IF there weren’t already question marks over the dual-registration system used by York City Knights, there will be now.

Dual-reg should be exciting, but it’s proving largely exasperating, never more so than in the Knights’ 24-12 Northern Rail Cup defeat to Doncaster yesterday, a scoreline which flattered the beaten home side.

The devil of dual-reg was summed up midway through the second half, when the Knights trailed only 16-12.

Doncaster scrum-half Craig Fawcett sent a kick to the corner which should have been tidied up by Knights full-back Jamie Shaul or fellow dual-reg “star” Jason Crookes, but the former ambled across and the latter, on his first outing for York, just dawdled, seemingly unconcerned as Dons winger Dennis Tuffour, once of the Knights, sprinted forward and dived to touch down.

Knights boss Gary Thornton was pretty diplomatic when asked how he felt the four dual-reg lads played. “Jack Briscoe played well,” was all he would say.

What he didn’t say was that Shaul again appeared lazy throughout, that Liam Kent brought little to the party, and that Crookes seemingly played not for the York shirt but himself as he awaits a Super League return.

There were a few decent hit-ups by Crookes, but that Tuffour try, and, later, when he opted to kick and chase on the first tackle and duly got nowhere near the ball, suggested he wasn’t really bothered if his “second team” won or lost.

Briscoe is the exception. The fact he has played for the Knights all season might have something to do with it. However, his efforts, along with those of fit-again Sam Scott and captain James Ford, who tried in vain to lift those around him, came to nothing.

Ryan Mallinder should also be spared blame. The trialist second-row from Sharlston ARLC came off the bench for his debut less than 48 hours after shining for the under-20s at Oldham, and only looked out of place due to having a bigger work-rate than some better-known team-mates.

Other than that, it was poor stuff again from Thornton’s men following the home Kingstone Press Championship defeat to Leigh, and, less significantly, the Challenge Cup drubbing at Catalans.

The third debutant in the home ranks, Ben Johnston, flitted in and out of the game before being withdrawn with ten minutes left as Thornton put Jonny Presley back in at half-back alongside an underpar Simon Brown.

The fact Thornton had gone with a new half-back partnership in another much-changed team, and was without crocked full-back Tom Carr possibly accounted for a lack of cohesion in attack and too much plodding one-man rugby.

Perhaps of bigger concern, though, was the lack of enthusiasm in defence. How big a part does dual-reg play?

A quick return for Player of the Month Carr would be helpful although confusion reins on the extent of his elbow injury, with Thornton fearing he could be out for two months while the player himself says he could be back next week.

Johnston, a former York Acorn ARLC junior, made an early impact, raising home hopes he would be a more-than-able replacement for the departed Danny Nicklas – another player whose dual-reg time at York was ultimately unproductive.

The newcomer’s first contribution was to give away a penalty, but his second was to steal the ball one-on-one off Stewart Sanderson and jog home for the opening try. Brown converted.

This score may have lulled York into a false sense of security, however, as the Dons proceeded to take over, making better yards and getting offloads out at will.

Johnston pulled off a try-saving tackle on Chris Spurr but soon enough, at the end of an other attack, Spurr got the ball out for Liam Kay to score, Sanderson goaling.

Another Donny attack through questionable tackling ended with George Elliott having to knock the ball dead, but there was no escape next time, Kyle Kesik getting over too easily from dummy-half, Sanderson converting.

Kesik was soon there again and, although halted, he got the ball out for Kay to cross again.

A rare piece of excellence from York gave them a lifeline just before half-time.

Brown’s chip jutted back for Scott to gather on the gallop and send Presley sprinting home, Brown goaling.

York made very little of early possession in the second half, though, and rarely looked threatening thereafter, going close only through one-man carries from Crookes and, twice near the end, prop Craig Potter.

At the other end, Tuffour had a try disallowed for a forward pass by Dan Cowling before he got on the scoreboard thanks to Crookes’ laziness.

Craig Robinson wasted another gilt-edged chance, loosing the ball when touching down under pressure from Scott, but more half-hearted tackling allowed Kyle Trout to seal Doncaster’s win.

Ex-Knights Lee Waterman and big Brett Waller were not involved yesterday, the former again omitted and the latter rested.

Waller, at least, should get a go in a fortnight when the teams meet again in the league – York needing to find a much-improved display to turn the tables.


Match facts

Knights: Shaul 5, Elliott 6, Ford 7, Briscoe 7, Crookes 5, Brown 5, Johnston 5, Potter 6, Lee 6, Aldous 6, Kent 6, Lyons 5, Scott 7. Subs (all used): Presley 6, Smith 6, Mallinder 6, Stenchion 6.

Tries: Johnston 5; Presley 40.

Conversions: Brown 5, 40.

Doncaster: Butterfield, Sanderson, Cowling, Kay, Tuffour, Cooke, Fawcett, Castle, Kesik, Trout, Kelly, Spurr, Emmett. Subs (all used): Powley, A Scott, Carbutt, Robinson.

Tries: Kay 17, 27; Kesik 23; Tuffour 61; Trout 75.

Conversions: Sanderson 17, 23.

Man of the match: Sam Scott – the fit-again second-row one of the few players to do his job as required.

Referee: Ronnie Laughton (Barnsley) – made one bad call (awarding penalty for reefing when York had clearly lost the ball by themselves) but it was corrected in time, and he was otherwise good again.

Penalties: 9-5.

Half-time: 12-16.

Attendance: 451.

Weather: pleasant.

Moment of the match: Jonny Presley marked his 200th professional appearance with a typical Jonny Presley try, sprinting up in support in centrefield and sprinting home.

Gaffe of the match: Jamie Shaul ambled over to cover a Craig Fawcett kick to the corner and fellow dual-reg Hull player Jason Crookes was even lazier, not bothering to chase back at all, allowing Dennis Tuffour to sprint past him and touch down Donny’s crucial fourth try.

Gamebreaker: That Tuffour try, on 61 minutes, left York needing two scores to get back into it, and they never looked likely to do that.

Match rating: Doncaster were worthy winners, with York so lacklustre.