ASSISTANT-BOSS Mick Ramsden has urged York City Knights to appoint a new head coach as soon as possible to help the club build for 2013.

The Knights returned to losing ways last night as they fell 44-10 at Sheffield. That leaves them with just the one win in 11 Championship outings under player-boss Chris Thorman.

The Geordie has nevertheless been handed an assistant-coach’s role at Super League side Huddersfield, to start at the end of the current campaign. And Ramsden reckons the quicker the club have a replacement lined up the better as it could play a key part in player recruitment for next term.

Said the 40-year-old: “We’re starting to recruit now for next year and players often like to know who’s coaching. It’s important to some players, if not others, and they’d like to know what’s coming and who they’re working with.

“It would be good to get it sorted fairly quickly.”

Ramsden, whose own job, along with that of fellow assistant Mick Cook, has been assured, ruled himself out of the running.

“From my point of view, I’m happy to be assistant at the moment,” he said.

“The head coach role comes with other responsibilities such as working in the community and, with my job, I can’t do that.”

Asked whom he would like to see installed, he added: “I would like to see someone with experience and someone I will enjoy working with and learning from, keeping my development going as a coach.”

As for Thorman, he said: “I’m pleased for Chris. He’s worked hard and, although we’ve had a difficult year, he’s a grafter and he’s been fully committed to the club. It’s great he's got this opportunity.”

Thorman’s record as player-boss at York now reads won five lost 12 after last night’s result. Three of those losses prior to last night had come against Sheffield, in the league, the Northern Rail Cup and Challenge Cup.

This fourth defeat against the club with whom Thorman began his playing career ended badly for the 31-year-old, too, as he was taken off with three minutes to go with a foot injury.

Ramsden said of the match: “Sheffield are a good side, we know all about that. But it was pretty disappointing.

“I thought the first half was a reasonable first half, to go in that close. We talked at half-time and we were very confident. We just needed to change a few little things.

“We were pretty disappointed with how it went in the second half.

“The guys started to drop off tackles they should be making. I thought they would be making them given the way they talked at half-time – they looked up for it. I can’t put my finger on why they started to drop off tackles.

“When we go 12 to 16 points behind, we seem to fall apart a bit. It’s disappointing.

“I don’t think Chris’s announcement had an effect. Things change in rugby league and people move on. Chris has worked hard for his opportunity and nobody begrudges him.”