KNIGHTS general manager Ian Wilson has praised the first-team staff and players for the way they rallied round in head coach James Ratcliffe’s absence – and he believes the club can now push forward apace now he has returned.

As reported on today’s back page, Ratcliffe, now back from a two-month coaching ban imposed by the Rugby Football League, has himself lauded the work done by his assistants, Chris Thorman and Mick Ramsden – especially with the team top of Championship One and still in both cup competitions.

Wilson has echoed those sentiments and reckons Ratcliffe’s return should lift everyone and help improve performances which by Ramsden’s own reckoning have been patchy.

“I think we should pick up,” said Wilson. “We seem to have ground out results more than anything in these first few games. But the extra workload and preparation work was a lot for two people.

“Mick and Chris have done a great job but the two of them have been doing three people’s jobs. But now we can really kick on and move forward.”

Wilson added “I think the club has coped as well as can be expected. It’s been tough on Chris and Mick but from a results point of view it’s not gone too badly at all – other than the defeat to Workington, it’s been pretty much as we would’ve hoped.

“It will be good to have James back for stability. It’s been difficult for the players maybe in not knowing who to go to for certain things, so that will be addressed as will more of the day-to-day managerial issues.

“We’ve missed him on the training ground. We’ve got a big squad and a lot of players to service and work with. There’s his knowledge and experience as well, and he will give us extra leadership, cohesion and discipline. It also frees up Mick and Chris for their own specific roles.”

THE Knights Supporters’ Cub coach to tomorrow’s match at Doncaster will leave the Ainsty at noon, Clarence Street at 12.15pm and Huntington Stadium at 12.30pm.

The price is £6 for travel club members and under-16s, or £12 for other adults. To book, phone 07958 569266.

KNIGHTS fans can buy special family tickets for the upcoming Easter matches for £25 each.

The offer, which gives admission to two adults and two children, is open to supporters of all Co-operative Championships clubs and is valid at all 17 games between Thursday, April 1 and Monday, April 5. The Knights face Gateshead at home on Good Friday and Blackpool away on Bank Holiday Monday.

The offer is available for pre-purchased tickets only. Phone the Knights on 01906 641724 for details.

Chris Thair, the Rugby Football League’s community partnership manager, said: “The Bank Holiday Easter weekend has always been a time for families to enjoy a day out and in these economic times people are looking for value-for-money entertainment.

“I’d encourage fans from every club to take up this offer and help bring new people to the games”.

TALKING of tickets, the Knights are selling reserve grade season tickets for £25.

This includes all eight home league matches, though friendlies and play-off games are not included. The league starts on Thursday, away to Dewsbury, with matches thereafter predominantly on Thursday nights and Saturdays, finishing on August 12 at home to Hunslet.

Tickets can be bought from the Huntington Stadium office, on 01904 641724, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm.

Entry to reserve grade games will otherwise be £4 for adults and £1 for under-16s.

The club are also looking for reserve grade player sponsors, with deals priced at £150 plus VAT. For details, phone Simon Moat at the club, on the same number as above.

Jordan due his rise in the table

IT seems the two ex-Skirlaugh lads might not have it all their own way in the race to be Northern Rail/Press Player of the Year.

Points-machine Lee Waterman remains top of the leaderboard but big Brett Waller has been joined in second place by back-rower Jordan Ross after his man-of-the-match performance in the win over South Wales Scorpions last week, while Chris Thorman is also closing in.

Ross gets three player-of-the-year points for that effort, taking his total to eight, alongside Waller.

Thorman was deemed our third-best player on the day, as much for his defensive work as his play-making, so gets one point, to go onto six for the season.

Our second-best player on the day was Joe McLocklan (2pts), who would normally be rotated but had to play the full 80 minutes due to fellow hooker Paul Stamp’s injury and did not stop throughout.

Northern Rail/Press Player of the Year standings: Waterman 10pts, Waller 8, Ross 8, Thorman 6, McLocklan 5, Stamp 3, Blakeway 3, Freer 2, Reittie 2, Bromilow 2, Applegarth 1, Hardbottle 1.

March ban mars rivals’ fine week

HUNSLET Hawks’ wonderful week has been marred in seemingly time-honoured fashion. The Knights’ arch-rivals shocked Championship big-guns Halifax to reach the Northern Rail Cup quarter-finals – and mock of this column’s suggestion they didn’t mind too much losing in that competition to save up for their assault on Championship One. However, just days later, former Knights star David March, whose excellent spell at York was blighted by suspensions, fell foul of the Rugby Football League’s disciplinary committee once again. He was banned for two games and fined £50 for a dangerous throw in Hunslet’s defeat to Oldham this month. Team-mate Darren Robinson, one of the many other ex-Knights at the Hawks, was sent off late in the same game for using foul and abusive language towards – and questioning the integrity of – referee Chris Leatherbarrow, earning himself a three-match ban and £50 fine. Gareth Moore was among the happier ex-Knights after it was confirmed he had set two 130-year-old club records at Batley during the Bulldogs’ 100-4 club record win over Gateshead in the Northern Rail Cup. Moore scored 16 goals and two tries for a tally of 40 points, to go past Simon Wilson’s record of 13 goals against Leigh in 1995, as well as the 30 points record the two shared, Moore having achieved his a few days earlier in the Challenge Cup win over Leeds Met University.