AUSTIN Buchanan was last night cleared to play in York City Knights' Grand Final on Sunday - and then named LHF Healthplan National League Two Young Player of the Year.

The flying winger, who has scored 13 tries in 15 games since joining from Leeds Academy, succeeded team-mate Danny Brough to the prestigious accolade, while the club as a whole enjoyed further success at last night's glittering ceremony at the Queen's Hotel in Leeds.

The Knights won the Best Community Programme award, while three players were selected in the NL2 Team of the Year - more than any other club.

Buchanan had earlier been found guilty by a Rugby Football League disciplinary panel of striking in the play-off against Halifax ten days ago, but was handed no punishment.

Fax's Jamie Bloem also faced a disciplinary hearing over an alleged stamping and was found guilty of behaving in a way contrary to the spirit of the game. He was fined £175 but avoided suspension so he too can play in Sunday's showdown.

Buchanan said: "Playing in the final was all I was worried about, and it's a great relief. I didn't go out to hurt the guy and if you saw the video I did not mean to do it."

As for his award, he added: "It's brilliant. I didn't expect to win it. I've had a great time at York and there were a number of players here who could have got awards."

Knights' Scott Rhodes was pipped to the NL2 Player of the Year award, won by Barrow's Darren Holt, while boss Richard Agar, also one of three nominees, missed out on the Coach of the Year award to Barrow's title-winning Peter Roe.

However, Rhodes joined Buchanan and team-mate Chris Langley, the Knights' top scorer, in the NL2 All Stars team.

Whitehaven, who face Leigh in the NL1 Grand Final on Sunday, were the big winners as they picked up the Club of the Year title - succeeding the Knights - while scrum-half Sam Obst was NL1 Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year and Steve McCormack was NL1 Coach of the Year. They also had four players in the NL1 All Stars line-up.

Selby referee Paul Stockman took the Match Official Achiever of the Year award.

LHF Healthplan National LeagueAwards

Player of the Year

NL1: Sam Obst (Whitehaven)

NL2: Darren Holt (Barrow)

NL3: Adrian Veamatahau (Coventry Bears)

Young Player of the Year

NL1: Michael Platt (Rochdale)

NL2: Austin Buchanan (Knights)

NL3: Mick Jones (Birmingham Bulldogs)

GMB RLPA Players' Player of the Year

Sam Obst (Whitehaven)

All Stars Teams of the Year

NL1: Jon Goddard (Oldham), Rikki Sheriffe (Halifax), Mick Nanyn (Whitehaven), Matt Foster (Keighley), Matt Wray (Featherstone), Tommy Martyn (Leigh), Sam Obst (Whitehaven), Makali Aizue (Hull KR), Paul Rowley (Leigh), Tommy Hodgkinson (Rochdale), Howard Hill (Whitehaven), Andy Spink (Batley), Craig Walsh (Whitehaven).

NL2: Wayne English (Swinton), Austin Buchanan (Knights), Chris Langley (Knights), Chris Maye (Swinton), George Rayner (Hunslet), Scott Rhodes (Knights), Darren Holt (Barrow), Rubert Jonker (London Skolars), Jonny Limmer (Workington), Ian Parry (Chorley), Andy Raleigh (Sheffield), James King (Barrow), Steven Bradley (Gateshead Thunder).

NL3: Mark Roughneen (Warrington-Woolston), Mike Jones (Birmingham Bulldogs), Adrian Veamatahau (Coventry Bears), Tom Armstrong (Carlisle Centurions), Phil Aiken (Hemel Stags), Adam Cawley (Birmingham), Bryn Evans (Sheffield Hillsboro Hawks), Gareth Barron (Gateshead Storm), Liam Brentley (Bradford Dudley Hill), James Ellershaw (Hemel Stags), Paul Rice (South London Storm), Steve Warburton (Warrington-Woolston), Adam Cox (St Albans).

Coach of the Year

NL1: Steve McCormack (Whitehaven)

NL2: Peter Roe (Barrow)

NL3: Ken Roberts (Hemel Stags)

Match Official Achiever of the Year (The Neil Whittaker Trophy)

Paul Stockman

Referee of the Year

Ronnie Laughton (Barnsley)

Best Community Programme

York City Knights

Club of the Year

Whitehaven

Updated: 10:40 Wednesday, October 06, 2004