THE total now stands at 150 and counting – no mean feat for York City Knights ’ “Mr Consistency”.

Prop star Adam Sullivan has hit that notable appearances landmark for the Co-operative Championship club, but he isn’t likely to stop there, with targets already turning to 200.

The 29-year-old – given the Mr Consistency tag earlier this year by player-boss Chris Thorman – was already the man with by far the most appearances for York since the club re-formed as the Knights in 2002, having played 130 times between 2004 and 2009 before departing for a two-year stint at Hunslet. Last weekend’s game against Featherstone was his 20th appearance since his return to Huntington Stadium ahead of the 2012 season, duly taking him to the milestone figure, and one which has been ackowledged by club chiefs.

“It’s a pretty good achievement,” said general manager Ian Wilson of the durable front-rower.

“You could go through all the teams in the Championships and there won’t be that many who have played that many games for one club. You need to be at one club for five, six or seven seasons to rack up that amount of appearances these days, and there aren’t too many players who do that.

“He had a couple of years away at Hunslet and since he came back he’s been one of our most consistent players.

“Fortunately he’s on a two-year deal so he will add to that tally next season and possibly head towards 200 appearances in the next couple of years.”

Sullivan made his first debut for York in a 30-16 National League Two (Championship One) home win against Barrow on August 1, 2004, having signed from Hull KR.

He was an ever-present for the last ten games of that season and missed only two of 27 games in the Knights’ 2005 NL2 title-winning campaign, when he lifted The Press Player of the Year trophy.

His solo performance away to Keighley Cougars that year – when he almost single-handedly fired up a remarkable comeback victory, which ignited the team’s promotion push – has gone down in club folklore.

He played a further 24 games in 2006 and 28 in 2007 before having a stint in French rugby.

His second debut for York, on his return to England, came in an NL2 win at Swinton on May 11, 2008, and again he went on to be an ever-present for the last 17 games of that season before playing a further 26 times in 2009, missing only one match.

In total, barring his French sojourn, he missed only 11 games in all of those six seasons at Huntington Stadium – itself a notable record in such a hard impact sport.

Sullivan re-joined York for the start of 2012, making his third club debut in a 29-18 Northern Rail Cup win at Doncaster on February 19. He has since missed only one game – the Northern Rail Cup win at Gateshead in February.

Perhaps ironically, his 2008 campaign at Huntington Stadium was deemed his most stale, yet he still ended second in The Press Player of the Year standings that term.

He also won a title and Player of the Year award at Hunslet, and currently lies second in The Press Player of the Year standings for 2012.

Said Wilson: “The timing of his move (to Hunslet) was probably right, to have a new challenge, and he’s come back a better player for us.

“He’s a senior player, coming towards 29-30, and that’s when props tend to mature and you get your best years out of them.”

Sullivan had played 40 times for Hull KR, then a National League One club, plus one game on loan with Featherstone, before coming to York, and he turned out 46 times for Hunslet in his two years there, which all takes his total number of career first-grade appearances to 237 – already impressive in modern rugby league. The prop has 23 tries to his name, 19 for the Knights.

Noting Sullivan’s admirable appearance record, Wilson said: “He’s a player who looks after himself and stays healthy and in good shape.

“He’s very durable. I think he missed only one game early in the season but got back quickly. If you can get 25 games a year out of a front-rower it’s not bad going with all the work they do and impact they have to incur week in week out.

“I’m sure he’s looking at having a good few years yet in the game. Hopefully those years will be with York.”

Wilson added with a wry smile, referring to the club’s 2012 injury jinx: “Now I’ve said that about his fitness, he’ll probably get injured this weekend...”

(Since this last quote was taken, Sullivan has been deemed doubtful for tomorrow’s match due to a knee problem! See the match preview.)

 

FORMER Knights favourite Danny Brough has also had a milestone figure in sight.

The Huddersfield – and now England – scrum-half needed only four goals to reach 1,000 for his career ahead of last night’s match at Salford. York fans will be proud to learn that, while he has played for six clubs, his biggest single tally remains that from his record-breaking stint at Huntington Stadium.

Brough’s total of 996 has been scored as follows: 33 for Dewsbury (2002-03), 265 for the Knights (2003-04), 95 for Hull FC (2005-06), 154 for Castleford (2006-07), 204 for Wakefield (2008-10) and 220 for current club Huddersfield (2010-12).

He has also kicked 23 for Scotland (2004-2008 and 2010), to go with two for England against the Exiles in game two of International Origin in July.

His tally with the Knights included a York rugby league record of 178 goals in one season (2004), amid a York RL record of 412 points in a season, wiping out previous records, respectively, of 146 by Vic Yorke in 1957-58 and 318 by Graham Steadman in 1984-85.

 

TALKING of goal-kicking, it was surprising to note Chris Thorman looks set to end the season in the top ten of Championship goal and point-scorers this season, despite the Knights’ poor campaign.

The player-boss, who is to hang up his playing boots and move to an assistant-coaching role with Huddersfield at the end of term, has kicked 31 goals this year to lie seventh in the league standings.

Featherstone’s Liam Finn and one-time Knight Gareth Moore, of Batley, are clear at the top with 79 and 70 respectively.

Thorman also lies tenth in the points tally, with 66, albeit some way off Finn, who is top with 191.