Knights taking a break from league worries (From York Press)

Knights taking a break from league worries

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

MICK RAMSDEN is hoping a weekend off to recharge batteries will prove to be a blessing in disguise for luckless York City Knights.

The assistant-coach said in the aftermath of last Sunday’s defeat to Batley – the seventh on the trot against Championship opposition – that he wanted the players back out on the park as soon as possible, rather than wait a fortnight for the chance to put wrongs right.

That view has not changed but in the light of yet more bad fortune – Ramsden had his laptop stolen on Wednesday, with important coaching information swiped – the former back-row favourite is counting on a weekend away from things to restock energy and enthusiasm levels.

“We didn’t want it to be a case of stewing over the last game for two weeks,” he said of the enforced break. “We want to get them on the field again and having two weeks to stew over it is not the best.

“For me, we need that game where things come off for us, for things we do in training to come off, to build their confidence in what they’re doing. We’re so close to getting the performance and result we want and we’re eager to get it, so we wanted to get back out there as soon as possible.”

They have a free week, though, as it’s Challenge Cup fifth round time, the Knights having been knocked out in round four.

Player-boss Chris Thorman has used it as a chance to fly to the USA for a family holiday with his American wife.

Ramsden and fellow assistant-coach Mick Cook are holding the reins in the meantime.

Ramsden said: “Mick and I encouraged Chris to have a week away. He’s worked so hard for the club it’s good for him to get a break.

“We didn’t want to have no game, but we’ve got this free weekend so we’re using the opportunity to let the players be with their families or friends. We still expect them to do their own training, but they’ll just get a break away.

“Sometimes you need to get away from it to recharge batteries.”

The laptop, meanwhile, was taken from Ramsden’s car, and with it hundreds of hours of player video work and coaching history. The police are on the case, while Ramsden is re-collating the information.

“That’s not going to affect us going forward,” he said of the theft. “It’s not what we needed, though.”

As reported in The Press yesterday, the Knights reserves are away to their Sheffield counterparts, at Mount St Mary’s, today (2.30pm).

York’s under-18s beat Oldham 28-6 in their opening fixture of the season at Huntington Stadium.

Ash Winstanley and Greg Minikin scored two tries apiece, Adam Dent and Tom Fitzsimmons one each, while Matty Brewer and Lennox Green both kicked a goal.

• Former Knights player-boss Paul March has been in talks with Northampton about becoming their head coach when they join Championship One next year.