THE axe has continued to swing at York City Knights with Joe McLocklan – a star pre-season recruit – being told he can find another club.

Head coach James Ratcliffe promised there would be big changes after last Sunday’s loss at Rochdale left the club down in seventh in Championship One.

And he has kept to that pledge, with McLocklan being the third big name now set to leave the club, along with former Super League second-row Danny Hill and Press Player of the Year Mark Applegarth.

As revealed by The Press on Thursday, Hill was axed after missing training and then refusing to play in the reserves to win a first-team place back, while prop Applegarth, as revealed yesterday, has been allowed to go to Australia.

Another forward, former New Earswick All Blacks amateur Carl Barrow, has also been allowed to leave having struggled to stay in the first-team picture. The 28-year-old will return to the amateur ranks, firstly with summer club York Lokomotive.

Winger Tom Stancliffe, 19, has also quit, having had few opportunities. He has been absent from training for a few weeks.

The writing was on the wall for former Featherstone hooker McLocklan when Ratcliffe said, after Rochdale, that it was “time we moved on some of our, say, more skilful players”.

The 23-year-old had been named vice-captain at the start of the season, with Ratcliffe describing him as one of the best hookers outside Super League, but he has been largely disappointing, barring a few good performances at loose-forward. He has been used at hooker, loose-forward and, most recently, stand-off.

Ratcliffe said: “It’s disappointing that it’s not worked out. By Joe’s own admission, he’s not played his best rugby. He’s not looked like he’s been happy and that’s interfered with his performances on the field.

“We felt it was best for everyone (that he moves on).

“He’s agreed with that in the sense that he’s not been particularly happy in his rugby for whatever reason.

“It’s one of those things. Sometimes it doesn’t work out.”

McLocklan, like Hill and Stancliffe, remains registered to the Knights and is set to continue attending training.

He has been named in the reserves for today’s trip to Oldham as he puts himself in the shop window. But he is not in the squad for tomorrow’s Championship One match at home to unbeaten Blackpool.

Applegarth and Barrow leave under better circumstances. Knights general manager Ian Wilson said: “We agreed to release Mark so he can fulfil an ambition of playing down under. He leaves with our very best wishes.

“Carl had an excellent pre-season and was hoping for a big year but work commitments have meant he has been unable to sustain these standards and following talks we have agreed to allow him to return to the amateur game.

“Carl also leaves with our best wishes and no doubt he will continue to support the club and his former team-mates.”