York City Knights chairman John Guildford has reiterated the club’s policy of “living within their means” as transfer talk begins to build ahead of the 2013 season.

As reported by The Press, the Knights have already turned some sights to next season having pinpointed players to retain and targets to approach at the end of the season. Indeed, talks with current players the club would like to keep are getting under way. See today’s back page story as an example.

There is no relegation from the Championship this year due to the game’s restructuring, but Guildford has conceded the club must strive to work their way up the table both this year and especially next to avoid the danger of dropping into a new-look third tier come 2014.

This division will feature development clubs from around the country, and only time will tell how successful it is either for rugby league expansion or for the heartland clubs who end up in there.

However, the Knights’ supremo says the club cannot afford to risk their future by spending above their means in a bid to sit at the top table in the Championships.

“There’s a danger some people will overspend to avoid relegation, but we won’t do that,” he said, while admitting the Knights aren’t likely to be in a position to compete financially with many of their rivals.

But he added of their targets-to-be: “The players we’ll be looking at are all good players. It’s about finding good value.

“There’s also more than money that gets players to clubs and hopefully people will see they will enjoy it here.”

NEW half-back Danny Nicklas could well be one of those targets for 2013, and he jumped straight onto The Press Player of the Year leaderboard after his debut against Swinton.

The 20-year-old – he turns 21 later this month – made a difference for the Knights as he formed a new-look half-back combination with player-coach Chris Thorman and helped to steer his new team to their first victory of the Co-operative Championship season.

He was deemed our second best player on the day and so picks up two Player of the Year points.

The big mover this week, though, was Jordan Tansey. The former Super League full-back has come under fire from certain sections of the Knights crowd this term having not lived up to expectations but he gave arguably his best performance of the season last Sunday and had a big hand in all of York’s five tries in their 26-22 win.

He was our man of the match and duly rises up the standings thanks to three Player of the Year points.

Matt Garside claimed the remaining one point this week. The centre bagged two good tries, including the winner six minutes from time when finishing one of the moves of the season.

Meanwhile, Jack Aldous and Chris Green returned home with their respective The Press Player of the Month awards as presented to them by former York Wasps captain Alan Pallister.

Aldous topped the poll of The Press readers for the May accolade, while Green, on dual-reg from Hull, was back in Knights colours for the first time since doing likewise back in March.

Pallister, who is starting a new life in Australia this summer, was one of the many former York RL players – be it Knights, Wasps, Ryedale-York or just plain old York – who attended the game as part of a reunion match-day.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Aldous 18pts, Sullivan 15, King 9, Ford 9, Thorman 7, Tansey 7, Clarke 5, Bush 4, Sutton 4, Garside 4, Green 3, Lee 3, Hellewell 3, Turner 3, Freer 3, Houston 3, Johnson 3, Elliott 3, Nicklas 2.

FORMER Knights half-back Jonny Presley seems to be enjoying his year in Australia.

The diminutive 27-year-old has been playing for Fremantle Roosters in the Perth area and has recently been selected for a Western Australia representative side in the Australian Affiliated State Championship.

Presley is set to return to Blighty in the autumn and reckons his season down under is making him a better player, saying he has really benefitted from the experience of playing there.

“The play over here is fast and skilful and that’s really helping my performance on the pitch. The set-up is really professional and it’s a good environment to be in,” he said, adding that representative selection was both a big boost and an honour.

Western Australia face South Australia, Victoria and Northern Territory in the State Championship, which is seen as a key development tool for rugby league in Australia.

Presley, who played for Sheffield, Featherstone and Keighley before his 2011 campaign at York, will be looking for a club when he lands back in England in September, and he’s likely to have a few suitors.

Reserves’ poor case for defence

Selby Warriors ace Wayne Fennell got his point-scoring for York City Knights reserves off the mark on Thursday night with a goal on his debut, but the team lost 36-16 to their Oldham counterparts.

Home tries came from Dave Sutton, playing in the second row, Tyler Craig, who was one of York’s better performers on the night playing at stand-off and then loose-forward, and Kris Brining. Heworth ARLC youngster Craig and Fennell added a goal apiece.

However, lacklustre defending cost the Knights as they generally trailed to the visitors without being able to catch up.

Fennell, playing at hooker then half-back, and Brining impressed with their work-rates, while prop Jack Stearman made a few decent carries on his return from a month out injured.

Ben Harris, the other debutant from Selby Warriors, played the full game at full-back and did okay.

THE Knights Under-18s are having a better time of it results-wise than the club’s reserves and they will be in action again on Tuesday night at Huntington Stadium.

James Ford’s young guns will be looking to make it four wins from four matches when they take on Halifax (8pm).

Admission is free for Knights season-ticket holders and vice-presidents, or £4 for adults and £1 for under-16s. Entry is via Bar 13.