MARK APPLEGARTH believes York Knights have “exceeded expectations” this season – but that things could have been even better had they enjoyed better execution.
The Knights, alongside Bradford Bulls and Toulouse Olympique, were elevated into Super League for 2026.
Despite most bookies, pundits and fans predicting those three promoted sides to be fighting it out at the bottom of the table, all have performed creditably.
While injury-hit Bradford sit in 14th with six wins, York came into the weekend eleventh and Toulouse tenth, both with seven victories to our name.
And Applegarth believes that with full funding for 2027 – the Knights and Toulouse agreed this year to take only half of the central distribution given to other clubs – York will be even better.
“We feel if we had been a little bit better in terms of execution then we could have had four more wins, potentially five, but it just shows the margins you are playing with,” said Applegarth.
“This year we have been in competition with ourselves and Toulouse if you’re going off funding.
“I hate talking about it and having it as a reason but it is there. It is what it is and we knew what we were getting into.
“Do we feel our team has had bang for its buck? One hundred percent I do. I know that it will get noticed next year when everyone is on that even keel.
“But we have exceeded expectations – as have Toulouse. Bradford have been great to watch too and Kurt Haggerty has got them playing some good rugby.
“All the teams that have come up from the Championship have added value.”