Knights sign Jordan Thompson and John Davies from (From York Press)

Knights sign Jordan Thompson and John Davies from

10:20am Wednesday 3rd March 2010 in

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YORK City Knights reckon the two new recruits from Castleford Tigers can play a big part in their Championship One promotion push.

As revealed yesterday, threequarter Jordan Thompson and utility forward John Davies, both members of the Tigers’ first-team squad, have joined the Knights on dual registration forms.

England Academy starlet Thompson, 18, has already played in Super League, making his debut against St Helens last year and scoring a try against Bradford from the wing. He was also on the bench for Cas’ narrow defeat to Hull KR on Saturday.

Davies, 19, is yet to play in the top tier but was named Castleford Under-20s’ most improved player last year and the U18s’ player of the year.

Knights general manager Ian Wilson reckons they can continue their development at York.

“It’s a win-win situation,” said Wilson. “Castleford think it will be the right environment for them here. We can help to develop them as future Super League regulars and in the short term, they will also be of benefit to the Knights.

“Terry Matterson (Cas head coach) has been speaking to Chris Thorman (Knights player/caretaker-coach) about it and we’ve decided to go for it. We think these two players will be excellent for us.”

Neither Thompson nor Davies played for the young Cas team that came to York in pre-season as they were away with the first team for a friendly against Catalans in Perpignan.

Wilson said: “They’re both full-time members of Castleford’s first-team squad and held in high regard.”

He added: “We’ve built a good relationship with Cas. We got (prop) Nathan Massey on loan from them towards the end of 2008 and they are the closest Super League club to us geographically. It’s ideal to build a partnership like this.”

The dual registration system is an extension of the loan system. Players can be registered to a Super League club and a club in the Championships and play for either team on any given weekend. The parent club gets first pick.

Thompson and Davies will continue to train full-time with Cas during the week, but will join in with York’s part-timers on Thursday and Fridays should they be in the reckoning for Knights appearances at the weekend.

They are not being considered for Sunday’s Challenge Cup third round tie at Gateshead as Cas do not want either to be cup-tied. However, they might make their debuts next Wednesday, which has been provisionally pencilled in as the new date for the Knights’ rearranged Northern Rail Cup group match at home to London Skolars, with a 7pm kick off. York’s following match is the Championship One trip to Workington on Sunday, March 14.

Wilson stressed neither player would walk into the Knights’ side, however.

“Our team is picked on merit. If they’re on form they will play, if they’re not they won’t,” he said.

“Just because they’re on dual registrations doesn’t mean they will come in and take a place. That said, we would not bring them in if we didn’t think they were capable of playing well at this level and doing us a good job.”