Fax Knight

Who knows? Let’s hope he’s looking like a pro/semi-pro RL player and not a Big Daddy tribute act. If you’re a bloke in half-decent nick best bring your boots a week on Sunday as you might be needed

If Hingano’s out for the Widnes game does that mean a recall for Ellis?

Maybe Henderson didn’t rate him and it was a mutual decision (despite what reports say)? Thought it was a dumb idea to sign him up for two more years with his injury record. Divide minutes played into what he’s cost and he’s probably been the best paid player in the championship. At least both parties can move on now and I hope he has more luck in the future.

As I’ve said before if we have Super League aspirations we either need to double the crowd (at least), or get some serious investment into the club. I don’t think our current chairman quite has Derek Beaumont’s deep pockets. But, hey, he is a hospitality marketing guru….apparently.

Best of luck to him, but he must rank as one of Ford’s worst ever signings? So we now have two proven centres in the squad. Anyone on this site fancy a game?

Have we got any more money for new signings? This might be it? I guess there are loan players? Levi is a great prospect, but I‘m not sure his game progressed much with us. Mind you when you play 5 drives and a kick for 80 mins he was hardly on the end of quality ball.

Of course Bailey should do what’s right for him, but if true this …king annoys me. The Rhinos gets first pick of all the best young talent, they have the means to scout all of Australia themselves, but no let’s just pick off a good young talent from down the road that a Championship club managed to find and bring over to the UK. As I’ve said before, unless you get a Derek Beaumont on board you can forget Super League. As fast as we find them, someone else poaches them.

Good age and looks a good signing. Hope he does well for us.

Can someone elaborate on the number of players we intend to sign? A few days ago we were all buoyed by Henderson and rumours of an additional 8 players - young an experienced. Now I’m reading 21 and that’s your lot. So what is it? I know loan players are an option (Ronan and Levi were great - when they played), but to only have 21 signed is crazy. Plus one is unproven and was injured all last year and in my humble view another should be nowhere near a championship team with top 4 aspirations (bizarrely they have played in a World Cup game demonstrating the paucity of ‘talent’ available for some of these teams). Anyone shed any light on this?

Agreed. Love to know his tackle stats - must have been well over 50. The commentators were picking him out. I’d to see him being put through a gap - if we get a ball handler or two he could be another Paul McDermott. Epic defence with good pace.

Sensible decisions re: these players as we seek to improve. I’m sure young Inman will continue to progress his career. Oakes was never the same player when he returned back to York. He also had a rough time with injuries and young AJ has taken his chance superbly. I hope those that aren’t fixed up yet and who want to stay in the game get picked up. Looking forward to see who Henderson can entice.

I think he’s a sound appointment. Well respected and has decent experience. Five years does sound a tad long, but contracts can be broken. Do we have just 21 players signed? That’s not enough. It would be nice to get two or three more experienced players that are under 30. Surely Henderson would want to bring in some guys he likes, but I guess it all comes down to money.

Well I’m looking forward to a new coach. Ford did an amazing job when he took over. Lesser men would have jumped ship during those dark days of playing at Heworth and contending with a, shall we politely say, ‘challenging’ chairman (I don’t mean Flatman!). York fans will be forever grateful. But as with many jobs, or relationships, there comes a point when it’s time to move on. I feel we’ve never recaptured the highs of Bootham Crescent at the new stadium. Maybe he wants a new challenge? Maybe he doesn’t get on with the new Chairman (the jury is still out on him btw)? Who knows? I wish him well in his new role and hope the new coach can move us forwards.

To be fair Simon, I probably am. It’s probably a backlash for having to be uber-positive at work no matter what (I work in a tech company where most are half my age). Hey I’d like nothing more than BOH to play every minute next season and for UT to play like he’s 26 again. Have a good day.

Daley sounds promising. Let’s hope he spends more time on the pitch than another Aussie. Shouldn’t be too difficult as some ‘Royal Rumble’ contestants managed more time on the York turf than BOH last season. Teanby - like his commitment, but would like to see more offloads. I like Antrobus for his effort and versatility. Hope he can find more gaps than opposition players next season. As for Ukuma Ta’ai, I can only assume there’s some sponsorships deal with Stannah Stairlifts next season? Anyone got Brendan White’s number, let’s get that Klaxon sounding again.

Fair points HaxbyKnight. I’m sure James Ford is a lot happier than Brian McDermott tonight.

Or maybe I should have said a spare £2-3M to ensure you stay out of this League.

York have had a better season than last year and last weeks’ result was tremendous. Let’s not forget that we’ve seen some turgid, boring downright poor rl at times. Plus Bradford, Sheffield, London and Widnes have all goes backwards and Workington and Dewsbury were whipping boys. Barrow did well and real credit to Batley but I’d hardly say sixth is incredible given the state of other teams. As for the squad - we’ll lose Edwards and maybe Michael so I really hope Ford has some Thompson-quality signings in the pipeline otherwise we’ll be struggling for 6th again. As for our Chairman, I think I’ve probably got more money than him. And I don’t have his dubious “record” either. Unfortunately I don’t have a spare £2-3M which is what it will take to get out of this League. All Leigh have done is buy a team, not grown one. Like a lottery winner splurging on a range of super cars pretending they’ve earned them.

How many missed matches is that now? Given what we’ve paid him over the last two years he’s probably on more in terms of £’s per minutes played than Latrell Mitchell. Sorry, he’s no doubt a lovely bloke, but we actually need a half back who is on the pitch, not one sitting next to James Ford.

I’m sure one (or maybe all) of the Rhinos, Tigers, FC or Rovers are polishing up a contract as I post this. In return they will no doubt sponsor a couple of rounds of Royal Rumble at half-time. A real win-win…..

… And Glover’s boot is like a howitzer, which is a real bonus. I love his commitment. If he could just work on his off-loading game then he’d probably be playing at a higher level and not for us.

Got to love RL. Top teams cream off the best young talent at 16. Most of the lads don’t make it at pro/semi-pro level. My lad played in the same Siddal junior team as Holroyd, Smithies, Dean and Borough. Most of them signed, only those four left (plus Whitton at Cornwall). Many don’t play RL again or drift to RU. If a good lad like Warren ends up at a club like York he gets taken anyway. Nor knocking him- good luck to to the kid. But how can you develop a good side from within when the vultures swoop. Will be AJ.next. How many players have London found, developed and lost? Then again might not be an issue when we’re the crappy franchise “North York’s Turnips” and the Knights cease to be.

Forgot to say Bailey has pace, but rarely finds space (due to the one-out play) so ends up being a battering ram like everyone else. Wonder if we’ll offer him a contact. I like him- not many can play in the forwards or backs.

I don’t think it’s so much size with our pack as much as pace and off-loads. I don’t want to sound like I’m always having a go because I appreciate they are not NRL or top Super League players, but we haven’t had much speed in the forwards since Bachelor left (whatever happened to him….) and no off loads since Horne. Great player though Thompson is, he’s not an off-loader. PP is good, but teams know this and wrap him up. Stock occasionally, but he seems to have fallen out of favour. As for the rest, not much. Has Masi ever off-loaded? Maybe they are told not to? Hence the “5 drives and a kick” we all love watching so much.

Great news. I rate him as our best signing in the past three years and one of the best players James Ford has ever signed. If everyone in the current squad was as committed as him we’d be in second place and we wouldn’t have conceded 100 points (still can’t quite believe that score).