HUNSLET'S former York City Knights playmaker, Simon Brown, reckons the two arch-foes are poised to reignite promotion rivalry this year.

The Hawks have dropped back down to League One, just one season after KO'ing the then table-topping Knights en route to promotion via the play-offs.

The two teams will get immediately reacquainted on the opening day of the new season as they clash in the iPro Sport Cup first round, and Brown reckons they could well be eyeing each other up at the end of term too.

He has also tipped new boys Toulouse Olympique to be in the mix with them.

Said the 26-year-old half-back: “You’ve got to look at York, and the likes of Doncaster, Keighley and teams like that. Toulouse should be up there too.

"Having some full-time players will give Toulouse an edge. It might be beneficial to get them early in the season, playing on a mud-bath pitch like it has been recently, rather than in the summer sun that they’ll be used to down there.

“There are lots of good teams, lots of good players. York are one of them, obviously. It will be tough, but we're looking forward to it all. They'll be good games against York, definitely.

“We’ve got to target that top four. Every one of our first six games is against one of the tougher teams but we’re taking it one game at a time."

Brown, who also suffered relegation from the Championship with York in 2013 having previously won it with Sheffield, reckons Hunslet's showing last year will stand them in good stead, even if they have had to cut costs following demotion - including surprisingly letting head coach Barry Eaton go in the build-up to the new season after four years at the helm.

Eaton, who has now got a full-time role in Leeds Rhinos' boot room, left the Hawks by mutual consent a fortnight ago, with Matt Bramald, his assistant, taking the reins.

“It’s faster in the Championship and there are more full-time teams," said Brown. "I thought we gave a good account of ourselves in many games and were unlucky not to kick on."

On Eaton's exit, Brown said: “All the lads were pretty shocked, but Matty Bramald is in there now and we’re fully behind him.

“It’s one of those things – coaches come and go, same as players, and you have to knuckle down and get on with it. We’re pretty excited about the season.

“There had been nothing said and no whispers so it was a shock when Barry told us, we were upset. But you have to respect his decision.

“Matt Bramald has been there a year and he’s a natural to step into that role and we will crack on.”