YORK City Knights boss James Ford has backed his troops to have "a right crack at" Toronto Wolfpack as the Super 8s kick off tomorrow - saying there are no excuses this time.

Ford was a vocal critic of the disadvantages his side faced when travelling to Canada a month ago for their regular-season match in Kingstone Press League One.

They lost that game 64-22 to the megabucks full-time outfit who are sweeping all before them this year, and they likewise go into tomorrow's game as massive underdogs, the latest team in the way of the Wolfpack's apparently inexorable march to promotion.

But the on-the-rise Knights have been tipped by many to give Paul Rowley's star-studded outfit their hardest match of the season at Bootham Crescent, and Ford says they are out to do just that, backed by a bumper crowd following an innovative promotional push off the field.

"Every game is tough," said Ford, when asked if this promised to be the hardest on home soil for years. "We're really looking forward to challenging ourselves against the best team that has ever been in League One.

"We want to get out there and have another crack at them.

"Playing them away we had things against us. This time there are no excuses.

"We're in our home ground, we'll have maybe 2,000 people behind us desperate for us to win, and we've got as healthy a squad as you're likely to get at this time of year.

"We will have a right crack at them.

"Toronto will have to be somewhere near their very best to beat us."

The promotion push, particularly on social media, includes clips of rugby league legends like Jamie Peacock, Paul Sculthorpe and Barrie McDermott supporting the match, all signing off with the slogan "Up the Kneets!" York's community clubs have joined in, while York City star Dan Parslow was the latest to make such a video.

Ticket sales so far mean the David Longhurst Stand will be opened for the first time this term.

"It's been really creative," said Ford. "Getting numerous high-profile people to promote the game is unbelievable, and sitting in a press conference next to (Toronto director of rugby) Brian Noble - I had to pinch myself to check I was sat talking about a game with a bloke of that stature.

"I think my players deserve a really big crowd. They've worked really hard.

"We've seen some scrappy games where they've had to dig in and play ugly, and they've had patches where they've been breathtaking, like those 30 minutes at Hunslet and the first half against Workington.

"I'm just really proud of how much they've improved and of their attitude and their desire to carry on improving.

"They love playing for this city and it would be great for the public of York to come out to support a team who are desperate to do well for them."

The Knights will be without captain Ed Smith due to his knee injury, the extent of which is yet to be confirmed.

Perhaps surprisingly, in his second-row stead comes teenager Zeus Silk, arguably the lowest-profile of the four players to have arrived on loan on deadline day last week.

New centre Jake Butler-Fleming also starts, but props Jordan Cox, the former Warrington front-rower, and young Ross Osborne will have to wait.

Silk's inclusion means Brad Hey can stay at centre - James Haynes being the one to drop out, probably to the bench, despite his hat-trick against Workington last time out.

"James had a really good game against Workington," said Ford. "I've just been really impressed with Zeus Silk in training.

"His attitude has been outstanding and he's brought a lot into every session. I want to have a look at him and that means Brad stays at centre and James unluckily finds himself out of the starting line-up.

"Brad has been excellent, probably the most improved player at the club.

"He's always been athletic but this year he's finding ways to use that ability to influence games and turn games in our favour.

"There's still more levels in him and we will need a big game from him this weekend."

On Aussie Butler-Fleming, Ford said: "He's a very strong, powerful player and I'm excited to see if he can bring another dimension to our back line and our attack.

"He's played some good stuff for Hull KR. Toronto will be on a par with them so it will be interesting to see how he goes."

Asked about Cox, following his high-profile arrival on loan from Sheffield, Ford explained a maximum of only five loan or dual-reg players could be included, and they were Silk, Butler-Fleming and dual-reg trio Liam Harris, Kieran Moran, after his two-match ban, and Will Jubb.

"With Ed Smith not available, it was important to play a bona fide second-row (Silk)," he said. "With how Toronto set up, they will test our edges. It's important to have a look at Zeus and see where's he's at. He deserves his opportunity."

He added of Cox: "The standards at this club are really high in terms of how we train and play. Jordan's played at an elite level and has seen the standards we're aiming towards. We're a patient coaching staff and we will work with him. If he wants to play he needs to be at those levels."

Toronto come with a star-studded 19, including veteran ex-NRL prop Fuifui Moimoi, former Super League stars Craig Hall, Richard Whiting, try machine Ryan Brierley, James Laithwaite and Jake Emmitt, plus Championship big guns Bob Beswick, the prolific Liam Kay, Sean Penkywicz, Greg Worthington, Jonathan Pownall, Steve Crossley and Samoan international Quentin Laula Togagae.

Knights: from Robson, Foggin-Johnston, Hey, Haynes, Butler-Fleming, Morrison, Harris, C Robinson, H Tyson-Wilson, Dixon, Ellis, Moran, Silk, Batchelor, Spears, Jubb, A Robinson, Siddons, Porter.

Toronto: from Laula Togagae, Pownall, Worthington, Hall, Kay, Brierley, Wallace, Jacks, Moimoi, Beswick, Fleming, Laithwaite, Bussey, Pick, Whiting, Crossley, Sidlow, Emmitt, Penkywicz.