YORK Acorn boss Josh Mortimer has backed Alfie Crawford to make the step up to semi-professional rugby in the near future amid his selection to England Community Lions’ 27-man train-on squad.

The 20-year-old hooker will have to wait until May to learn whether he has made the cut for the Community Lions’ final 22-man squad, which will tour Australia in October.

They will play three games and participate in a nine-a-side tournament in Perth before returning home.

It’s been an encouraging start to the season for the young talent, who burrowed over from close range to help Acorn to a 18-10 Betfred Challenge Cup Third Round upset at Cornwall earlier this month.

They will now host fellow NCL premier division outfit Wath Brow Hornets tomorrow afternoon (2pm) for a coveted place in Round Five.

“Alf is a brilliant kid,” Mortimer enthused to The Press. “He’s got a brilliant attitude and he just lives, eats, sleeps rugby.

“He knows everything that is going from amateur, to the Super League and rugby league in general.”

The reigning York and District Player of the Year, Crawford earned 11 Man of the Match awards as he helped Acorn to a seventh-placed finish last term.

He already has an Opposition Coach Man of the Match to his name this season, and Mortimer admits that he carries a real attacking threat to his side.

“There is no doubt about it, he is a serious threat at the nine," he stated. "I guarantee that every team that plays against us talks up Alfie’s threat.

“From dummy half he loves to get out, the service at the floor is second to none - he absolutely zips it across the floor and he gives us another point to our attack.

“The fact that we can be at least 20-yards away from him but know that we’re going to get his service, it adds another string to the bow.

“He’s tough as well but a really nice kid - he doesn’t have a nasty bone in him - but he is tough, he plays the game tough and he’s physical with people that are much bigger than him.”

The Acorn boss is also pleased to see Crawford on York Knights’ radar, with head coach Andrew Henderson not shy in his wishes to develop the city's talented youngsters.

“They’re looking at him as a bit more of a long-term project, and I am glad he’s got that opportunity with York and that they are interested in him.

“From my point of view I was buzzing to get him for another year, but it is borrowed time really because Alfie will be playing semi-pro shortly, I would imagine.

“There will be teams that want to pick him up and there are other teams in those divisions that want to sign him, he is highly-sought after, that is for sure.”