Head Coach James Ford has named his 21-Man Squad for Sunday’s trip to face Dewsbury Rams at The Tetley’s Stadium with the Knights looking for back-to-back Betfred Championship wins.
The Rams sit in a lowly thirteenth place and are fighting to avoid the drop into League One with Liam Finn’s team currently six points adrift of safety.
York, however, sit sixth in the table with an eight-point cushion over seventh-placed Widnes Vikings and, with just six games left including this weekend’s, a victory will go some way to confirming a spot in the end-of-season Play-Offs.
Ford will be able to call on former NRL half-back Ata Hingano for the first time and could hand the Tongan international half-back a Knights debut in West Yorkshire. The 25-year-old has previously represented both New Zealand Warriors and Canberra Raiders Down Under before heading to the UK with Salford Red Devils in 2021. Hingano joined the Knights on loan from Leigh Centurions two weeks ago and has since been confirmed as a permanent Knights player from the start of the 2023 campaign.
His inclusion gives Ford something of a selection dilemma in the halves with Brendan O’Hagan and Liam Harris impressing in recent weeks while the experienced Jamie Ellis is a more than capable option should the Head Coach wish to go with him.
Powerhouse forward Pauli Pauli returns to the squad after sitting out last weekend’s victory over Newcastle Thunder with suspension. His comeback is a timely one with fellow prop Jack Teanby – Pauli’s replacement last weekend as a starting middle – ruled out with concussion. The former Dewsbury man misses out on taking on his former side and is now progressing through his return to play protocil.
Masi Matongo and Will Oakes continue to be absent with Ford earlier this week sharing with the media that the latter may not return again this season.
21-Man Squad in full
1. Matty Marsh – Sancus Utilities 2. Joe Brown – Purple Chilli Events 3. James Glover – City Cruises York 4. Jacob Ogden – RS Cockerills 6. Brendan O’Hagan – Robinsons Cafe 7. Jamie Ellis – Monk Bar Models 9. Will Jubb – Clinical Technologies 11. Chris Clarkson – GMB Union 12. Pauli Pauli – Marcia Inn Bishopthorpe 13. Jordan Thompson – Assetiam Business Support Services 15. Ronan Dixon – The White Family 16. Marcus Stock – The Heworth Inn 17. Danny Kirmond – Gough & Kelly 19. Liam Harris – DNS Hull 23. AJ Towse – Burflex Scaffolding 24. Ronan Michael – Haxby Sports Bar 27. Levi Edwards – Atropa Pharmacy 28. Bailey Antrobus – Inglis Chartered Accountants 29. Joe Porter – The Ellis Family, in memory of David Ellis 34. Tom Inman – Nuffield Health York Hospital 35. Ata Hingano – YorWealth
