York City Knights veteran Ben Cockayne and Hull Kingston Rovers’ star Ryan Shaw shared some tasty Twitter banter ahead of Cockayne’s testamonial match on Sunday
Hull KR vs York City Knights
KCOM Craven Park Stadium
Sunday, Jan 7 KO 7:30pm
Cockayne will return at the club where he made 229 Super League appearences in two seperate spells, to make his City Knights debut when the two sides meet at Hull KR’s Craven Park.
The match is suppose to be celebrating the immense career of the 34-year-old winger. However, it seem’s there is no love lost for Cockayne’s former team mate Ryan Shaw, who called the veteran out in a boxing match build up esc’ threat on Twitter.
Shaw, who played with Cockayne after signing for Hull KR in 2016, started the Twitter war when he posted a video on Wednesday (January 2).
In the video, the 25-year-old full back calls on fans to attend Sunday’s game to witness Cockayne “getting his head taken clean off.
And he ends the video by saying “We’re coming for you Benny boy, you are getting it!”
Hope to see you all this Sunday @hullkrofficial vs @YorkKnightsRLFC for @BenCockayneDC testimonial 3pm kick off don't be late #smackbcup pic.twitter.com/k5Xj4mwM8L
— Ryan Shaw (@blazinshaw) January 2, 2018
Sure enough, Cockayne responded to Shaw – who calls himself ‘the eagle’ – just hours later with a video of his own.
In it, the veteran mocks the size of Shaw’s nose and threatens to make him a “beakless eagle”, should the full-back go near him on Sunday:
“There’s a saying that you can’t run without your head.
“Now in your case, Mr Eagle, you can’t run without your beak. When you come near me on Sunday, that giant beak of yours is coming clean off and the eagle, will be no more.”
Have you ever seen a beakless eagle??? You will do on Sunday pic.twitter.com/0Ey2MFvPzm
— Ben Cockayne (@BenCockayneDC) January 2, 2018
‘A good occasion for Ben’
Knights boss James Ford has had much calmer thoughts ahead of Sunday’s game.
The match will be the second pre-season fixture for the Knights this winter, after beating a York & District XIII 46-12 at Bootham Crescent last Wednesday (Dec 27th).
Ford rested many of his new high profile recruits in that game. However the head coach has vowed to bring some of those big name signings, including Cockayne and another former Hull KR man Graeme Horn, into the team for Sundays match.
Speaking to the York Press, Ford was full of praise for Cockayne’s career and (rather than getting his head taken clean off) feels that it will be a special occasion for the player on Sunday:
He’s the kind of player that supporters want in their team and the kind that players want to play with. He never takes a backward step and gives 100 per cent in everything he does.
I’m enjoying working with him and I hope fans of both York and Hull KR turn out in numbers and make it a real special occasion for him.
– James Ford