Knight's Danny Brough eyes milestone of 2,000 points (From York Press)

Knight's Danny Brough eyes milestone of 2,000 points

9:35am Saturday 23rd April 2011 in Diary By Peter Martini, peter.martini@thepress.co.uk

FORMER Knights hero Danny Brough is now only eight points away from reaching 2,000 career points after his try and goal in Huddersfield’s shock defeat at Crusaders yesterday.

The half-back with the ability to open cans of beans with his left foot started his professional career at Dewsbury in 2002, before rising to prominence with York.

He scored 204 points in 17 matches in 2003 after making his debut that May, before enjoying a prolific 2004 campaign – finishing as top goals and points scorer in National League Two and smashing the long-standing York RL records of goals and points in a season.

He played all 36 matches that year and ended with 15 tries, 37 penalties, 137 conversions and four drop-goals for a tally of 412 points.

He was duly given a Super League contract by Hull, coached by John Kear, for 2005, and went on to land the match-winning conversion, as well as a crucial drop-goal, in the 25-24 Challenge Cup final win over Leeds that year.

Brough moved to Castleford halfway through 2006, and, although the Tigers were relegated from Super League, they bounced straight back up, with Brough finishing as Cas’ leading points-scorer in NL1.

Brough was then signed again by Kear, this time for Wakefield, and spent two seasons at Belle Vue, before leaving for current club Huddersfield early in 2010.

The 28-year-old has played ten times for Scotland since 2004, captaining them in the 2008 World Cup. He has since switched allegiance to England after being named in Steve McNamara’s elite training squad.

Given York’s current problems at half-back, Knights fans might wish he was still at Huntington Stadium.

CAPTAIN Alex Benson rose up The Press Player of the Year standings after being deemed The Press’ man of the match against Hunslet yesterday.

He gained three player-of-the-year points for that, and the others to pick up points were Ryan Esders (2) and Jack Lee (1).

It will be Press Player of the Month time after Easter Monday’s match in Toulouse.

Send your nominations, with your full name and daytime phone number, to peter.martini@thepress.co.uk or via the online form.

The winning player gets three bonus points for his Player of the Year tally. All who vote might get the chance to present the award on the Huntington Stadium pitch-side.

Press Player of Year standings: Davies 15pts, Sutton 8, Lee 8, Massey 7, Thorman 5, Presley 5, Straugheir 4, Benson 4, Clarke 3, Jones 3, Waterman 2, Esders 2.