IT’S just typical isn’t it. The Press sports desk does an interview with player/assistant-coach Chris Thorman concerning York City Knights’ wildly contradictory form home and away… only for that formbook to be thrown out of the window.

To explain, we initially spoke to Thorman ahead of the Huntington Stadium match with Swinton a fortnight ago, asking how the Knights could have a 100 per cent winning record at home (barring the Challenge Cup loss to Super League side Crusaders) yet at the same time have a 100 per cent losing record in Championship One away from home.

However, due to other stories taking precedence at the time, we had to ‘hold’ this article for the following week.

And, would you credit it, some of the quotes then became superseded as the Knights’ 100 per cent home record ended in surprising fashion against the Lions, as a 14-point lead was thrown away in the last quarter.

Therefore, to bring the comments up to date, we spoke again to Thorman ahead of last Sunday’s trip to leaders Oldham, focusing a little bit more on the team’s away record.

But once again we had to delay publishing the interview until some time after the match – and the Knights went and made some of those observations obsolete too by upsetting the Roughyeds on the day they moved into their new ground and turning the formbook on its head once more.

This week, we decided not to bother speaking again about it to Thorman – and certainly not about the team’s new-found winning form against title contenders – simply for fear of tempting fate ahead of tomorrow’s massive clash with arch-foes Hunslet Hawks.

Instead, we’ve focused on the opinions he expressed that still stand and still have significance.

Prior to the last two matches, the Knights had won all five home games this season – not including the expected Challenge Cup defeat to Super League side Crusaders – to follow on from ten wins in 13 games at Huntington Stadium last year. However, away from home they had lost four of their six games this term, and three out of three in Championship One.

Thorman admitted to being baffled by that stuttering form on the road, but he stressed they must not let away-day blues become a psychological barrier – which, of course, they didn’t as they won last week’s match in thrilling fashion at the death.

He also reiterated his belief – the one he made at the start of the year and published in the Press’s pre-season pull-out, Knights Life – that it was important to win home games to build a promotion challenge and turn Huntington Stadium into a fortress.

“That still stands,” he said of his call for home fires to burn, believing there are psychological advantages of having a strong home record.

“Winning your homes game and making your place a fortress will affect the opposition more than anything.

“If they look they will see we’re unbeaten at home, we’ve played Leigh Centurions and beaten them, and we’ve scored a fair few points at home. It will put a bit of doubt in their mind.

“It’s important we continue to do that but we’ve got to be able to travel away and put performances together there.

“I did expect our away form to be better than it is though. We should not have lost three games already away from home – no way.”

He added: “Consistency is so important. It’s what separates good teams from not-so-good teams.

“I’ve said from the minute I walked through the door here if our squad had 50 per cent of the ball and the opposition had 50 per cent of the ball, we would win the game. But, if we turn ball over and make unforced errors, we’re going to lose.”

By the way, just to sum up how much things can change within a fortnight in rugby league, here’s one of Thorman’s quotes that became obsolete – not just by the Swinton defeat but more so by the remarkable win at Oldham.

“We know we can play better and win away,” he said. “We’ve got to believe we’re just as good when we go away as we are at home.”

Maybe the Knights should now believe they can be as good at home as they can be away – starting tomorrow byy following victory over unbeaten Oldham with another over a certain side from south Leeds who also happen to be near the top.

Consistency puts Ross in running for award

HE’S crept up quietly but the man-of-the-match award in York’s win at Oldham last week has seen Jordan Ross become one of the clear contenders for the Northern/Press Player of the Year gong.

The three points awarded as star man has taken workaholic Ross up to 13, three behind long-time leader Lee Waterman.

There were several in the running for player-of-the-year points this week, and the duo to take the others, as our second and third-best players on the day, respectively, were Jon Fallon (2pts) and Steve Lewis (1pt).

Danny Ratcliffe was probably the most unfortunate to miss out. Hopefully the 2009 Co-operative Championship One Young Player of the Year runner-up can get on the leaderboard soon.

Northern/Press Player of the Year standings: Waterman 16pts, Ross 13, McLocklan 10, Waller 8, Thorman 7, Tuffour 7, Freer 5, Blake-way 5, Applegarth 4, Stamp 3, Lee 3, Fallon 3, Stearman 2, Bromilow 2, Wilson 2, Benson 2, Reittie 2, Hill 2, Hardbottle 1, Lineham 1, Lewis 1.

Rammo on his bike for charity ride

THERE will be special guest riders at the long-awaited Martyn Miller Charity Bike Ride tomorrow – former York RL aces Craig Forsyth, Chris Judge and now Mick Ramdsen.

Readers of The Press will know the event is in memory of Miller, a big Knights follower and keen cyclist who died of cancer last year, aged 42. It is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and the Higgo’s 13-a-side Foundation, formed in memory of former Knights academy and scholarship chief Paul Higgins, and will see riders pedal the 30 miles or so from Hunting-ton Stadium to Riccall and back.

The original plan was to pedal from Hunslet’s ground to York’s as part of the build-up to tomorrow’s long-awaited showdown between the arch-rivals, but this was not feasible, so they instead organised a round trip of similar distance.

And among the 80 or so taking part are former York Wasps player Judge, and ex-Knights legends Forsyth and Ramsden, the latter being the current assistant-coach who will complete the ride before joining in the team’s pre-match preparations.

They are due to set off from Huntington Stadium at 10.30am.

Good luck to everyone.

TICKETS for the 2010 Northern Rail 9s in Blackpool are on sale from the Knights’ office (phone 01904 641724) – with all proceeds from tickets sold by the Knights retained by the club.

Pre-purchased tickets are discounted, priced at £9 for adults and £5 for concessions.

This year, the event is taking place on one day only, Saturday, July 17, at Fylde RUFC, home of Blackpool Panthers.

The Knights may well send a strong team and, should they reach the Northern Rail Cup final – they are in the quarter-finals – any 9s tickets sold prior to the semi-finals can be exchanged for a Northern Rail Cup final ticket in the £12 category.

Supporters who wish to stay for the weekend and attend the Northern Rail Cup final the following day can receive discounts on tickets by calling the RFL ticket hotline. Adults will receive a £5 discount and concessions a £2 discount.