which sees part-time players struggle to get time off work at short notice to travel for such a tie.

They lost 62-10, Ed Smith and Kriss Brining getting the tries as Ford’s threadbare troops battled to the end to make a game of it.

Toulouse coach Sylvain Houles had high praise for Ford and his doughty dozen but described the situation as embarrassing, even if it afforded his team relatively straightforward passage to the final.

And Ford said: “I think this game has got to signal some kind of intervention and a solution somewhere for York.

“Half-way through the season we’d won ten out of 11.

“Some things have happened at the club that have put us in turmoil. I don’t know which party is at fault.

“There are quality people here and quality supporters. The potential here is fantastic.

“The sponsors of League One deserve us to be a good team. We should be a big name in this competition.

“I don’t know who holds the cards. I’m not a politician. Whoever it is needs to address the situation and let us have a team to be proud of.

“Whether it’s conscious or subconscious, the uncertainty around you can demotivate you.

“For a team to start the season as we did, to get to a final and get into the play-offs, and then to finish in the manner we have – there needs to be a resolution quickly.

“The longer this goes on the more harm there is to the name of York and to rugby league itself.

“I’m not blaming anyone in particular. I don’t know the ins and outs and I don’t want to know. I just want a resolution.”

Before hitting out, Ford had lauded the dozen who took to the field. They trailed only 24-6 at half-time before Toulouse found more gaps in the second period, with Mark Applegarth and Brandon Westerman limping due to injury.

“The first thing I want to speak about is the 12 who came here,” he said. “That’s what I should focus on.

“Their effort was unbelievable. To play a team as good as Toulouse with 12 players, no interchanges, and have only three scores between the sides at half-time is outstanding.

“We could have been a bit smarter at times and we gifted a couple of sloppy tries, but there’ll be no negativity from me towards these blokes.

“In the second half we picked up two injuries as well. We were down to ten fit players against players like Johnathon Ford. You’re going to get tested but these blokes kept finding energy from somewhere.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Toulouse. The people of Toulouse are lucky to have a team like that – they play a great brand and are great to watch. I hope they’re successful – they’re the best team in the competition.

“But I’m very proud of my boys.

“My teams never give up, they keep fighting to the end and they play.

“For the rest of my career that will be rubberstamped on my teams.

“The 12 out there were the epitome of that and they deserve all the respect they received from the French public.”

He added: “I would have loved to play Toulouse with our best 17. I believe we are one of the best teams in the league. I think it would be a great game between us if there were two full-strength teams.”

Houles said of the circumstances: “I think it’s embarrassing. It’s a big game, a semi-final and there are only 12 players.

“It would be better to play 17 v 17. It’s not good for us. It was important to play 17 to test ourselves.

“Against 12, there are spaces, holes everywhere, and that made us push a few passes, to force it.

“The system is such they could not get 17 men. It’s a shame for the game. You should not play 17 v 12, for the game, for the crowd.

“But they’re part-time and it’s hard to get players off their jobs. We were happy to be in League One but it’s a tough system. York have come here three times now. They’re not in the best shape in their club.

“To play a knock-out game 17 v 12 is not fair.”

Houles, whose team now play Barrow, conquerors of Doncaster, in next week’s final, referred to his side's shock defeat to Rochdale in their first promotion showdown last week when saying: “Credit to those 12, to play the way the game is supposed to be played. They never laid down on the field for 30 seconds. Last week it was embarrassing, so credit to them.

“We had a tough week after that disappointment. It was more the way we lost – the game of rugby lost. We lost because people played outside of the game. You could call it cheating. But York played how it is supposed to be played.”