BY JOHN DAVIDSON
YORK CITY Knights coach James Ford insists he has the players to compete, and that there is enough quality free agents available on the market now to further strengthen his team, if they are given a chance to play in Super League.
York have applied to become the 12th team in Super League next year. The Knights, who finished third in the Championship in 2019, are a part-time club but would change into a full-time operation if they get the nod.
York have signed Adam Cuthbertson, Danny Kirmond and Ryan Atkins from Super League clubs for 2021, along with Kieran Dixon and Morgan Smith from London Broncos.
The squad already includes ex-Super League pros such as Danny Washbrook, James Green, Chris Clarkson, Kris Brining, Matty Marsh, Liam Salter, Will Sharp, Will Jubb and Jordan Baldwinson.
Ford, who has been in charge at the Knights for six years, is confident he has the cattle to mix it in the top division.
“We’ve got plenty of quality as it is,” he told Rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads.
“We’ve recruited a side to try and win promotion. Within that side we’ve got a number of players that historically have shown they are Super League players.
“We’ve got club captains, we’ve got internationals, we’ve got blokes who have won awards at clubs and grand finals. We’ve also got some players in our squad currently that have had a taste in Super League – they’ve played 10, 15, 20 games and for one reason or another have found their way to the Championship and are trying to get back in there.
“We feel that they have improved and they’re still improving. And I think it would be fair to say if these players went back full-time they’d continue to improve.
“I don’t think anybody would have an objection with that assumption. We’d also have some players in the squad that we’ve picked up from lesser-known teams, such as Jason Bass and Marcus Stock, and if you actually sit down and watch those players play you can see the trajectory that they’re on.
“They’ve improved out of sight. I’m confident that they’d have a crack of being a good Super League player.
“Obviously we’re in a similar position to everybody else who’s go up, you’d need to strengthen your squad in some areas and the club and I have had some pretty positive conversations with UK-based clubs and agents, and we’re confident that we could strengthen our squad from that market.
“We’ve also had a number of conversations with agents from Australia, where the story is at the minute is that the salary caps are pretty tight over there and clubs are looking to shuffle things around a bit, and there are some pretty eye-catching players available.
“We’d have a fair chunk of budget, and overseas quota spots as well, so we believe we’ve got a lot of quality in our current squad and we’re well down the path of looking to strengthen that if we do get the nod.
“The trick is not finding the quality, because the quality is there, it’s getting the right balance, the right styles of play to complement one another.
“We’d absolutely go full-time. We’re confident the university will support us, it’s a fantastic organization, the relationship between us is really, really strong.”
York currently have a squad of 25 senior players and have four quota spots available. They have also signed Australian halfback Brendan O’Hagan from Wests Tigers and Kiwi Tyme Nikau, the son of New Zealand legend Tawera, for next season.
“How many would we look to recruit? Well that would depend on a number of factors,” Ford admitted.
“One, the values that people are throwing around. Two, we’ve got a good idea of the players that who would to stay and go full-time and have a crack at Super League, but there’s always the occasional surprise.
“But it wouldn’t be a massive squad overall. It’s surprising to see some of the names being thrown up [in the NRL]. York being in the city that it is, it’s quite an attractive proposition for someone to come and live.”
The new team coming into Super League in 2021 will only get £1 million in central funding, compared with £1.55 million the other 11 clubs will receive.
But the 38-year-old, who is using to regularly coming up against teams with much bigger budgets, doesn’t believe that will be a problem.
“Honestly, in terms of competing with the highest-resourced sides in the competition, it would probably be the best situation we’ve been in,” Ford said.
“If the top Super League clubs are spending £1.8 million, and we’re spending over 50% of what they’re on, that’s a significant closer to other sides than what we were in League 1 and the top five in the Championship.
“I don’t see it only as a million pound, I see it as we’re pretty much on a level-playiig field now and if we get things right then we’re away.”
Ford played for the likes of Featherstone, Sheffield, Castleford, Widnes and York, before retiring in 2014. A year later he was appointed head coach of the Knights, and in 2018 he led the club to the League 1 title and promotion.
Many regard Ford as one of the best young coaches in England.
He has been linked with a number of Super League coaching roles, but says his dream is to coach in the top flight with York.
“That’s the ambition, to coach at the highest level possible and I’ve always wanted to do that with York,” Ford said.
“I took over in League 1 with no players, no ground, next to no fans, and pretty much no hope. To be in the position we’re in now is exciting.
“I like to think I’m a pretty level-headed individual but I am excited by the opportunity that could be around the corner – taking a York side to go and play Wigan, go and play Leeds, to go and play St Helens.
“It’s something that really does excite me.”
