Ram-shaw fire

As revealed by the Evening Press last week, the 34-year-old has joined the Knights staff as a full-time development officer, and he begins his new job on Monday claiming the ambition at Huntington Stadium makes it an attractive place to be.

"The way the club has started off, there's a lot of interest around the city. It's an exciting place to be," he told the Evening Press.

"I've been to the last three or four games and, speaking to supporters and directors, they are really enthusiastic about what's happening, and so am I.

"Everybody at the club is ambitious and focused on what they want to achieve and that's good for me. I don't want to just plod along, I want to move places and see some rewards and I think there's huge potential here."

Ramshaw, a successful development officer during his time with Keighley, left Cougar Park - and rugby league - after hanging up his boots at the end of last season to take up a full-time position as a youth worker. However, he became keen to return to the game.

"I had an approach at the end of last season from Steve Ferres (Knights chief executive) about possible moving over," he explained. "But I was coming to the end of my career at Keighley and thought it would be good to spend time away from the game and recharge my batteries.

"But I realised I missed the game and needed to be involved and I jumped at the chance when Steve approached me again. Rugby has been a massive part of my life for 16 or 17 years."

He added: "I was development officer at Keighley since 1997 and they've been talked about as having good community initiatives. I'll be bringing some of those initiatives over and implementing some new ones.

"Initially it's to oversee the Knights' Sportsmatch application to deliver primary schools coaching and to bring in some community initiatives within the York area. The idea is to get them in place and get a lot of youngsters and companies involved in the club. I'm looking forward to it."

Ramshaw, who will be assisted with development by players Chris Langley and Damian Ball, might also be added to the Knights' coaching team.

He said: "I've had my senior coaching badge for three-and-a-half years. People tell me I would make a good coach and it is something I'm interested in down the line.

"Steve and Richard Agar (Knights coach) have mentioned the possibility of linking up with coaching, though that would be secondary to the full-time job, and I would be happy to get involved and work with the first team if that chance arose."

KNIGHTS star Chris Langley is a joker - or so says Huddersfield Giants coach Jon Sharp.

That verdict might seem harsh, but it is in fact a compliment for the 23-year-old former Huddersfield centre.

Apparently, Langley (pictured right) earned himself a reputation for being a comic impersonator while at the McApline, with Sharp describing him - perhaps a little unfairly on the likes of Peter Kay and Steve Coogan - as "the funniest man in the world".

"He didn't necessarily do famous people but he could take off people at the club," explained Sharp, whose side take on St Helens in the second Powergen Challenge Cup semi-final tomorrow, having defeated York in the quarter-finals last month.

"He impersonated me, and he does a great Tony Smith (former Giants coach). I'm sure he will have a Richard Agar one as well now."

A blushing Langley explained: "When I was there all the lads had a thing whereby they tried to get me to take people off, especially Tony Smith, who is now in charge at Leeds Rhinos.

"I used to do that and it kind of went down well with the lads."

And now at Huntington Stadium? "Erm, I'm working on a few people," he said, adding a word of caution.

"Always start with the back-room staff and work your way from there. You've got to be careful with the coach - you don't want it affecting selection."

FORMER York Wasps coach Leo Epifania has landed a job at NRL giants Wests Tigers.

The Aussie, who was in charge at Huntington Stadium for the ill-fated final half-season of the Wasps' troublesome recent history, has taken the reins for the Tigers' third team, who compete in the Jersey Flegg (under 20s) competition.

Epifania, who had little luck during his time in York, had a coaching job with his old club, Sydney Bulls, but admitted he had looked for a return to England - he was linked to the Workington hot-seat in the closed season - before this new post came "out of the blue."

"Two of my players have already played first grade this season," he told the Evening Press. "It's only a few steps away from the first grade and almost a full-time position."

He added: "I would still love to return to the UK. I've been keeping up to date with news on York RL, and it's good to see that it is professionally run and doing well."

FEATHERSTONE have reportedly taken internal action against forward Jim Carlton, who was sent off for striking Mark Cain in Rovers' defeat to the Knights in the final Arriva Trains Cup group game, at Post Office Road on Good Friday.

Carlton was also seen to give the finger to fans as he walked off the pitch.

The action, believed to comprise a fine and suspension, comes on top of the one-match ban and £100 fine imposed by the Rugby Football League's disciplinary committee.

Both Carlton and centre Richard Newlove, who also received a one-match ban plus £100 fine for a reckless high tackle in the same game, will miss tomorrow's trip to York. Newlove also got three matches after being cited in the following game against Oldham.

Hitting the high Rhodes

SUPER stand-off Scott Rhodes jumped to the top of the Evening Press/ Collier Plant Hire player of the year rankings this week.

His man-of-the-match performance as he tried to inject zest into the Knights' under-par display against Hunslet gleaned him three player-of-the-year points, as well as the extra point awarded via the fans' votes, and these took him above joint-leaders Lee Jackson and Simon Friend in the table.

Jackson stayed with him at the helm after getting two points for being deemed the second-best player as he worked to reverse the tide against the workmanlike Hawks, and that haul took him back level at the top.

Scrum-half Danny Brough took the remaining point from a game in which the Knights did not excel themselves on the whole.

Fans' votes can be sent in by email to peter.martini@ycp.co.uk or by postcard to Peter Martini c/o Sportsdesk, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate. York, YO1 9YN, leaving name, address and daytime contact number.

These votes count towards the new Player of the Month Award, in which voters get the chance to win a pair of VIP tickets to a home game.

Latest standings: Rhodes 12pts, Jackson 12, Brough 10, Friend 10, Callaghan 9, Ball 7, Graham 7, Elston 7, Godfrey 5, Forsyth 5, Langley 3, Stewart 3, Briggs 2, Cain 2, J Smith 2, Wood 1, Hayes 1, Andrews 1, Sozi 1.

FIRST York have again teamed up with the Knights to provide free buses to and from tomorrow's game with Featherstone.

They will pick up from:

Outside Thanet Road Baths 2pm, then Stonebow Job Centre 2.15pm;

Outside Corner House on Burton Stone Lane 2pm, then Lowther Street shops 2.15pm;

York Railway Station forecourt from 2pm departing 2.20pm.

Return buses will leave Huntington Stadium 15 minutes after the final hooter.

Updated: 10:15 Saturday, April 24, 2004