RIGHT, time to get your thinking caps on again.

As Knights fans will know, this 2014 season marks the end of an era for York RL as it's the last year at Huntington Stadium in its current guise.

As such, the club are wanting supporters to vote for their York RLFC 'Dream Team' of the last 25 years, since Huntington Stadium opened.

There was, of course, a York City Knights Dream Team not too long ago to make the first decade of the re-formed Knights, and it was tough enough deciding a line-up then.

But this greatest 13 can include any player who has ever set foot on the Huntington Stadium turf since it opened in 1989, from the days as Ryedale-York, through the up-and-down years as York Wasps and up to the current Knights Squad.

"We want to find out which players can be immortalised in this great team," says a press release on the club's website.

The famous 13 will be announced in the 'End of an Era' programme that will be sold at the final league game at Huntington Stadium, against London Skolars on September 7.

Anyone who sends in their vote will also get the opportunity to win a 2014 Knights shirt signed by all this season's squad and management team. All names will be entered into the draw which will take place later in the year.

To get involved, email your favourite Huntington Stadium Dream Team 13 to jack@ycknights.co.uk by June 15. That's not too long from now, so get thinking.


THE race to be the player of 2014, meanwhile, is seemingly hotting up – with Pat Smith the latest player to jump into the reckoning.

The speedy little half-back-cum-hooker has been voted by readers of The Press as the Knights’ Player of the Month for May, to collect three bonus points for his The Press Player of the Year tally.

Having turned the game against Hemel in York’s favour earlier in the month, he played a starring role in the last game against arch-rivals Hunslet, the memorable 40-0 triumph.

Knights boss Gary Thornton said: “For Pat, he deserves it because of his consistent performances at half-back or hooker. He also turned us around against Hemel and he was magnificent against Hunslet, as recognised by his other awards.”

Smith took the sponsors’ man of the match accolade against the Hawks, and was also named the Player of the Week in Championship One, yet he was pipped to our man of the match award that day by Ben Reynolds – as we thought it only fair other players got individual recognition for a great team show.

Nevertheless, Smith was deemed our second-best player on the day and so gets another two player of the year points to add to his bonus three.

His total of five lifts his season’s tally to ten, and into second place on the Player of the Year leaderboard behind Jack Lee.

Captain Lee had also been high up in the poll for the Player of the Month gong, as were Pat’s younger brother Ed, and Mr Duracell prop Jack Aldous.

Thornton added: “It’s great that the monthly award could have gone to four or five players. That shows there’s confidence and form throughout the team, that the majority of the team are playing well.”

Brad Brennan has also made a big impact since his arrival on loan and that was further recognised as he was deemed our third best player against Hunslet so picks up another player of the year point.

The Press Player of the Year leaderboard: Lee 13pts, P Smith 10, Haynes 9, Aldous 8, Saltonstall 7, Paterson 5, Reynolds 5, Presley 4, Bell 3, Brennan 3, B Hardcastle 2, E Smith 2, Minikin 1, Morrison 1, Mallinder 1, B Dent 1.


HEAD coach Gary Thornton, meanwhile, is in little doubt that the Knights players appreciate accolades from onlookers - not least the supporters.

Asked if his squad took notice of The Press Player of the Month awards, as voted for by readers, or the Player of the Year leaderboard, he said: “It’s a prestigious award, so yes.

“They all want to play well and want to get recognised. It’s always a big honour. It shows other people recognise what you’re doing, not just your team-mates and coaches.

“The lads have personal pride about what they do and it’s a boost to be rewarded for doing it well.”


VIP seat for March - in the pub

FORMER Knights player-boss Paul March had an excellent vantage point, apparently, to watch his Keighley side take on Widnes in the Challenge Cup quarter-final on Thursday.

March is in the middle of a two-month stadium ban - a punishment handed down for improper conduct and breaching the game's respect policy following comments he made to the referee after defeat by Leigh in March while he was serving a four-match playing ban.

He still travelled to Halton Stadium and watched the game on TV in the nearby Cricketers Arms.

"I've just watched the match in the pub. The locals made me welcome and I had a front-row seat," he quipped.

March's side were massive underdogs against the Super League outfit, even more so after he opted to field an understrength side to save players for the Cougars' battle to stay in the Championship.

"I thought we performed excellently. They had us on the handicap at +58 so I say that's a moral victory for us, especially with the team selection," he said, adding of his team selection: "I've no regrets. If you start regretting it, you question your own judgement."


IT may or may not have been a surprising call-up but Bobbie Goulding's decision to name himself in Barrow's line-up last week meant he joined a small band of players to have played pro rugby league in four different decades.

The 42-year-old former Great Britain half-back Goulding, appointed boss at the Raiders in March, two years after his spell as France coach, hadn't donned the boots for nine years. But by all accounts his decision paid off as he enjoyed himself and his side gained three valuable Championship points with victory over Rochdale.

He has now played in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and now 2010s. Others to have played in four decades include Jeff Grayshon (1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s) and Brad Hepi (1980s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s). Anyone else?

(Hepi had hung up his boots in the Noughties but came out of retirement to play a few cameo roles for Gloucestershire All Golds last year while head coach. He left the All Golds earlier this season, being replaced as boss by Steve McCormack.)


AS an aside, seeing the likes of Keighley, Barrow, Rochdale et al desperately scramble around for points to stay in the Championship makes you think York's relegation last season could not have been better timed.

In fact, you could call it a tactical relegation.

Remember, five teams will be relegated from the Championship this year ahead of the new league structure. Only one team goes up from Championship One of course - but the odds of the Knights avoiding that bottom five will almost certainly have been greater than the odds of them winning the Championship One play-offs.

Thus they get a better chance of being involved in the new 12x2=8x3 Super League and Super League 2 structure when it begins next term.