THE first winner of the Evening Press-sponsored Knights Player of the Month for 2005 is John Smith.

The 24-year-old forward was the Press' man of the match in the victory over Hunslet and also impressed in the losses to Castleford and Featherstone, all the more so having been pushed up front to prop from his usual second-row slot.

His efforts have not gone unnoticed by fans, who voted him their Player of the Month for February, just pipping Matt Blaymire, who has been excellent at full-back in the opening games of the season.

The Press has teamed up with the Knights to run this competition again this year and, although this season's format has been tweaked from last term, supporters again decide the winners.

Simply send in your votes for the Player of the Month to the Evening Press Sportsdesk at the end of every month, and the player who tops the poll takes the award.

Everyone who sends in a vote also goes into a hat to win not only two VIP tickets to a home game but the chance, too, to present the award to the victorious player on the Huntington Stadium pitch.

The winner of this prize this month is avid fan Wendy Pickett, who doubles up as a programme seller on match-days. She will present Smith with his award ahead of tomorrow's match against Featherstone.

Don't forget to vote for your Knights Player of the Month after the last game in each month. Votes can be emailed to peter.martini@ycp.co.uk or sent on a postcard to Peter Martini, Evening Press Sportsdesk, 76-86 Walmgate, YO1 9YN.

Make sure your full name, address and daytime contact number are written clearly on the email or postcard. Mark your entry "Player of the Month vote".

The deadline for all votes to be received by the Sportsdesk will be noon on the Thursday that follows the last game of each particular month.

AS winner of the Player of the Month, John Smith also collects three additional points for his Evening Press/Collier Plant Hire Player of the Year tally.

And this has helped to give the forward a big early lead at the top of the 2005 player-of-the-season charts.

The three-point haul from last week's game at Featherstone went to man of the match Blaymire, who was solid as a rock at full-back, while big prop Adam Sullivan picked up two points for being deemed the Knights' second best player on the day. The remaining point went to loose-forward Jonny Liddell, who put in a huge tackling effort.

Player of the year standings: Smith 8, Paterson 3, Blaymire 3, Sullivan 3, Ross 2, Law 1, Liddell 1.

THE reigning Evening Press/Collier Plant Hire champion, Lee Jackson, will be presented with his 2004 award in front of the fans for the first time before tomorrow's home game against Featherstone by a representative of sponsors Collier Plant Hire.

Updated: 09:12 Saturday, March 05, 2005