YORK City Knights’ first team seem to be having a tough time of things, sat just outside the relegation spots in the Co-operative Championship with the two defeats in the past week putting into perspective the brief upturn after Easter.

The Knights’ second string, meanwhile, are in winning form and scoring points aplenty, with excellent Reserve Championship victories over Keighley and Whitehaven following the draw with previously unbeaten Widnes.

It might be natural, therefore, to wonder why we aren’t seeing more of these reserves players given a chance in the first team.

It’s certainly a question being put forward among fans on the terraces and likewise on the messageboards.

For example, there have been a number of calls for big Adam Howard – he with the dreadlocked hair, who is already heading towards cult status after his eye-catching arrival in pre-season friendlies – to be given a shot. Several also wanted to see Dennis Tuffour back in the side – only for the winger to now go on loan to Hunslet.

We put the question to Knights head coach Dave Woods this week – ironically enough after he named one of those reserves, Davey Burns, as a substitute for Thursday night’s game at Batley and revealed that another, Joe Hemmings, was in line for a call-up to the 19-man match-day squad only to be ruled out by a dead leg.

“I don’t think people realise the difference in standard,” he responded. “A lot of people are banging on about how our reserves are doing great and players should be thrown in there. But the speed and quality from reserve-grade to the Championship – it’s a huge jump. Some people probably don’t realise how tough it is.”

It’s fair to say Burns probably does realise the difference having tasted it – though hopefully he also realises he has got the tools to cut it at that level.

One of the best players, if not the best, in the amateur game in York in the last year or so, he has been impressing for the reserves but has found first-team opportunities limited. He got that chance as a sub on Thursday, only to be taken back off soon after a costly handling error.

Woods – who explained beforehand that Burns himself admitted to finding the step up a big one – still has faith in the 24-year-old, and explained he did not haul the player off because of his error.

“He found the pace a bit tough at times but he did all right,” said Woods. “He came up with that one error, and he was penalised by the referee (for a foul play-the-ball) – but for me it wasn’t a penalty. He got a real quick play-the-ball and it was the ref who made an error.”

As for taking Burns back off, Woods added: “We were looking to take him off anyway. They were getting a bit of a roll-on and we were looking to give him a ‘spell’.

“I think he can make it. He’s still a year or so away from that level. He just needs to keep improving and keep doing what he’s doing in the reserves and bring that into first grade when called up.”

MEANWHILE, Woods said the aforementioned Tuffour still had a future at Huntington Stadium – and revealed he might not have let the 22-year-old leave had the move been afoot a day later.

The former Hull youngster, having had a request for a loan move turned down a few weeks ago, was allowed to join arch-rivals Hunslet for a month on Thursday, ahead of the defeat at Batley, although, given the performance of the players that night, he might have been in line to replace one of them in next week’s clash with Leigh.

Said Woods: “He’s not been happy. He missed a lot of training sessions and was late for a few. He’s been going okay in reserve-grade but still coming up with some errors.

“We thought someone else deserved a shot before him because of the way they’ve been training and playing and because of their attitude, and we said he needed to play well in the reserves, but he’s not been happy about that.

“He’s still got an opportunity here, though. We might have given him a run next week as it turned out.

“Hunslet will have a pretty tough month but we’ll have a look at the DVDs of their games and if he’s doing well we’ll bring him back and throw him in.”

FOR anyone wondering about another player who’s been back in the shadows, namely Mark Castle, the prop who came on trial around Easter and played one game for the first team, he is still in the club’s thinking.

Little has been seen of the former Doncaster and Leigh player following his substitute appearance against Hunslet on Good Friday.

However, having come to Huntington Stadium to help the club out when injuries left them short in the pack, he returned to his amateur club, Fryston, to see out the end of their season. It is planned he will be back training at York in a couple of weeks’ time.

Kids go free at upcoming

games THE Co-operative’s Kids Go Free initiative returns on May 28 to coincide with the May half-term school holidays, allowing under-16s to gain free entry to any Championship fixture when accompanied by a paying adult.

The scheme, which takes in the Knights’ game at home to Leigh a week tomorrow and the match at Featherstone a week later, was launched at the start of the season following research which showed family time had been hit by the economic crisis.

England and Yorkshire cricketer Ryan Sidebottom has become the latest celebrity rugby league fan to pledge his support for the campaign, joining the likes of fellow cricketer Graeme Swann, comedian Johnny Vegas and actress Lucy-Jo Hudson.

“This is a great idea,” said Sidebottom. “This should benefit the whole of the sport. What’s best of all is that it’s helping out families when times are tough.”

For more on ‘Kids Go Free’, visit www.therfl.co.uk/kidsgofree/

THIS column ran a story earlier this year about the Knights having had to end their scholarship scheme due to a change in Rugby Football League rules on youth systems.

In it we mentioned five York under-16s who have since joined Featherstone’s scholarship. For the latest on how they are getting on, see Park Life, the supplement on junior and grassroots sport in York, free inside today’s Press. There’s also a double-page colour spread in there with junior rugby league reports, featuring the under-9s derby between Heworth and New Earswick.

Tom and Jack on rise

TOM BUSH and Jack Lee, the reigning Press Player of the Year, were the big movers on this year’s leaderboard this week.

Bush was our man of the match in the defeat at Barrow on Saturday night (3pts), and was rated our third-best player in the game at Batley on Thursday night (1pt).

For Lee, it was the other way around. He was our third-best player at Barrow (1pt) and our top man at Batley (3pts). Lee has jumped into second place as he looks to retain his trophy.

The two other players to collect points for their tallies this week were Jack Stearman and Anthony Thackeray. Stearman, who is on the try trail at present with three in three games, was our second-best player at Barrow (2pts), and Thackeray likewise our second-best at Batley (2pts).

(On that note, forgive the typo in the player ratings published in The Press on Friday, which gave Thackeray a 5 instead of a 7. The correct marks can be found on our match reports section.

Press Player of the Year standings: Davies 15pts, Lee 12, Freer 9, Sutton 8, Massey 7, Bush 7, Straugheir 6, Thorman 6, Presley 5, Benson 4, Thackeray 4, Clarke 3, Stearman 3, Jones 3, Waterman 2, Lewis 2, Esders 2, Barlow 1.