NATHAN MASSEY has completed an excellent first four weeks at York City Knights by being voted the Player of the Month for February – a choice endorsed by head coach Dave Woods.

The 21-year-old Castleford prop, who is dual-registered at Huntington Stadium, topped the poll of The Press readers following Sunday’s win over Keighley, the last game of February.

In bad news for the Knights fellow forward Ryan Esders has been charged with two offences during that 28-22 defeat.

The first is a grade ‘C’ offence of dangerous contact in the 52nd minute and the second is a grade ‘B’ offence of punching in the 65th minute, for which he was sin-binned. His disciplinary hearing at the Rugby Football League will take place next week.

Massey was The Press’s man of the match that day following fine showings against Barrow and Featherstone as well as London Skolars, when he was one of the few players to come out of that nightmare with any credit.

Woods said: “He’s been tremendous since he came to us.

“We were a bit worried about his shoulder, with the injury he had had, and whether he would be able to come back, but he’s been great.

“He’s led by example up front, carrying two or three balls in a set and really getting stuck in.

“The Player of the Month is just reward for the hard work he’s put in to get back.”

Asked whether Massey was likely to stay at York for the entire season, Woods added: “That depends on the injuries at Cas and what form they’re in, but we would like to try to keep him all year if we can.”

Massey, along with fellow Castleford loanees John Davies and Jordan Thompson, will not be allowed to play for the Knights in Sunday’s Challenge Cup tie against Northumbria University.

Cas do not want any of them cup-tied so all three look set to turn out for the Tigers’ reserves this weekend. It is planned they will all be back for the Knights’ crunch Co-operative Championship opener against arch-rivals Hunslet the following Sunday.

Davies, along with Jack Lee, had also come close in the Player of the Month poll.

• LONDON Skolars’ Matthew Thomas has been banned for one match and fined £50 after pleading guilty to making a high tackle on Knights half-back Scott Woods in the Northern Rail Cup draw on February 20.