YORK City Knights boss James Ford is thought to be eyeing forward reinforcements ahead of the season's start – and has not ruled out pack stalwarts Mark Applegarth and Ryan Mallinder returning to the club.

Veteran prop Applegarth's playing career is currently on hold, given his new role of player performance manager at Wakefield Trinity.

Mallinder is also considering his future following his broken leg last year and new family commitments.

Ford is believed to be looking to add another prop and second-row to his ranks after losing experience aplenty in the engine room during the off-season.

Captain Jack Aldous, vice-captain Mike Emmett, big Brett Waller, Josh Tonks, Matty Dale and Russ Spiers all moved on, in addition to Applegarth and Mallinder.

Of the incoming packmen, only Adam Robinson and Tim Spears have much knowledge of Championship or top-end League One rugby.

The issue has got a little more pressing now, too, as former Coventry back-row Joe Batchelor is to miss the start of the season, with the side strain he suffered in the friendly at Featherstone last week set to rule him out for four to six weeks.

Ford says Applegarth and Mallinder remain possibilities – but only if they can make the necessary commitment to the club.

"Mark's got a new job," he explained. "He's been developing as a coach and is now employed by Wakefield Trinity as their player performance manager.

"It's a very demanding job, 60-70 hours a week, and he's going to work out whether he can commit fully to the demands we ask of players at this club.

"The standards here are high. He's a great bloke, a very good player, a good leader and an intelligent man. If he's available, I'd like to have him. If not, we've already got some suitable replacements in the squad and we could look to bring in someone who can commit.

"Ryan is recovering from a severe leg break last year. He's unsure whether he wants to continue – he's just had a daughter and has got a new job.

"He's said if he comes back to the game, York would be the only team he'd come to. Again, we'd have him back but only if he can commit fully."

Applegarth, 31, has played 115 games for York in two spells (2008-10 and 2015-16) and has also notched 59 with Batley Bulldogs (2012-14) and 27 with Wakefield (2004-07), taking him to 201 domestic appearances in all, in addition to a two-year spell in Australia.

Mallinder, 28, a former amateur star with Sharlston Rovers, was a relative latecomer to the pro ranks when he joined York in May 2013 after a successful trial.

He went on to play nine times that year and established himself as a regular in the back row over the next two and a half seasons, taking him up to 59 appearances, before breaking both the tibia and fibula bones in his right leg against Newcastle last May.