THE York City Knights faithful won’t want to read this, but arch-rivals Hunslet look like champions-elect in Championship One – while their team look like also-rans.

The Hawks, led of course by player-coach Paul March and featuring numerous ex-Knights who followed him to south Leeds after his controversially dismissal by York last July, won 46-10 at Huntington Stadium yesterday, building a comprehensive lead even before the hosts were reduced to 12 men.

To rub salt in wounds, 38 of their points came from players who were at York last season.

Hunslet’s all-round game was just better, more confident, creative and clinical. Their discipline wasn’t bad either.

There were fears beforehand that the game could be a blood-fest, with so many former York players trying to make a point and the current York players wanting to show they weren’t missed.

The March twins, Paul and David, also had history with referee Dave Merrick during their time at York, while fans of both teams were also well aware of potential animosity.

But at no point did the match boil over – don’t be fooled by the red and yellow cards for York – and it all ended rather quietly, with everyone knowing where the points were heading long before the final hooter.

In fairness to the 12-man Knights, they fought on until the end, and at times looked Hunslet’s equal, but those moments were all too brief.

They needed to be on top of their game to win, and they weren’t, and they also needed everything to go their way, yet fate was against them within ten minutes as captain Richard Blakeway, having shone in the opening exchanges, limped off, never to return.

York were already without crocked back-rower Jordan Ross, man-of-the-match in last week’s shock win at Oldham, so Matty Duckworth started in the second row with Chris Clough making a long-awaited return to the 17 having fallen down the pecking order due to missing training.

Clough’s return didn’t last too long, as it was he who was sent off, on 56 minutes, for a dubious tackle, wrapping his legs round his man and pulling him down.

Merrick signalled tripping and, while it didn’t look bad from the stands, the Hunslet players weren’t happy.

Aussie pivot Casey Bromilow also returned to the bench, in place of Luke Hardbottle, but neither he nor any of the Knights’ play-makers performed, York rarely turning troubling the try-line or turning their opponents around at the end of sets.

Never was the absence of crocked player/assistant-coach Chris Thorman more keenly felt, especially when fellow former Super League craftsman – the Marches – were in the opposing line-up.

One playmaker, Joe McLocklan, had an early try from his own kick ruled out for a knock-on under the high ball, but such opportunities were rare.

Instead, it was that man March who gave Hunslet a sixth-minute lead, playing a one-two with Tommy Haughey, whose good offload put his player-coach over.

March fumbled the restart behind his own try-line to concede a dropout – his only error – and at the end of a solid return set, Richard Blakeway’s magic offload saw Lee Waterman score and convert.

However, Blakeway, an injury doubt beforehand, soon departed and Haughey immediately set up another try, his pass catching winger Tom Lineham out for Waine Pryce to cross too easily.

Wayne McHugh added the first of his six conversions.

James Ratcliffe’s response was to switch his wingers, with Super League wannabe Dennis Tuffour now facing former Super League player Pryce.

It was Tuffour’s centre who denied Pryce another try from a Haughey pass, Waterman bundling him into touch. But when Haughey decided to go himself, no one could halt him.

York were still in the game but Hunslet regained the initiative aided by some odd refereeing – Merrick sin-binning Jack Stearman for a minor foul. Persistent infringing was the claim, but York had not been particularly dirty.

The 12 men hit back immediately, with a solo try by Paul Stamp, but Hunslet’s good handling on the half-time hooter saw Danny Grimshaw finish well for a 22-10 lead, while David March crossed the other side of the break, just before Stearman’s return.

Grimshaw, McHugh and the March twins were among the nine ex-Knights in Hunslet’s 17, eight of whom were at York last season.

Stand-off Grimshaw returned to the fore with a half-break and pass for centre McHugh to sprint in, before York were again reduced to 12 men, this time permanently.

David March, not a regular try-scorer at the Knights, soon got his second of the game.

The Knights battled on bravely for the remaining 22 minutes – albeit against a side who knew the match was won – and Danny Ratcliffe, one of few to give a consistent display, had a try ruled out for a forward pass.

But Hunslet, in particular the March brothers, had to have the last laugh. Fellow ex-Knight David Clayton scored from Paul’s kick, and David goaled from out wide after the final hooter.

Match facts

Knights: Ratcliffe 7, Tuffour 7, Wilson 5, Waterman 6, Lineham 5, McLocklan 5, Stamp 5, Fallon 6, Lee 7, Applegarth 7, Duckworth 6, Lewis 7, Blakeway 6. Subs (all used): Bromilow 6, Clough 5, Waller 7, Stearman 6.

Tries: Waterman 9; Stamp 38.

Conversions: Waterman 9.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Stearman 36.

Sent off: Clough 56.


Hunslet: Kain, Oakes, McHugh, Clayton, Pryce, Grimshaw, P March, Sullivan, Chapman, Houston, Haughey, Dooler, D March. Subs (all used): Haigh, Wabo, Woodcock, Lowe.

Tries: P March 6; Pryce 13; Haughey 21; Grimshaw 40; D March 44, 58; McHugh 53; Clayton 80.

Conversions: McHugh 13, 21, 40, 44, 53, 58; D March 80.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.


Man of the match: Jack Lee – nobody stood out but the on-loan hooker did his job well.

Referee: Dave Merrick (Castleford) – several questionable calls and dubious justification for both cards other than perhaps his own concerns the clash had the potential to boil over.

Penalty count: 10-10.

Weather watch: breezy.

Half-time: 22-10.

Attendance: 1,002.

Moment of the match: Paul Stamp’s try, sprinting forward all the while looking for Dennis Tuffour up in support before deciding to go alone – just reaching the whitewash. York were in the game, trailing 16-10.

Gaffe of the match: York’s kicking game was poor throughout, and failing to make touch with a penalty summed it up.

Game-breaker: York were in with a shout at 16-10 as the half-time hooter sounded, but Hunslet kept the ball alive to score before the whistle sounded, and the Knights did not recover from the mental blow.

Match rating: The feisty, close, hard-fought encounter between arch-rivals, as had been expected and hoped for, did not materialise.