GARY THORNTON perhaps faces a balancing act this weekend of using tomorrow’s Tetley's Challenge Cup tie to get a few players up to speed – while not threatening an embarrassing slip on the Blackbrook banana skin.

All coaches, when asked how they are treating ties against amateur teams, will say they are taking it “just as seriously as any other game”, that their side must earn the right to show their ability by first matching their opponents’ enthusiasm. They will warn against any complacency.

However, it’s no great surprise when a couple of fringe players get call-ups to bolster first-team match practice and, in some cases, experience – as is the case for York tomorrow, with Ben Dent, Tyler Craig, Harry Carter and Greg Minikin all in boss Thornton’s thinking.

In that sense, this tie could be particularly well-timed for Nathan Freer on his return to the 13-a-side code.

The 23-year-old former The Press Player of the Year made his third debut for the club at Barrow last Monday but looked in need of a few rugby league run-outs to blow off the cobwebs formed after a winter season in rugby union with Bishop Burton College, where he is on a scholarship.

“He probably needs to spend time re-familiarising himself with rugby league and the intensity and physicality in the Championship,” conceded head coach Gary Thornton.

“He looked a bit off the pace at times, but we expected that. Some of the stuff he did looked like stuff you can do on a rugby union field but you don’t expect on a rugby league field.

“It was maybe unfair of me to throw him straight in at Barrow. I’m hoping he can adjust and get up to speed quickly.”

Regardless of the team he puts out, Thornton added of the tie: “There can be absolutely no mistakes. We have to go well.”

Too true. The old York Wasps were one semi-pro club who in the past have fallen to a humbling defeat, and — with no offence to amateur clubs, many of whom really do know their stuff – such a loss is hard to live down.

ON the subject of cup ties between professional and amateur teams, there are a couple this weekend where the pro outfit might actually be the underdogs.

Rugby league expansion is all well and good, and praise and encouragement really do need to go to those people striving to grow the game outside of the heartlands, but there remains a danger some of the fledgling clubs who have joined Championship One this season aren’t really ready for professional action yet.

This may be underlined when Hemel Stags, Gloucestershire All Golds and North Wales Crusaders go to stalwart National Conference League clubs Ince Rose Bridge, Skirlaugh and West Hull respectively.

Hemel kicked off their league campaign last week with a surprise victory at London Skolars but, while they have been in the game for a few decades, will they really be better grounded in rugby league than Ince Rose Bridge, given the respective levels they have played at?

North Wales are the one expansion club with a geographical advantage, in that they can call on North West players, and must be among the favourites for the Championship One title, but, even so, it wouldn’t be wise to bet heavily on a Crusaders victory this weekend.

 

FORMER Knights half-back Anthony Thackeray needs one try to reach a career century of touchdowns.

Thackeray’s total of 99 includes ten for York (in 2007 and 2011), eight for Castleford (2007-08), seven for Featherstone (2008), 48 for Widnes (2009-11) and 26 for Halifax (2012-13).

Halifax host Oxford, another of the expansion Championship One clubs, in the cup this weekend, and again it will be interesting to note how well the Cavaliers compete – and if they can stop Thackeray reaching double figures.


It’s the hard Duracell for Knights

THE plaudits just keep on coming for York City Knights’ Mr Duracell, otherwise known as Jack Aldous.

The pocket rocket prop has again been voted the Knights’ Player of the Month by readers of The Press, meaning he has now swiped this newspaper’s last three awards – the 2012 The Press Player of the Year gong being followed by the first two monthly accolades of this campaign.

The March award – which comes three days after he turned 22 – was a much closer-run affair, though, with fellow prop Matty Nicholson and full-back Tom Carr coming close.

“He’s a great lad to coach,” said Thornton of Aldous – before coming up with a paradoxical reproach.

“I sometimes criticise him for taking too many carries,” explained the coach.

“He will argue it’s because no-one else is there to take it, but I would rather him do ten (carries) that make ten metres each rather than 20 that make two metres.

“He is ‘Mr Duracell’ though. How many 80-minute props do you see?

“His energy, his engine, is something else. To do 60 or 70 minutes every week, sometimes more, is a tough ask for a front-rower, but he’s given some terrific performances. He’s not the biggest prop but he’s one of the most effective.”

Will he need a break at some point? Said Thornton: “If I told him I was resting him he’d probably go beserk.”

This Player of the Month award duly sees Aldous go back to the top of The Press Player of the Year standings thanks to the three bonus points it garners.

Tom Carr jumps up to third place after his man-of-the-match award against Barrow (3 points), while Ed Smith gets onto the leaderboard – not before time – after he was deemed our second best player (2pts) in the cruel last-second defeat. Captain James Ford (1pt) was deemed our third best player, so also gets on the ladder.

If anyone would like to sponsor the Player of the Year or Player of the Month awards, email peter.martini@thepress.co.uk or phone 01904 567137.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Aldous 10 points, Nicholson 8, Carr 6, Scott 5, Brown 4, Presley 4, Briscoe 4, Lee 3, Hadley 3, Lineham 3, Smith 2, Sullivan 2, Golden 2, Bowden 2, Elliott 1, Ford 1.