CALLUM WALKER reflects on York Knights’ inaugural Super League season.
The hope
The Knights entered Super League as an unknown quantity.
The club had never been in Super League and, though they had been building for a number of years, the steepness of the step up from the Championship to the top should not be underestimated.
However, head coach Mark Applegarth had steered the Knights to a 20-match unbeaten run and lifted the Championship League Leaders’ Shield in 2025.
With a number of Super League men joining the York ranks, including Paul Vaughan, Josh Griffin, Jon Bennison and Sam Wood, the Knights had planned to not just make up the numbers in Super League – and they had a great core fanbase and a state-of-the-art new stadium to make that happen.
The reality
Fair play to the Knights, they impressed throughout the 2026 season, winning nine games to finish in tenth on the Super League ladder.
Their 19-18 victory over reigning champions Hull KR in Round One will perhaps never be matched by a promoted team and their average attendance of 5,608 proved that the appetite for Rugby League had strong foundations in North Yorkshire – somewhere previously untapped in the top division.
The likes of Paul Vaughan, Paul McShane and David Nofoaluma wound back the years just as head coach Applegarth had hoped they would.
Best players
As mentioned above, Paul Vaughan, Paul McShane and David Nofoaluma were excellent throughout the year, with Vaughan even slotting over a cheeky field-goal in the last minute of York’s win over Bradford Bulls in the last game of the season.
McShane was at his imperious best, demonstrating that age is just a number, whilst Nofoaluma found a new lease of life on York’s wing. The 32-year-old registered 15 tries in 21 appearances as he showed why he had been such a fan favourite at Wests Tigers for a decade.
The ever-reliable Toa Mata’afa and Scott Galeano made the step up to Super League seamlessly, with Xavier Va’a also impressing with his strong ball-carrying ability.
And one of the stars of the club in the second half of the season was halfback Cody Hunter, who started the season with Newcastle Thunder, joining the Knights in April with his reputation enjoying an upward trajectory.
In quotes
“I’m proud for the lads, their hard work and self-belief shone through. It was a historic win and I’m proud to represent the city. We knew we had a chance with it being the first game and all the pressure was on Hull KR.” – Mark Applegarth couldn’t hide his joy after York beat Hull KR in Round One against the odds.
“It’s a great way to sign off. Our main aim was to give our fans something to sing about in the off-season and also sign off the lads who are no longer going to be with us. We ticked both boxes. We’ve got the first year out of the way and now it’s time to kick on. We wouldn’t be in Super League if it wasn’t for Clint (Goodchild), so you’ve got to give him credit, but David (Dickson) coming in will take things to the next level. It’s not going to be an overnight success. A lot of hard work needs to go into it.” – Mark Applegarth hails York’s maiden season in the top flight as excitement over the future under new owners grows.
“Rugby League has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. What started as a childhood dream became a career and a journey I could never have imagined, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have lived it. To my family, teammates, coaches, staff and everyone who has supported me over the years, thank you. You’ve all played a part in a journey I’ll be forever proud of. To York Knights, thank you for giving me the opportunity to finish my career doing what I’ve loved since I was a kid. I wish the club, the boys and all the fans nothing but the best moving forward. I walk away from the game grateful, proud and with memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.” – Paul Vaughan after deciding to retire following an illustrious career.
In numbers
The number of points York conceded in Super League – 597 – was actually the seventh best as the Knights even conceded less than seventh-placed St Helens.
8,500 was the attendance number that filled the LNER Community Stadium in Round One against Hull KR.
140 – the number of tackle busts David Nofoaluma had to his name, with only Leeds’ Lachie Miller ahead of him.
Highlights
That 19-18 Round One win over Hull KR will live long in the memory of all those associated with York.
A three-match winning run against Castleford Tigers, Huddersfield Giants and Hull FC in late June and early July lifted the Knights to the dazzling heights of ninth – if only for a week.
Managing to tie down the likes of Cody Hunter, Toa Mata’afa and David Nofoaluma to longer contracts also epitomised the good work being done behind the scenes.
Lowlights
York won just one from 12 games from late March to late June, slipping to 13th in the table as questions were asked of Mark Applegarth and his tactics.
A 48-10 loss to Hull KR in the Challenge Cup Quarter-Final also ended any hopes of a Wembley trip.
Losing new signing Matty English to an ACL injury before he could make his debut for the Knights was disheartening to say the least whilst Josh Griffin’s pectoral injury cut his time at York short – as well as forcing him into retirement.
Looking ahead
Make no mistake, trying to replace Paul Vaughan will be a huge task in itself. The 35-year-old played 28 times for the Knights in 2026, even scoring eight tries.
In an attempt to replace Vaughan, Applegarth has gone out and signed St George Illawarra Dragons veteran Blake Lawrie. Alongside Lawrie, Max Jowitt (Wakefield), Zak Hardaker (Hull FC) and Cameron McInnes (Cronulla Sharks) will all be York players in 2027. All three are proven winners and should elevate York to even greater standards next season.
A locally-based consortium led by David Dickson agreed to a takeover in August, which should see the level of investment rise further and take the Knights to the next level.
