Danny Grimshaw back on the radar for Knights (From York Press)

Danny Grimshaw back on the radar for Knights

12:00pm Saturday 28th January 2012 in Knights RL By Peter Martini, peter.martini@thepress.co.uk

YORK City Knights have not ruled out making a move to bring Danny Grimshaw back to Huntington Stadium – should he be available.

Rumours began emerging yesterday that the scrum-half, who joined Co-operative Championship champions Featherstone this winter, might be on his way out of Post Office Road before the season starts.

Rovers coach Daryl Powell told The Press “there was nothing in it at the moment”, but the 25-year-old did not feature in their 26-26 draw with Hull on Thursday night having been expected to play.

Ahead of tomorrow’s final friendly of pre-season against a Castleford XIII, Knights general manager Ian Wilson, said the Knights had a good relationship with Featherstone and would “monitor the situation closely”.

Grimshaw, a former Sharlston amateur and Castleford Under-20s player, first hit the spotlight in the professional arena when playing twice for the Knights, aged 20, at the end of the 2006 National League One (Championship).

He stayed with York for the next three seasons but a raft of injury problems limited his first-team outings to just 27, scoring five tries and 14 goals. However, with those injuries behind him, he starred at Hunslet as the Hawks won the 2010 Championship One title and was players’ player of the year and supporters’ player of the year at the John Charles Stadium last year.

Those performances prompted the move to his boyhood heroes, but it is thought work commitments might be hampering his ability to meet Powell’s strict training regime. Hunslet are also likely to keep a close eye on developments.

Wilson added: “We don’t even know if he’s available, but we’ll see what the situation is.”

A move for Grimshaw would have been a certainty a few weeks ago but since then the Knights have pulled off a sizeable coup in bringing Jordan Tansey to Huntington Stadium. He is almost certain to start the season at scrum-half alongside player-boss Chris Thorman.

Rookie half-backs Lee Williams and Brett Turner have also showed up well in the friendlies, so there is cover in that position, but adding Grimshaw to the mix – especially with the fear Tansey could return to Super League at any time as part of a clause in his contract – would be a popular move among fans.

Tansey is set to continue building his half-back partnership with Thorman in tomorrow’s encounter – the Paul Higgins Memorial Match – which is the Knights’ final pre-season run-out before competitive action begins with the opening Northern Rail Cup group game at home to Swinton on February 12.

It completes a mixed bag of friendly outings – defeat to Keighley and victory over Leeds Under-20s were full of positives but last week’s loss to Hull U20s was disappointing.

Thorman said: “I’ll be looking for the same as what I’ve looked for in the last three friendlies – consistency and improvement.

“We probably had a bit of a blip last week and didn’t play how I wanted us to play. But these things happen. I’m looking for our combinations to work a bit better and for us to have a bit more patience with the ball and build more pressure.

“Defensively I want a better attitude and a bit more aggression. People were maybe a bit lethargic last week. You can practise and practise your systems and techniques but what it boils down to is attitude and wanting to make the tackle.”

Thorman will name his 20-man squad at training today, though prop Paul King and second-row Tommy Haughey, as reported by The Press, are ruled out.

Prop Jack Stearman makes his comeback from injury, while injury doubts Matt Garside, Joe Hemmings, Tom Bush and Rhys Clarke are all available.

Castleford have named a 20-man party, with new Aussie signing James Grehan and trialist Aston Wilson in the centres.

York youngster Sam Orange, as well as John Davies, Nathan Massey and Jordan Thompson, who all had spells at Huntington Stadium, are also included.

Tigers head of youth development Steve Gill said of the memorial match: “Paul Higgins was a fantastic servant to both clubs and it is only fitting both clubs pay tribute to the Paul Higgins 13-a-side Foundation, which was put into place to help develop young rugby league players around the York area.”

Castleford: Clare, Lipori, Wilson, Grehan, Atkinson, Carroll, Johnston, Massey, Canterbury, Flemming, J Thompson, Siddons, Davies. Subs: Reynolds, C Thompson, Lloyd, Orange, Richards, J Smith, Holmes.

Referee: Greg Dolan (Dewsbury).