PETER Fox has become the first Knight to get into double figures for tries this term and it has taken him just ten games.

To put it into perspective, it took last season's top scorer, Chris Langley, 16 games to score his tenth try, before going onto to register 21 for the year, while Alex Godfrey - who was ahead in the try-scoring charts last term before being dealt his controversial drugs ban - reached double figures in his 11th game on his way to 14 tries in 14 appearances.

It took young winger Fox four games to get off the mark this term but he has since notched his ten in seven games, boosted by his club record haul of four tries in a regular-season match against Sheffield last week.

It is thus a decent return for the York-born Leeds loanee, while the number of points scored by the Knights as a whole - and this may come as a surprise to some - is not far short of the total at this stage last year.

Richard Agar's side scored 61 tries in their first 11 games, totalling 321 points, while Mick Cook's men have notched 53 tries and 306 points - not a bad return considering the relative strength of the opposition faced so far.

Cook's team were criticised in some quarters during the Northern Rail Cup run for a brand of rugby "not as exiting" as that of Agar's dashing braves.

They probably had a point, though it should not be forgotten that Cook's men faced National League One giants Castleford in that competition, as well as a Featherstone side better than the one faced by Agar last term.

Granted, a weakened Hunslet outfit made up the numbers this year, but the Hawks arguably provided a sterner test than the relatively poor NL2 sides - struggling Gateshead and a then lacklustre Dewsbury outfit - faced by Agar's men, whose other Arriva Trains Cup opponents were average NL1 team Batley and Fev.

It is also interesting to note that the 61 tries scored by Agar's team in their first 11 games were shared by just 17 players, while the 53 tries this term have been shared by 23 players.

Furthermore, while Cook has gained something of a 'tinkerman' reputation for his penchant for rotating players, he has used just two players more than Agar had at this stage of the season, with 29 compared to last term's 27.

DON'T forget to send in your votes for the Knights Player of the Month for April after tomorrow's clash against Dewsbury. This match is the last of the month, so all votes need to be in by noon on Thursday.

Your votes decide who wins the Evening Press-sponsored award, while everyone who votes goes into a draw to win two tickets to a Knights home game plus the chance to present the award. Send votes, marked Knights Player of the Month, by email to peter.martini@ycp.co.uk or on a postcard to Sportsdesk, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN. Leave your full name, address and daytime contact number.

THE latest Player of the Year standings will be updated next week.

Ex-Yorkie Brad eyes grand feat

FORMER York favourite Brad Davis needs just two points for a total of 1,000 in British club rugby.

The 37-year-old Aussie has scored 302 points for current club Castleford, 100 for Huddersfield, 101 for York and 495 for Wakefield.

His total with all clubs comprises 135 tries and 242 goals, including 26 drop goals, in 326 matches.

The stand-off's points for York came from 24 tries, two goals and a drop goal in 37 appearances, while he still holds the York match try record with seven in a 74-14 defeat of Highfield in September 1995. It was his last match for York before joining Wakefield.

Davis became the oldest player to play in Super League when he appeared for Cas in their last match before being relegated last September. He was 36 years 189 days. He was ruled out of the Tigers' two Northern Rail Cup games against York this season.

A former Bathurst Railway player in New South Wales, Davis made his British club debut with Nottingham in September 1992. After two matches he moved to Huddersfield and two seasons later he joined Ryedale-York, making his debut at centre in an 18-18 draw at Keighley in September 1994.

He moved to Wakefield 13 months later, making a try-scoring debut against Dewsbury and enjoying his most productive season in 1996 with 199 points in 23 appearances, before moving on to Cas in June 1997.

After four seasons he moved back to Wakefield, where he had three more years before having a brief spell as player-coach with French club Villeneuve and signing, without playing, for Halifax in 2004.

He then returned to Cas and made his second debut for them against Salford in June last year.

TICKETS for the Knights' Supporters Club race night on May 28 are selling well, so anyone wanting to go is advised to get one soon.

Big Ian (the fan with the drum) will be selling them in the bar before tomorrow's game and fellow committee member Gary Hall will be doing likewise afterwards.

Prices are £5 for members, £7 for non-members and £2 for under-16s accompanied by an adult. A pie and peas supper is included.

What shall we sing when we're winning?

READERS of the Evening Press' daily Diary On The Loose column (it's in the first half of the paper, for those of you who only look at the back pages) will have read about the songs played at Huntington Stadium by DJ Gary Hall.

The light-hearted column discussed the part played by Gary - wholly negligible though it may be - in sending Tony Christie's Amarillo to number one in the charts. Gary, as you will know, has been playing Amarillo over the stadium's speakers ever since it re-emerged in Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights (the bit where bouncers Max and Paddy were singing along to it while taxiing Asian elders in a mini-bus) - long before Kay officially revived it for Comic Relief.

Anyway, the Diary mentioned some of the songs played by Gary to celebrate Knights tries: "Fox On The Run" for Peter Fox; "Down Under" for the Aussies; and (my favourite) "I Fought The Law" by The Clash for Neil Law.

And this got the Sportsdesk thinking.

What other songs could Gary play to celebrate Knights scores? This is the sorry lot we could think of for consideration (or perhaps not):

"A Little Help From Si Friend" by the Beatles;

Wedding Present instrumental "Dan Dare" for Dan Potter;

Morrissey's "Spring-heeled Jim" for James Elston;

How about Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer" for Craig Forsyth;

Then there's "Chris Ross'll make yer jump, jump";

And the Stone Roses classic "Sully Cinnamon" for Adam Sullivan.

You could have the Hollies' "He Aint Heavy..." for when the Thormans combine.

And at a push, I suppose you could also have "So(zi) Macho" by Sinitta;

Or "Star Trekkin'" for Ian Kirke (geddit?).

Okay, we're struggling now.

As for the guys in charge, surely we should have "Watch The Cookies Crumble Em" by the Cookie Crew (remember them?). Or "C is for Cookie" by, ahem, the Cookie Monster.

And we could even have Adam Ant's "Jolly Roger" for the chairman, Mr Dixon.

Anyway, get thinking, email your suggestions to peter.martini@ycp.co.uk and perhaps we can come up with a song for everyone in the squad.

BY the way, the Diary column didn't mention the songs chosen by DJ Gary to welcome teams onto the pitch - but they are worth a mention.

I'm not sure what effect these have on the opposition as they are greeted onto the turf, but the Sportsdesk finds them most humorous:

"How Much Is That Doggy In The Window" (for Batley Bulldogs);

"What's New Pussycat" (for Keighley Cougars, Cas Tigers, Swinton Lions, Blackpool Panthers);

And my favourite "the Birdie Song" (for Hunslet Hawks, Sheffield Eagles).

Maybe tomorrow we could have "Lamb To The Slaughter" by A-Ha. Or Beck's "Ramshackle". Or something.

Updated: 10:20 Saturday, April 23, 2005