Rugby: It's a waiting game for stricken Heworth

DYNAMIC DUO: York Acorn's Paul Higgins and Alfie Hill, Yorkshire's new coaching team

They will not know until tonight who will make themselves available for the match following the strike action which resulted from coach Keith Loft's suspension.

Several first teamers refused to travel to Wigan St Judes last Saturday after it was announced Loft had been expelled for two years for a breach of club rules.

The weakened side were hammered 62-2 and they could face another beating this week unless some players choose to return.

Craig Forsyth, joint coach with Loft, was away on holiday last week and missed all the developments. He has now returned and will resume his coaching duties as well as making himself available to play.

Spokesman Ken Sykes revealed there were a few more players at training on Tuesday but some were still staying away.

"It's a bit of a wait and see situation. There is still some feeling around. There was a reasonable turn-out at training but still a number of players who missed Saturday's game weren't there although one or two were," said 50-year-old Sykes who was named on the bench last week to make up the numbers.

The Villagers hold their next training session tonight after which they will have a better idea about the side to face Siddal.

Both sides look destined for a mid-table finish in the National Conference first division but victory for Heworth would see them leapfrog Siddal.

Former York Wasps star Jamie Benn will be hoping to bring about New Earswick All Blacks' downfall when his side, Castleford Panthers, visit White Rose Avenue.

Benn is back with the Panthers following his trial period with professional neighbours Castleford Tigers and scored a try and three goals in their defeat by Crosfields last week.

It is New Earswick's first NCL division two match since November following postponements and their Challenge Cup bid which ended in a 44-4 defeat by Featherstone Lions last week.

The All Blacks are six places off the bottom but are only three points outside the re-election zone. Defeat would see them slip below Cas and compound their worries but victory could put them into a more comfortable mid-table slot.

York Acorn will be full of confidence for their top versus bottom clash against Eastmoor Dragons in NCL division two.

The Blue and Golds picked up only their third victory of the season in a fine 20-12 win at Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks last week.

It was a result which delighted Acorn spokesman Paul Lumby who said: "We aren't getting carried away by last week's win but at least it has given us a fighting chance of avoiding re-election.

"Confidence and team spirit is high and we are determined to pull together and gain the six wins we believe we need to gain enough points. We believe the two re-election spots could go to any of London Skolars, Milford Marlins, New Earswick, Castleford Panthers, Sheffield and ourselves.

"Looking at the remaining fixtures, we have pin-pointed several games where we believe we can pick up points and while this may not be one of those, we shall still be going all out for the win."

Acorn will look to the continued good form of props Paul Dodsworth and Leigh Marshall, along with prolific try-scoring centre Kenny Embleton, to aid their bid against the league leaders.

York Groves kick-off their BNFL National Cup campaign at home to North West Counties side Roose Pioneers 'A' (kick-off 2pm).

York's National Conference sides are exempt from the first round.

Acorn 'A' travel to Shaw Cross 'A' in the Yorkshire League fourth division hoping to consolidate their mid-table position against a side who beat New Earswick 'A' 30-6 last week.

Prolific try-scoring loose forward Darren Crake and 17-year-old scrum-half Johnny Waldron are Acorn's form players.

Acorn duo take county reins

by Dianne Hillaby

York Acorn ARL duo Alfie Hill and Paul Higgins have been selected as the new coaching team for the Yorkshire amateur open age squad.

Hill, who has been named as head coach, was in charge of Acorn from 1984 to 1998. The man who assisted him during that period, Higgins, will take on the same capacity with Yorkshire.

The pair, both now directors of coaching at Acorn, will be joined by Acorn physio Stephen 'Jonty' Thompson. And with Spen Allison again named as manager there is very much a York bias to the new county set-up.

Their first match in charge will be against Lancashire on February 6 and last night they had their first look at the players in a trial match at Heworth.

Their next task will be to whittle down the 40 players who attended the trial to a squad of 22. They will then have three weeks to prepare them for the match.

Acorn centre Gareth Lloyd and New Earswick second rower Lee McTigue could both come into contention if they can overcome their respective injuries.

For Hill, 48, it represents an exciting opportunity to return to hands-on coaching. Apart from a spell helping out York Wasps Academy last season he has been in the background since stepping down as Acorn coach.

"I've missed it since I packed in at Acorn. Not having that direct involvement takes the buzz out if," admitted Hill.

His appointment follows the successful completion of his Senior Coaching Award which he took at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire last year. It is the highest qualification in the sport and is equivalent to the old Level Three and Four awards combined.

His decision to apply for a post with the county squad came after watching Yorkshire Under-17s against New South Wales Schoolboys at Huntington Stadium in October.

He explained: "At the game I asked Spen Allison how you go about getting involved and he told me just to put a CV in. So I did and this is what they've come up with it.

"The Senior Coaching Award opens up all kinds of doors and this is another step forward. They left it quite late though so I thought I was out the window."

Higgins, 47, coached Acorn Under-17s before stepping up to assist Hill with the club's open age side. Jonty Thompson also treats the county Under-18s and stood in as the York Wasps physio for a short spell last season.

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