Youthful outlook

Under new Rugby Football League rules, all National League One clubs must, like their Super League peers, run an U21s side this year, whose season begins next month to coincide with the start of the National League campaign.

Leaving aside arguments about how clubs, hard-up or otherwise, can finance such a venture, the order did not give outfits like York, who didn't already have such a team, much time to get the structures in place. But the Knights employed Paul Higgins to head up the academy coaching and have put together a squad comprising local talent.

Higgins praised the way his players have prepared. "They have gone very well," he said. "Numbers have been good at training and they've trained with the first team at times which has pulled them along.

"We've set a goal of getting maybe two or three to sign contracts with York every year. That's what the academy is about and if they're local lads, then all the better."

Much of the squad are young for this age group, so much so that ten of them, all under-18s, have to wait until after April 1 to pass the minimum age to play U21s rugby.

This was one of the reasons why their first friendly, against Doncaster on Thursday, was postponed. Injuries to those old enough, plus the fact they could draft no first-teamers in due to the Challenge Cup tie 24 hours earlier, meant Higgins did not have sufficient players available.

The club plan to rearrange the friendly but, unless injuries ease, their first run-out might have to be when the season starts, away to Widnes on April 7, by which time all squad-men will be eligible.

Higgins admitted having such a young squad had its pros and cons.

"If you can keep them together, you will have them for three years and by the end of the second or third year they could be a really good side," he said. "But depending how strong the other teams are, it could be a problem for us now if our side is younger."

Clubs are allowed to play up to eight open age players in U21s games. This helps to give the youngsters experience and also gives first-teamers a chance to get match fit. But for many National League clubs, only time will tell how this rule helps or hinders.

"The young players are going to have to learn quickly either way," said Higgins, adding: "Starting at Widnes is tough but that's the way it goes."

To get numbers in the U21s squad, the Knights had to delve into the local amateur scene - 13 of the 16 signed-on players, plus virtually all the trialists on board, have come from the city's four amateur clubs, the latest to sign being Simon Wadsworth, a sixth youngster from York Acorn.

Two issues arise from this. Firstly, some argue that more of the Knights' resources in recent years should have been put into preparing an academy, with less priority given to taking tag rugby to primary schools. Others would disagree, saying the plan to create a pathway from primary school tag rugby, to amateur junior teams, service areas, scholarship schemes and academies, was more constructive in the long-term, while going into schools also boosted the club's future supporter base.

Secondly, a potential problem is the fact there may be a conflict with the amateur clubs.

The Knights have promised to give due consideration to those clubs, especially during the cross-over period between the amateur winter season and the academy summer season, and so far the arrangements have proved amicable.

There remain fears of burn-out if players regularly turn out for both the academy and their amateur side, while there may be a tug of war for the youngsters' services if matches clash. But the amateur scene in York appears to be largely supportive of the new venture.

"We've been training one night a week while the lads have commitments with their amateur clubs," said Higgins.

"It could be a bit of a problem before the amateur season ends, and the players might be asked to play for the academy on, say, a Thursday and for their amateur clubs at the weekend."

The official hand-over, when amateur outfits lose their hold over the players, is mid-April, but the Knights have stressed they would continue to work with these clubs while also protecting players from exhaustion.

Simon Baynes, player-coach of New Earswick All Blacks, who have supplied the academy with three signed-up players, backed the pathway in place. "You want players to turn professional," he said.

"If they don't make it, you'd hope they'll come back from the academies as better players. In the short term you can look at it and say you've lost three good players but there's more to it than that.

"It reflects well on our club and shows we must be doing something right. I'm all for them joining academies and hopefully turning pro."

Ken Sykes, spokesman of Heworth ARLC, who have also provided three registered academy players, said his club had had a good meeting with Knights development officer Jason Ramshaw.

"It's all been done in a professional way," said Sykes, a former pro with Hunslet. "We've said we want to help them and we want them to help us. We should be working together and it's in everybody's interests for things to work.

"Amateur clubs are there to a large extent to help players progress and the ones who are good enough do move on to a higher level, and it's great when they do.

"We want to have a good relationship with them and would expect the same coming the other way.

"If some lads didn't make the grade, we'd want the Knights to do everything in their power to get them to come back to us and not get disillusioned with rugby league. We want the players to have good experiences and, to be honest, I think we will with York."

Acorn coach Alfie Hill, whose son, Tom, is in the academy, feared it could be a hard step up for some of the local lads, especially if and when they come face to face with open age National League players.

But he added: "If one or two get through to the first team, it's what academies are about.

"I think if the players have got some go about them and are willing to train hard, there are opportunities there for good young players."

Knights head coach Mick Cook does not disagree. He has stated if players do well enough in the academy, they will get in the first-team picture - and has already backed this up by promoting full-back Tom Dunmore to his line-up while also using Nathan Priestley and Liam Watling in pre-season. He added: "We want to build a team of young York players who will hopefully prove themselves in the U21s, develop and knock on the door for a first team spot, which will be available if they show enough promise."

Golden moves up

JASON Golden won his third consecutive man of the match accolade against Ovenden on Wednesday to jump to the top of the Evening Press/Collier Plant Hire Player of the Year table.

He collected three points, while hard-working winger Craig Farrell joined the leaderboard with two and hat-trick man John Smith got the remaining one.

Standings: Golden 9pts, Elston 7, Spicer 4, Bates 3, Smith 3, Hasty 2, Farrell 2, Blaymire 2, Forsyth 1.

THE Knights Supporters Club will run two buses to tomorrow's game at Hull KR.

One leaves from Huntington Stadium at 12.30pm and the other goes through town, with pick-up points at the usual places on New Lane (12.10pm), Clarence Street (12.20), Blossom Street (12.30) and Tadcaster Road (12.40).

To book, call 07958 569266, leaving name, membership numbers and contact details. Prices, depending on numbers, will be adults £8, over-60s/students £6, under-16s £5, U12s accompanied by an adult £1.

Updated: 11:43 Saturday, March 18, 2006