A Sit Down with Paul McShane

9 hours ago
2 min read

After a season in the Betfred Championship, York Knights' hooker, Paul McShane has faced a quick return to the Betfred Super League!

The former Man of Steel winner was crowned Player of the Year last year in the Championship as he made an immediate impact in his first year at York after signing from Castleford Tigers.

However, a return to the top flight came a little sooner than he anticipated!

"I know it was an aim of the club when I joined but I didn’t think it would be during my time with them!" he said.

Having made the change to being a part-time player, York's entry into the top flight has meant him returning to a full time environment and he's taken it in his stride.

"It's pretty familiar going back training every day and have that routine back. I was ready to wind it down. I was really happy with what I did at Castleford in Super League. But to give it another crack, if I didn't do it I’d probably regret it, so why not!"

As one of the older members of the team, he's one of the leaders, with head coach, Mark Applegarth labelling him as the "little general" on field. It's that experience that McShane is keen to use to benefit the team.

"I'm not as young as I once was, but hopefully I can help with my experience out there. I really enjoyed last year and that was something that’s made me want to go again.

"We just need to enjoy the journey we're on as a team, as a club and as a city, bringing new clubs to this great stadium for our fans to see.

"We've just to enjoy that and give it our all. Don't settle for just taking part, we want to surprise a few."

As a former Super League Man of Steel, McShane was popular with fans at Castleford, as he is as York now, and he knows that support makes a big difference to teams.

"It's massive," he said. "At Castleford, the fans make you want to give your all through the loyalty they show and it's exactly the same here. They're a definite motivation for us out there."

While he admits he's not sure how many more seasons he's got left in him, the 36 year-old

says having young hooker, Denive Balmforth in the squad is a huge positive.

"I think he’ll be brilliant for us. I’m a bit older and slower now and Denive is electric. It’s exciting to have him on board.

"Having Denive out there is massive. It's not just about me helping him, he's helping me massively!"

Follow York Knights this season in Betfred Super League!

They take on Castleford Tigers on Saturday 16th May (3pm) in a double header with York Valkyrie, who face Huddersfield Giants in their Betfred Women's Super League season opener (12pm)!

You can purchase your match tickets online HERE or over the phone from the York Stadium ticket office on 01904 950950 (option 1).

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