I get the feeling that communication is vital between the 2 clubs to establish exactly what is and isn't expected of both clubs and any players. The SL club should always be the priority and that should be emphasised right from the word go but it seems NL clubs are under the impression the dual reg players are there's unless the player is absolutely needed to play for the SL club. The players should be seen as a bonus and not the only way of fielding a competitive team.

Obviously I might be biased, but I don't really see much that we as a club have done wrong there. As said, that list of names is pretty unrealistic (especially things like both Arundel and Crooks, the best that was ever going to be possible was one of them, ditto Lineham/Crookes), and several ended up forcing their way into the Hull first team and/or picking up injuries. If they thought they were going to be offered that calibre of players regularly they were at best incredibly naive to think that we wouldn't pick up injuries, or even worse stupid enough to think that we'd still send them to York instead of use them ourselves.

Looking at that list:

Lineham played 21 games for us, and then got injured so would have been more. Crooks played 18 and then ditto. Arundel has played 14 even after having had 2 spells out injured.
Green has played 19 games, Pitts has played 23, Watts has played 21.

That's 6 of the 9 who have either played or been injured for a good 2/3rds of our season at least.

Specifically for Shaul, we were desperate for him to get games somewhere, so it wasn't us as a club that was in any way responsible for him barely playing for them. There were rumours about his attitude, but that's not within our control if true.

So that just leaves Bowden and Crookes, who have still managed 10+ games each, but I don't know how many of the 11 for York they each represent.

As for Easter, do they not realise that we also had to back up from a tough Friday, too? By my reckoning, we used 20 players that weekend and had 5 unavailable through injury/Seymour situation. Given that you have to name your Monday squad before the full extent of Friday's injuries are known, it's no wonder we kept our squad back in case we needed them with 5 injuries already and what turned out to be 3 more down (if we lost 3, I'd be amazed if there weren't significant doubts over a few more).

Lastly Nicklas, yes it was a joke, but again I'm not sure what we could possibly have done wrong. Looked like all his doing from what was reported.

To be honest I am no fan of the way Nicklas has acted on a couple of occasions but I went to see one York game and commented at the time it was a waste of time him being on the field as they seemed literally incapable of passing to the side he (and most of the FC boys that game) where playing on. He just looked completely frustrated and wasting his time. Again as I said at the time it looked like 2 different teams on the pitch - some York players who had trained more together and likewise the Hull players. Maybe York (and us) have left the relationship too early after all it was always going to be a learning curve to see how it played out in the first year with different expectations from both sides.

Exactly the same thing has happened at Doncaster with Wakey, www.newsnow.co.uk/A/667263076?-17215:2422 Its OK but some Clubs saw it as a means of getting players on the cheap which is fine and thats what they did until injuries kick in then the Super league team has to protect its own interests not just by playing these players but when injuries hit really deep keeping them on the sidelines in case any more come. I expect we'll form a liason with Doncaster next season which with the quality of our present crop of youngster should suit them fine. The following year of the 'renaissance' I expect some sort of A Team set up to return because Duel registration won't work if after 23 games you find yourself playing against your Duel Reg team.

Exactly the same thing has happened at Doncaster with Wakey, www.newsnow.co.uk/A/667263076?-17215:2422 Its OK but some Clubs saw it as a means of getting players on the cheap which is fine and thats what they did until injuries kick in then the Super league team has to protect its own interests not just by playing these players but when injuries hit really deep keeping them on the sidelines in case any more come. I expect we'll form a liason with Doncaster next season which with the quality of our present crop of youngster should suit them fine. The following year of the 'renaissance' I expect some sort of A Team set up to return because Duel registration won't work if after 23 games you find yourself playing against your Duel Reg team.

Wonder how many times Morley , Briers & the rest of the wire team turned out for Swinton ...

Briers played at least one game for Swinton.

As John Guildford (York Chairman) said: "We did not fall out and there was no big issue. It was just not working."

No biggie. I understand frustrations on both sides, but thats just the way it is. Thornton wasn't expecting world beaters every week, just available players when they were promised. Going from 6 on a Tuesday to 0 on a Friday must be frustrating.

No one's begrudging your young lads playing first team (and good on you for playing so many young English lads!).

Jamie Shaul's attitude was shocking at York, but fair play to him for getting into your first team. The less said about Danny Nicklas the better.

Thank you for Jack Briscoe and Dean Hadley, who were both excellent every time they put on a Knights shirt, I hope they both go far (and I hope Jack finds a new club soon).

Thank you also for helping us restart our scholarship and pinpoint players for our excellent U20s team. That in itself is more important than any dual-registered superstar!

Good luck for 2014.

As did Morley.

There's something I don't understand; how did it go from surprise that we weren't offering Briscoe a new deal to not offering him one yourselves?

I think we did, then we got relegated!

York's coach is looking to blame for his ineptitude in getting then relegated, nothing more.

It was never going to work when York wouldn't play Shaul at fb.

Paul Cooke is Donny's coach in 2014. Should be interesting.

and our under 20s coach ...

U19's? Really?

Without looking at the person is I think that's how we should operate with our dual reg club.

We want all our players at every level playing the same way.