Close encounters

Scorelines in the Arriva Trains Cup have indicated that there is little difference between the majority of teams in the line-up, and, although the Knights have yet to break their duck in the competition, it has been a similar story of tough luck for many other Division Two sides.

Indeed, results have reflected divisional status of the teams, with not a single Division Two side at this current stage lying higher in any of the four sections than their group rivals from Division One.

That said, a number of scorelines have shown that the gulf between the two National League divisions is not as great as some pundits believed at the start of the season.

For a start, the Knights' foes tomorrow, Sheffield, beat First Division Batley 18-8 on Wednesday, while Swinton's wonderful Challenge Cup win over Featherstone Rovers last week also gave proof that Division Two teams could more than compete with their higher-ranked rivals. Their 32-10 victory, which sent a message of intent to their Division Two rivals ahead of the league campaign, also shortened the odds on the Lions winning promotion, putting them up there with Hunslet Hawks in the early favourites' list.

Hunslet, barring last weekend's loss of course, have enjoyed the best start to the season than any of their Division Two rivals, with their five wins, including that incredible Challenge Cup triumph over Super League side Huddersfield. However, how their confidence will be affected by last week's 82-0 Cup mauling by Bradford Bulls, a club record defeat, remains to be seen.

Either way, Broadbent is confident his Knights team will be up there come the league campaign, which kicks off at Easter.

"I've said all along that I think it will be a very tough competition," he told the Evening Press. "I think it will be closer in the Second Division than in the First.

"Swinton and Hunslet will go into it with confidence and some people would expect them to be front-runners after some of their results.

"But by the time we come to the league campaign, we will be where we want to be and hopefully we'll put in a strong challenge."

THE Knights opponents tomorrow, Sheffield Eagles, go into tomorrow's match buoyed after getting their first ATC points on the board with the midweek defeat of Batley.

But previous to Wednesday, the Eagles, like York, had shown an ability to compete against National League One sides without actually turning that into victories. And they were far from competitive against Super League outfit Hull FC last week.

In fact, they - like Hunslet - suffered a club record defeat, the 88-0 scoreline also being a record victory for the Airlie Birds.

Of course, the Eagles' compensation will be the massive pay-off they will get after switching the tie to Hull's new Kingston Communications Stadium and getting a bumper 11,729 crowd.

Furthermore, the midweek win over Batley proved teams can bounce back from disappointment - like York will hope to do tomorrow.

Ex-York players make a point

FORMER Hunting-ton Stadium points machines Jamie Benn and Simon Irving are piling on the points again this season.

Benn, boosted by his 18-point haul (from six conversions, one penalty and one try) when Dewsbury beat the Knights a fortnight ago, has kicked the second highest number of goals this season out of the all the players in the National League, with a tally of 23, seven behind Batley's Barry Eaton.

He currently lies fourth in the NL points-scoring charts with 54, just ten behind that man Eaton at the top, while Irving, who has notched 16 points in Doncaster's two games against the Knights this term, is one place above with 56.

It's good (though not necessarily from a Knights point of view) to see York lads Jonny Liddell and Dan Briggs also doing the business for Hunslet Hawks.

Both are former York Wasps players, with Liddell being a product of York Acorn and Briggs a former player with amateur neighbours Heworth.

Briggs will be hoping for double promotion glee this year, having helped Heworth into a challenging place in the National Conference League division two before returning to help the push at South Leeds Stadium.

UNFORTUNATELY, the Knights' St Patrick's Day party next Friday has had to be called off.

Unforeseen circumstances have meant that co-ordinator Phil Seymour, of the supporters' fundraising committee, will not have the time to organise the event, which was set to raise money for Comic Relief as well as the rugby club.

Phil sends his apologies and says he will get going on another bash as soon as possible.

"We'll just have to think of a different excuse to have a party," he said.

Anyone who has already bought tickets will get a full refund.

KUKRI Sports, the company that makes the popular Knights kit, have become the official ball supplier for National Leagues One and Two.

The Preston-based firm have entered a two-year agreement which will see them introduce their revolutionary new 'XIII Rugby League Ball'.

The ball will be blue and silver and new features include a durable and sticky 'Griptex' surface, a latex bladder ensuring pressure retention for at least six months, and 'special balances' for true flight.

The ball will be used for the first time in this weekend's Arriva Trains Cup ties, including York's match at Sheffield.

Gladiator Knight?

WHAT chances of Hollywood actor Russell Crowe becoming a Knights supporter?

The New Zealand-born bad boy, the star of Gladiator among other blockbusters, is a well-known big fan of rugby league - he supports South Sydney in his adopted country of Australia - and, as reported by the Evening Press this week, he made a flying visit to the Minster city, where he is soon to have family ties.

The grandparents of Crowe's fiancee, Aussie singer-songwriter Danielle Spencer, lives in Nether Poppleton, just outside York, and the movie megastar flew over for a few hours specially to meet his in-laws-to-be.

Maybe next time he pops across from America he can take in a match at Huntington Stadium.

Updated: 09:03 Saturday, March 08, 2003