York Knights kick off their 2024 season in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup against Newcastle Thunder on Saturday (3pm), with new recruit Jimmy Keinhorst in line to make his return in a York shirt.
The former Knights loanee signed a permanent deal with the Club during the off-season from Hull KR after a storied career in the Betfred Super League with the Robins and Leeds Rhinos.
Ahead of Keinhorst's second York debut, we spoke to the centre about coming back to the Knights, the strength of the 2024 squad and his ambitions for this season.
First of all, Jimmy, how did you move to the Knights come about and how excited are you to be here for 2024?
"Last year I was looking at my options for the following season and York really appealed to me, given my previous brief experience here a few years ago.
"Hendo and Clint made contact and we had some really positive conversations. I really liked the look of where this Club is heading, so I was keen to come back here."
How's pre-season going so far?
"I've really enjoyed it, there's been a really good process leading into the couple of opposed sessions that we had against Castleford and Hunslet.
"Now, we're building for the 1895 Cup game against Newcastle, which we're excited by. It's been a good pre-season, everyone's bought into what we're trying to do and what we're wanting to achieve this year.
"Everyone's working hard and we're looking forward to putting what we've done into practise this weekend."
How strong does the squad look for 2024?
"On paper squads can look good, but it's about what we produce on the field. We've been working on our combinations, getting to know each other and how we want to play the game as a team before bringing in what we can do as individuals.
"We'll find out how good this squad is when we start playing, but it's looking positive at the moment.
"If you look across the squads in the Championship, there's some strong teams out there. Each week is going to be a challenge. We need to put ourselves in the best position to meet that challenge head on and get as many wins as we can."
How excited should Knights supporters be for this season?
"Yeah, they should be excited and optimistic. Hopefully we can pay back that faith they've shown in us with some performances that they can be proud of."
York Knights begin their 2024 season with a trip to Newcastle Thunder in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup at Kingston Park on Saturday (3pm).
Tickets are priced at £15 for Adults and Concessions and £5 for Under-16s and are only available to purchase on-the-gate! Click HERE for more information.
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