Thornton hoping to see reaction by Hunslet against York City Knights

BOSS GARY Thornton is 'under no illusions' about the scale of the task facing his Hunslet side tomorrow.
Hunslet boss, Gary ThorntonHunslet boss, Gary Thornton
Hunslet boss, Gary Thornton

Hunslet play host to York City Knights (3pm) a week after the Betfred League One leaders ran up a world record score in a 144-0 annihilation of West Wales Raiders.

That was only 14 points fewer than ninth-placed Hunslet have scored in their seven league games this year.

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Thornton’s men are on the back of a disappointing 28-10 reverse at Newcastle Thunder last week when they picked up injuries to several key players.

“We can’t afford for anyone to be off their game on Sunday,” Thornton, a former York coach, conceded. “Too many were last week and collectively we didn’t perform.

“York will be coming full of beans after what they’ve been doing for the last few weeks - a great performance against Catalans in the Challenge Cup and a record win last week.

“We are under no illusions, it is a massive test and I will be looking for a reaction after a poor performance at Newcastle.”

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There is a fierce rivalry between York and Hunslet and Thornton stressed: “The players won’t need getting up for it, these are the games they want to play in - big games against the big teams, but we need a massive improvement.”

Hunslet’s attack is the area they have been working on this week.

Thornton said: “We had plenty of opportunities to win the game last week, but we bombed so many chances when we were in good ball areas - play two, three and four, forward passes, not running the right lines.

“They were basic errors and that’s uncharacteristic because our attack has been pretty good. There were too many individual errors and wrong choices and we did too much defending because of it. We weren’t completing sets and turning the ball over on our terms.”

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Danny Grimshaw tore a biceps against Newcastle and could be sidelined for the rest of the season. Nyle Flynn (shoulder) and Liam Mackay (calf muscle) are both facing several weeks out of action and Thornton said he is considering the loan market, though nothing in time for tomorrow.