SECOND-ROW star Scott Fletcher has no regrets about signing for York City Knights - despite the fact he'll miss out on Great Britain tours to Russia and the South Seas because of it.

Fletcher would have been a certainty for the British Amateur Rugby League Association GB squad, which was named this week ahead of the May trip to Moscow, where they will play Russia, USA and France for the inaugural Victory Cup.

Indeed, the 28-year-old BARLA player-of-the-year would probably have skippered the squad on the tour, at which crowds of up to 40,000 are expected at the Olympic Stadium.

But rather than stay with National Conference League big-guns West Hull and continue his captaincy of the GB Amateurs, Fletcher chose to sign for York for his first crack at professional rugby league - and he is positive he made the right decision.

He said: "I've never been to Russia and it would have been nice to go and I've heard there's a tour to the South Sea Islands coming up as well, so it's a bit of a blow to have missed out on a few things.

"But if I had stayed in the amateur game I would probably have been sat there thinking about not signing for York.

"The Knights gave me the opportunity of having a crack at the pro game and it was a chance I couldn't afford to turn down.

"I'd played for BARLA Great Britain since 1996 and I'd been to Australia a few times, and I thought it was about time I had a go at the pro game.

"I'm really enjoying it. They're a good set of lads, the coaching is really good and I think we're going places. We're making a few decent signings and I'm very happy I joined."

Fletcher is one of only six Knights to have played in all nine games so far, scoring two tries.

And he became the first-ever York player to be given the Arriva Trains Cup player-of-the-round award, for his performance in the defeat of Doncaster on March 16 - an award he was presented with before the Knights beat Sheffield on Sunday.

He admitted that his first few performances for York had not been eye-catching, but said he was getting used to the pro game.

"I thought I was struggling a bit at first but since I started to settle it's been getting better," he said.

"It took a while to get used to the pace of the game and make the step up. A lot of people don't realise there's quite a big difference.

"When you're playing a Challenge Cup game (as an amateur against professionals) it's a one-off and you raise your game, but doing it week in week out is different. I'm getting used to it and I'm enjoying it."

Young officials take on role as fifth man

some of you may have noticed there is now a fifth official at matches, and the games at Huntington Stadium have seen young, upcoming York refs filling the role.

A fifth official has been needed this season to help check on substitutions, given that each team is now allowed up to 12 interchanges.

Last week saw Gareth Evans, 17, take on the role for the second time, while the other two Arriva Trains Cup matches have been taken by Tom Benson and fellow 16-year-old Shane Daniel.

The Challenge Cup match against Doncaster saw Gareth's dad, Stuart, a more experienced official, handle a potentially more pressurised game.

All are members of the York and District RL Referees' Society, of which Stuart is the secretary.

Apparently, the fifth officials don't get paid, but Stuart said: "We do it for the love of the game and for the experience, especially for the younger ones.

"They rub shoulders with guys who are making it in the game and pick up tips that can help."

STUART Evans is also a fountain of York RL knowledge and statistics, and he pointed out a factual error in last week's Play The Ball.

The article stated that former York star Graham Steadman set a club record for the most points scored in a match when he notched 24 against Carlisle in 1984, a record he equalled against Batley soon after and then extended to 26 in the return fixture in the same season.

However, it should have stated that Steadman set a "post-war" club record. The actual record belonged to a player called W Jacques, who scored 28 points for York in a 43-4 win against Featherstone on December 22, 1900.

That record of 28 was later equalled by Gary Pearce against Nottingham in 1992, and by Brad Davis against Highfield in 1995, with a club record seven tries, and was upped to 30 by Jamie Benn against the at the time struggling club Oldham in 1999.

THERE is a new leader in the Evening Press/Collier Plant Hire Knights player-of-the-year standings.

Trevor Krause, who starred at hooker in last week's defeat of Sheffield, took the three points for a man-of-the-match display and therefore usurps top spot from full-back Chris Smith.

New signing Scott Rhodes, for many people the top man last week, got off the mark in his first Knights game by collecting two points to go with his stunning debut try. Mick Ramsden collects the remaining point.

Standings: Krause 10pts, Smith 8, Cain 7, Hayes 5, Jackson 5, Broadbent 5, Ramsden 4, Fletcher 3, Callaghan 3, Godfrey 3, Hallas 3, Rhodes 2, Lloyd 1, Bolus 1.

THE Knights had another debutant at Huntington Stadium last Sunday - a television in the stadium bar. It will be in place on match-days so that fans can catch up on the latest Sunday sporting action before and after the Knights home matches.

This date marks more than I thought

FURTHER to my piece in last week's Play The Ball about the March 26 date of destiny, yet more coincidences have been pointed out.

As reported, York Wasps officially folded on March 26, 2002, and exactly one year later York City FC were officially saved.

York RL fan Dave Edwards, who runs the Knights' website, has since pointed out that March 26, 1989, was the day York RL played their last game at Clarence Street. (Furthermore, for what it's worth, March 26 is also yours truly's birthday.)

It appears that March 24 is another day of days in York RL's history. As fan Gary Hall pointed out, on March 24, 1982, York signed one of their greatest players, Graham Steadman; on March 24, 1984, York played that famous Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan; and on March 24, 2002, fans staged that public crisis meeting at Huntington Stadium which started the ball rolling towards the formation of York City Knights.

HERE'S another coincidence, or is it intervention from above?

The Knights have so far played five home games and on each occasion the sun has shone down on Huntington Stadium, with barely a cloud in the sky and little more than a gentle breeze.

It is supposedly a summer season, of course, but you have to remember the campaign kicked off in mid-January, and this is England.

Maybe weekend weather forecasters should simply look to see if York are at home on the Sunday in order to predict what the weather will be like that day, eg York at home = fine sunny day.

(Let's hope I haven't tempted fate ahead of next week's home game against Featherstone.)

AND here's yet another coincidence.

Young Wakefield-based referee Ben Thaler was originally down to officiate at the Knights v Sheffield match last week, but those plans had to change on the Thursday when Knights signed Adam Thaler on loan from Castleford Tigers.

Adam, who made his debut at stand-off in the match, is Ben's younger brother, and so the latter had to declare an interest in the match.

AND here, again, is yet another coincidence.

The winner of the Supporters' Club half-time draw at Huntington Stadium last week was announced as "Mr R Dixon", and it has since been confirmed that club chairman Roger Dixon was indeed the man with the lucky ticket.

Match of the day

CONGRATULATIONS to supporters' committee member Phil Seymour, who heads up the fund-raising events section, and his fiancee and fellow fan Julie Smith on their forthcoming wedding.

The Knights-mad duo have jetted off to Jamaica, where they will soon be married.

Rumours that both are to wear a Knights top at the ceremony - Phil in the navy blue home strip and Julie in the all-white away strip - have not been confirmed.

Updated: 10:07 Saturday, April 05, 2003