MEANINGLESS competition or a bona fide chance of glory? It’s fair to say the Northern Rail Cup has divided opinion in the past but York City Knights boss Gary Thornton is firmly in the latter camp when it comes to assessing the merits of rugby league’s main second tier competition.

The Knights will host Doncaster in the first knockout stage at Huntington Stadium on May 19 and, as well as providing a chance to win their way through to a showpiece final, Thornton also thinks the tournament will provide some welcome respite from the weekly challenges of Kingstone Press Championship action.

“It’s a good competition, particularly if you have been one of those teams that have won it,” he explained. “It is a bit of a distraction away from the league and I have said all along that my focus is on our league position.

“But sometimes it can be a good thing to take the pressure off from the rigours of the league week in and week out.

“We will approach it as a tie, and a competition, we are hoping to win. That’s the deal. We could get home advantage with the draw right through to the semi-finals if a bit of luck favours us. We will look to go as far as we can.”

The change in format this year has certainly helped lift enthusiasm for the event. Championship teams, such as the Knights, now come in at the last 16 while the Championship One sides go through a group stage to provide qualifiers.

Previously, a convoluted group format dominated the early part of the rugby league campaign – held as it was before the season proper got under way.

“It would have been unmanageable with the league the size it is,” Thornton added of the old ways. “For us to come in at this stage, I am quite happy with that. Sometimes a lot of teams didn’t take that first stage seriously.

“A lot of teams also used it as a warm-up. Now we know it is a one-off game.

“We go into every game to win. We will go as far as we can. Winning breeds consistency. If you can win every game you go into you can get some momentum going.

“It is a bit of a break away from the league and we can get some momentum going into the Featherstone game.”


Ring-lord Phil full up at early fulfilment of knockout dream

FORMER York City Knights stadium announcer Phil Seymour is about to display his vocal skills on a much larger stage.

Seymour, 37, will see a five-year quest come to an end far earlier than he anticipated when he introduces the fighters in the International Boxing Federation bantamweight championship of the world duel between Doncaster’s Jamie McDonnell and Mexico’s Julio Ceja next Saturday at the Keepmoat Stadium.

For Seymour, it’s the culmination of a declaration he made on his 35th birthday – that he wanted to ring announce a boxing world title fight before he turned 40.

“My friends and family said I was being ridiculous, and some called it a pipe dream.

“It’s easy to see why seeing as I had never ring-announced in my life, but I was determined,” he said.

Set on to boxing glory after a Sky Sports producer told him at a Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Super League clash that his voice would be suited to being a boxing master of ceremonies, Seymour has had a steady rise to international recognition.

Announcing the York Cage Confrontation matches led to further MMA and Thai-boxing shows before, after getting his licence from the British Boxing Board of Control, Seymour came to the attention of legendary promoter Frank Maloney.

“The fourth show I worked at for Frank was at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, with a full house of 8,000 seated spectators, and a worldwide television audience,” Seymour added.

“I was still only announcing the undercard though, but it was great experience, and I learned a lot about how to handle the big arena, which is totally different to a rugby stadium or small hall fight show.”

The call to world title announcing came after Seymour worked a youth IBF title show in Sheffield.

He said: “Obviously I had no hesitation in saying yes.

“Not only will Jamie McDonnell be the first man from Doncaster to contest a boxing world title on May 11, but I will be the first man from North Yorkshire to ring announce at one.

“This will be fulfilling a dream that I have chased for two and a half years, and it has taken some work and effort to get there, but now I couldn’t be more excited.”


Under-20s on line

A SOLID team performance underpinned York City Knights under-20s’ 32-24 victory over Leigh.

Ash Haynes, Harry Carter, Josh Poulter and Ryan Mallinder were the standout performers for the Knights who had to withstand ample pressure from the strong Leigh ranks.

But the Knights were always in front and held out throughout.

Try-scorers were Adam Dent (2), Carter (2), Jack Iley and Haynes, supplemented by four conversions kicked by the impressive Lennox Green.