THIS time last year, York City Knights fans were bemoaning the Rugby Football League’s disciplinary beaks for killing the Knights’ play-off chances.

It might not be quite so bad this year, but there will be a distinct case of déjà vu – or rather Dave-ja vu – should the Knights not reach the grand final this year.

York’s former Super League trio, David March, Paul March and Andy Bailey, were all slapped with suspensions – the March twins for three matches – all arising from controversial instances in the last game of the regular season, that ruled them out of the play-offs, and the Knights were duly knocked out.

This time, a foul tackle in the last game of the regular season has seen the inspirational Dave March banned again, this time for two games, in another bout of controversy.

It’s a story that has hit the headlines in The Press all week, and rightly so, even if we – like March himself – firmly believe the Knights can go on and win promotion without him.

But there is a side issue that has got fans fuming – the apparent inconsistency in it all.

Knights general manager Ian Wilson has slated the variations in the RFL disciplinary committee’s reasoning, and it’s easy to see why.

“There is a real lack of consistency in the decision they make,” he said. “In the Leeds v St Helens Super League game, Leeds’ Keith Senior and Jamie Jones Buchanan only got one-match bans for incidents which were worse than Dave’s – a one-match ban for a meaningless end-of-season game against Salford, meaning they were okay for the play-offs.”

Senior’s was for punching Jon Wilkin, and Buchanan’s for using a tackling technique that placed undue pressure on James Graham’s shoulder (though the disciplinary panel stressed it was not one of the outlawed ‘chicken-wing’ tackles).

Wilson – who would probably have reluctantly accepted a one-match ban for March – argued: “There’s no doubt, in my opinion, that if it had been a Super League player (rather than March), they would not have given a two-match ban for, potentially, a semi-final and grand final. If we win on Sunday, we’re in the grand final – and David’s season will be over. I don’t think the incident in question is worthy of ending anyone’s season.”

The Knights’ defence team were also not allowed to show evidence of a similar incident in the same York v Swinton match when John Oakes was upended.

This highlights another big inconsistency in the RFL’s disciplinary thinking. How and why can one player get away with a misdemeanour as caught on video, when another one can’t?

This is a problem prevalent in Championships rugby. In Super League, the video review panel check all 80 minutes of a match. In the Championships, only incidents put on report by refs are checked.

It appears to be one rule for the elite, and another rule for the rest.

And, for those that remember, Andy Bailey’s ban 12 months ago was also for a dangerous tackle not unlike March’s – and he was given only a one-match ban. Was that tackle not as bad, or is this just another example of inconsistency?

Fans last year were claiming the RFL had something against the Knights and in particular the March brothers. What happened this week will only strengthen that belief.

Wilson was also losing faith in the aftermath of March’s failed appeal hearing, when the Knights argued doubly that it was an accident, not a dangerous lift and throw.

“I’ve sat in disciplinary hearings five times and fives times we’ve come out with at least two-match bans” he said. “Right now I’m of the opinion there’s little point going to these hearings.”

Players’ accolade keeps Mark in spotlight

THIS column has become the Mark Applegarth Appreciation Page in recent weeks… and so it continues.

The 24-year-old prop has been bestowed with accolades aplenty of late being the only ever-present in the Knights line-up this season, signing a deal for next year, being named in the Rugby League World’s Championship One team of the month for August, and then being named in the official Championship One ‘All Stars’ team of the year.

And, if that isn’t enough, last night he was named the Players’ Player of the Year at the Knights’ end-of-season presentation ceremony.

The Players’ Player is always considered the main award at the annual five-star event at York Racecourse, as players say being recognised by your peers and your team-mates is as big an honour as it gets.

It was a proud moment for the former Wakefield youngster, who has already shared his personal accolades this season with his team-mates, saying they work as a unit.

Well, this award shows they in turn put much of their achievements this season – and here’s hoping they achieve grand final glory – down to him.

There were five other awards presented.

The Most Improved Player gong went to jet-heeled teenager Tom Lineham, who is on the fringes of the first team having only taken up rugby league a year ago, while the awards for Most Points and Most Tries in the Season went to Adam Mitchell and Danny Ratcliffe respectively.

The Try of the Season award went to Dave Clayton for his effort in the home win over Oldham. It was a brilliant team affair, finished superbly down the right by Clayton.

The Clubperson of the Year, meanwhile, was kitman, water-carrier, volunteer helper-outer and general all-round good guy Rich Kirby.

Press gong still up for grabs

MAN of the moment Mark Applegarth has just edged ahead in The Press/K Walker & Co Player of the Year standings – although it’s still all to play for.

The award is normally presented at the end-of-season ceremony but, because they are still in the play-offs and because a number of players are in the reckoning, we will have to wait.

Thanks to K Walker & Co Accountants, the top three will receive cheques for £400, £150 and £50 respectively. The winner will also receive a trophy sponsored by The Press.

Scrum-half Gareth Moore (3pts) picked up the top points for being man of the match in the last game, against Swinton, while recent recruit Richard Blakeway, who could be a key player in the back row tomorrow in the absence of David March, has hit form at a good time, as reflected in his being deemed the second-best player that day (2pts).

Applegarth (1pt) pipped equally impressive front-rower Sean Hesketh to the remaining point, to edge ahead of fellow prop Adam Sullivan on the leaderboard.

The Press/K Walker & Co Player of the Year standings: Applegarth 18, Sullivan 17pts, D March 16, P March 16, Oakes 14, Hesketh 12, Ratcliffe 11, Hughes 10, Clough 9, Haberecht 8, Moore 6, A Mitchell 5, Grimshaw 4, Kelly 4, Ekis 3, Knight 3, Ross 3, Wildbore 3, Blakeway 2, Lewis 2, Woodcock 1, M Mitchell 1, Clayton 1, Barrow 1, Schofield 1, Ambler 1.