The Knights finished their 2021 Betfred Championship campaign in ninth place, after finishing the season strongly with good wins against Newcastle Thunder and London Broncos in the final two games.
An outstanding cup run had them marching down Wembley Way, too. York’s form in the 1895 Cup saw them book a place in the final at the National stadium, ultimately losing to Featherstone in an enthralling encounter that ended 34-41.
York’s efforts on and off the pitch in a year where their move to the LNER Community Stadium finally came to fruition saw them crowned as the 2021 Betfred Championship Club of the Year – recognition for all the work being put in behind the scenes, particularly through the York City Knights Foundation that continues to serve the community at all levels of Rugby League to a phenomenal standard.
James Ford will be at the helm once again for York, with the club looking to push on and fight for promotion. The Yorkshireman has Betfred League 1 & Championship Coach of the Year titles under his belt and will be looking to replicate his achievements from 2019 when he guided the club to third.
Ford was able to assess his options with two pre-season games to start 2022 – things got going with the visit of Midlands Hurricanes, where York put on a show and won 46-6.
They then welcomed Betfred Super League outfit Castleford Tigers to the LNER Community Stadium, and despite putting in an excellent shift, fell short in a 10-32 defeat.
Transfers in:
- Masi Matongo (Hull FC)
- Pauli Pauli (Salford Red Devils)
- James Glover (Sheffield Eagles)
- Jamie Ellis (Leigh Centurions)
- Jacob Ogden (London Broncos)
- Ronan Michael (Huddersfield – Loan)
- Jack Logan (Leigh Centurions)
- Joe Brown (Bradford Bulls)
- Will Oakes (Dewsbury Rams)
- Liam Harris (Halifax Panthers)
- Sam Davis (London Broncos)
- Jordan Thompson (Leigh Centurions)
- Olly Butterworth (Sheffield Eagles)
- Brad Ward (Hull KR)
Transfers out:
- Jason Bass (Sheffield Eagles)
- Morgan Smith (Featherstone Rovers)
- Sam Scott (Bradford Bulls)
- Jordan Baldwinson (Bradford Bulls)
- Ryan Atkins (Retired)
- Danny Washbrook (Retired)
- James Green (Retired)
- Tim Spears (Retired)
One to Watch
Amongst a wealth of eye-catching signings across the Betfred Championship, the Knights' capture of 27-year-old front or back rower Pauli Pauli turned heads back in October.
Pauli, who stands at 6 foot 4 and weighs in at almost 19 stone, moves to the Championship for the first time in his career as York continue to aim for Super League.
The forward played almost 50 games in the NRL before moving to Super League with Wakefield in 2018, ahead of a switch to Salford.
He scored a second-half try in the 2020 Betfred Challenge Cup Final as Salford lost out 17-16 to Leeds and will be hoping for more big occasions with his new club.
2022 FULL SQUAD:
Matty Marsh, Joe Brown, James Glover, Jacob Ogden, Will Oakes, Brendan O’Hagan, Jamie Ellis, Masi Matongo, Will Jubb, Jack Teanby, Chris Clarkson, Pauli Pauli, Jordan Thompson, Sam Davis, Ronan Dixon, Marcus Stock, Danny Kirmond, Liam Harris, Kriss Brining, Toby Warren, Myles Harrison, AJ Towse, Ronan Michael, Jack Logan, Olly Butterworth, Brad Ward
York City Knights host Featherstone in their season opener tonight, with the game kicking off at 7:45 live on Premier Sports.
