THE proposed (hoped for) retention of Dave Woods as head coach should help York City Knights when it comes to player retention and recruitment for 2012 – but, even then, it is still far from a straightforward matter.

As revealed by The Press, family commitments have caused a delay in the Aussie’s contract talks, although both parties remain optimistic.

His retention at the helm should signal a stream of signings, especially among the current squad, given players generally want to know who would be in charge before putting pen to paper.

However, the club still face several issues to overcome in the process and it’s probably more complicated than it appears.

The fact players do not know where they will be playing next year, plus potential wrangling over contract offers, can quite feasibly affect how they perform for the remainder of this year.

When it comes to tying players down to new deals, one of the biggest problems for the Knights’ head coach and the team who set and spend the budget – chief John Guildford and general manager Ian Wilson – is the fact the club do not know which division they will be playing in next season given they are in a relegation dogfight.

This means they cannot yet have an established playing budget for 2012, as there is obviously more money from playing in the Championship rather than Championship One.

This issue was complicated further this week by the withdrawal from Super League of Crusaders, coupled with the impending elevation from the Championship to Super League of Widnes.

Crusaders currently seem unlikely to continue operating in the Championship and, with Toulouse also set to quit for a return to the French league, there are question marks over the promotion/relegation issues in the Championships and the makeup of these divisions next year.

In addition to not knowing what division they will be in, the Knights, along with all the clubs in the Championships, do not know how many games they will play in the next league season, all of which affects how much they can pay players, be it on contract terms or in anticipated match bonuses.

It is no wonder Wilson has called on the Rugby Football League chiefs to confirm the relegation picture and intended league structure as soon as possible.

Another problem for the Knights is the simple fact they are not the richest club in the Championship and so inevitably some of their players who have caught the eye this season will be offered better terms elsewhere.

The Press understands a number of current York players have already been approached and are weighing up the pros and cons of staying or going.

Let’s not forget, either, that players have their own concerns too, not helped by the fact they do not know which division York will be in next year. Do they sign now only to then see the club relegated?

So how should the Knights overcome this?

A strong argument is to prioritise tying up your most important players, and that probably involves getting a strong backbone in place – a quality half-back (if not two), a hooker, at least two good props and a full-back.

And if it means spending a bit more than planned on these players then so be it, the argument being that cash can be recouped when adding the less expensive squad men later on.

A danger of this, though, is when expensive contracted players do not provide value for money, be it due to injury, a drop in form or, perish the thought, the dreaded attitude.

Another danger is that there could be little money left for elsewhere in the squad and you end up with too much inexperience or incompetence down the ranks.

Then again, keeping a tight rein on contract offers for next season could affect the run-in for the current season.

Imagine offering one of the key players a wage he deems unacceptable or even belittling.

Is he going to give his all for the cause in the remaining games, especially if he has it in his head to move on?

Offering too much, on the other hand, might leave him in easy street and the club badly off.

To sum up, it’s a difficult balancing act all round, made trickier by the threat of relegation and, presently, by the uncertainty over next season’s league structure.

At least it’s never dull, though.


Bush blooms as newest victor

MANY fans have already begun discussing which players should be retained of the current squad, and both The Press Player of the Month award and The Press Player of the Year standings might give an indication of who’s high up in estimations.

The crashing loss at Halifax last Sunday was the Knights’ last game of July, which began brilliantly against Batley but tailed off somewhat against Toulouse and then Fax, and so Player of the Month votes – the award is decided by Press readers – have been due in.

We will leave the deadline for entries open until noon on Wednesday. To vote, either follow the link on the Knights pages of thepress.co.uk or email peter.martini@thepress.co.uk.

Please leave your full details, including a phone number so we can verify votes if need be – we don’t want anyone abusing the system (mentioning no names but pointing the finger at a certain back-rower).

The Player of the Month gets three bonus points added to his Press Player of the Year tally.

The winners of the points following the game at Halifax were Tom Bush, above, (3), Nathan Freer (2) and Alex Benson (1).

The big news to come out of this is that Freer has now gone to the top of the leaderboard, overhauling long-time table-topper John Davies, who has long since been back at parent club Castleford, and reigning champion Jack Lee.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Freer 16pts, Davies 15, Lee 15, Thorman 14, Straugheir 14, Bush 12, Benson 9, Sutton 8, Massey 7, Presley 5, Thackeray 5, Jones 5, Esders 5, Ford 3, Clarke 3, Stearman 3, Garside 3, Waterman 2, Lewis 2, Barlow 1.