YORK City Knights have signed a young prop on loan from Doncaster Dragons to ease their current front-row shortage.

Tom Buckingham, 20, had has first training session last night after signing a one-month deal at Huntington Stadium.

He will get to know his new team-mates again tomorrow before going straight into the 17 for the Knights' big opening game of the season away to former Super League club Castleford Tigers on Sunday.

Knights coach Mick Cook said: "He's a young bloke who played against us for Doncaster in the pre-season friendly. We've taken him for a month to give us a bit more punch.

"He's just a bit behind the starting props at Doncaster but he's hungry to get first-team games and he's really up for it. It's good for him and he will be handy for us to have around."

The Knights had been down to just two out-and-out props - Adam Sullivan and Yusuf Sozi - for Sunday's big kick-off in the Northern Rail Cup, with David Bates banned for three months and Craig Forsyth ruled out with the sternum injury picked up in the friendly against Hull two weeks ago.

Forsyth will take it one week at a time as he waits for the soreness to die down, though he hopes to be okay for the Hunslet game next Sunday. In the meantime, Cook's other options at front row are second-row duo John Smith and Ian Kirke, who could be shifted forward.

"John Smith is an option and Ian Kirke can play up front," said Cook. "We've got options. There's not a massive difference between prop and back-row and we've got some options, some players who could go up there in the short-term and do a decent job."

Kirke is likely to start in the second row on Sunday, with Mick Ramsden set to miss out with ankle trouble which first arose against Hull.

Meanwhile, utility star Mark Cain has overcome his knee injury, while Neil Thorman will hopefully be available next week following his calf problem. Scott Rhodes is also back in full training but won't be risked too early.

Updated: 10:38 Friday, February 11, 2005