SO much for warm-up games.

York City Knights went into their iPro Sport Cup clash at arch-rivals Hunslet having managed only one pre-season friendly, and that a month ago.

The Hawks, conversely, had had four, and that, according to Knights boss James Ford, made them clear favourites as the season kicked off.

However, York won 24-4 at John Charles Stadium having been the stronger and better organised team - their general dominance becoming clear on the scoreboard as they finished with 14 points in the last 15 minutes.

The conditions - a swirling gale blowing this way and that and sweeping rain across an already heavy pitch from all sides - were hardly conducive to free-flowing rugby and accounted for a high error count.

However, even though the Knights won friends last year for their expansive rugby, Ford and co were perhaps not too perturbed by the bad weather here given they were understrength out wide - with Austin Buchanan, Ben Dent, Brad Hey and Tyler Craig all sidelined.

Furthermore, with a forward pack bolstered by Russ Spiers, Mike Emmett and big Brett Waller, they were probably happy for it to be a battle down the middle - if only to test their new-found Plan 'B' of out-grunting teams, when Plan 'A', out-playing them, comes up short.

Spiers duly started the game superbly, getting his reward with a try in a similarly excellent second stint, while replacement Waller’s size kept the Hawks working hard too, at least before a couple of errors in hit-ups. Emmett brought plenty of physicality at hooker as well.

It was Spiers' tackle bust inside five minutes that set up the first half’s only try.

Hunslet full-back Jimmy Watson conceded a penalty when holding Spiers down and, from the field position, Ed Smith’s impromptu dab through was touched down by Nev Morrison after bobbling away from Mufaro Mvududu.

Second-row Smith, not to be outdone by the new boys, was probably the pick of York’s pack in the first half, continuing where he had left off last season as joint Press Player of the Year.

Fellow usual suspects Jack Aldous and Mark Applegarth did not put a foot wrong in big stints up top, either.

Other newcomers in Ford’s new-look side included Rich Wilkinson at full-back, Brett Turner on the wing and Danny Nicklas at stand-off.

All three impressed - and all three got on the scoresheet too. The fleet-footed, elusive Wilkinson will surely make even more hay on drier, faster tracks.

One other great sight for Knights fans who arrived early was that of Kriss Brining warming up with his team-mates.

The 22-year-old hooker – top scorer last season – was left out of the 17 having been subject to a bid from Featherstone but carried out his duties as 18th man after turning down the Championship big guns. Ironically, he might have a job to get back into the team.

The first half wasn’t pretty and at times threatened to boil over into a real old-fashioned game of winter rugby league in the mud.

Rarely did Hunslet go close, whereas York were unlucky not to add to their lead.

The visitors did score again soon after the resumption, though.

Hunslet had a man over down their right but they fluffed it, the ball went to ground and Turner scooped it up and showed great pace over 70 metres to stay clear of the chasing James Duckworth before running round to the posts to give Nicklas an easy conversion.

Again the teams traded errors and finally Hunslet made York pay for one, this by Waller, with 50 minutes gone.

They shifted the ball left in a rare cohesive attack to work an overlap for winger Richie Barnett to cross.

However, that overlap only arose as Smith was off the field due to a bloody head injury.

Their lead cut to 10-4, York dug in again and ground out even more ascendancy, and the crucial next score deservedly went their way.

A Spiers charge got them in position for a possible drop goal but instead Jonny Presley ran at his man and got out a great little scoring pass - Spiers on hand to get the try he deserved, Nicklas goaling.

York were also on the right end of a high penalty count and, with eight minutes to go, decided to kick for goal with one of them, Nicklas successful.

They then finished with a flourish as a lovely interchange brought the best move of the match, Aldous and Emmett involved at the death to send Wilkinson flying between the sticks, Nicklas adding the extras.

To add to the satisfaction in the York ranks, all of the ex-Knights in Hunslet's line-up - Simon Brown, Ben Crane, dangerman Jack Lee and Lee Waterman - were kept very quiet.

MATCH STATS

Hunslet 4 Knights 24

Hunslet: Watson, Agoro, Duckworth, Mvududu, Barnett, Brown, Ansell, Reed, Lee, Carbutt, Crane, Normington, Mackay. Subs (all used): Flanagan, Haley, Robinson, Waterman.

Tries: Burnett 50. 

Knights: Wilkinson 8, Morrison 7, Morland 6, Bower 6, Turner 7, Presley 7, Nicklas 8, Applegarth 8, Emmett 8, Spiers 8, Mallinder 7, E Smith 8, Aldous 8. Subs (all used): Carter 7, Nicholson 6, Waller 6, Tonks 7.

Tries: Morrison 5; Turner 43; Spiers 65; Wilkinson 79.

Conversions: Nicklas 43, 65, 79.

Penalty: Nicklas 72.

Man of the match: Ed Smith - the joint Press Player of the Year carried on his form from last season as if he hasn't had a winter break at all. There were several other strong candidates, though, as shown in the player ratings.

Referee: Dave Merrick (Castleford) – not bad but perhaps whistle-happy, as if he'd been instructed to clamp down on offsides at the start of the season. (Ironically he missed the most obvious offside all day, when Jonny Presley got away with one.)

Penalty count: 10-15

Half-time: 0-4

Weather: a swirling gale, which didn’t seem to know which way it was blowing, swept in rain from all angles to make a heavy pitch heavier.

Attendance: 600 approx

Moment of the match: the Knights finished with a flourish with Richard Wilkinson's super team try when the game was already won, but Brett Turner's blistering run down the left wing for his interception try was not only a wonderful effort to watch but also came at an important time.

Gaffe of the match: the poor conditions accounted for handling mistakes on both sides, but only one - Brett Waller spilling the ball in a hit-up ten minutes into the second half - ended up costing the Knights as the Hawks, otherwise the more error-strewn side, scored their sole try on the back of the cheap turnover.

Gamebreaker: Hunslet's hopes had been risen by Richie Barnett's try and, had they somehow found an equaliser, the game could have been different, but instead York deservedly got the next score - prop Russ Spiers capping a superb debut when getting on the end of Jonny Presley cracking little pass - and there was only ever going to be one winner thereafter.

Match rating: it was scrappy at times and Dave Merrick's whistle made it even more stop-start, but not only did the new-look Knights beat arch-rivals Hunslet on their own soil but they also showed a side to their game - full of physicality and hard effort - that would have pleased head coach James Ford even more as they got off to an excellent start to the season.