HEAD coach James Ford has all but admitted York City Knights have a growing need to recruit a new half-back - saying they have been "waiting patiently" for the right man to become available.

The Knights travelled to Whitehaven last week with only one recognised playmaker in the squad in Connor Robinson, with Ford's experiment of using prop forward Graeme Horne as an unorthodox stand-off not paying off in a 26-18 defeat.

Horne was the fourth player to partner Robinson at half-back in York's 13 games this season, after Ben Cockayne, Liam Jackson and dual-reg Hull KR player Matty Marsh.

Of the other three, Cockayne is a full-back or winger, unproven Jackson is still finding his way at pro level after joining from amateurs Heworth, and March has been made available by his parent club only four times.

The Knights still sit second in Betfred League One, though, with last Sunday's defeat only their second in the league this term following the late loss to Bradford Bulls on the opening day.

"I think we've done remarkably well thus far playing players in slightly unfamiliar positions," said Ford, referring not only to half-back but also centre, where there is also now a growing problem after Jake Butler-Fleming was ruled out for at least six weeks.

"I feel we were pretty unlucky in a number of aspects of last weekend's performance.

"I've got confidence in the players I've got, in or out of position, but if we are to make sure we continue to improve on the field as well as off it, we do need to look at strengthening."

Ford had been left short of options at half-back when former Coventry Bears player Brad Delaney quit the club in the first week of the season after being omitted from the line-up for the Bradford match.

Asked specifically if a new half-back was now high on the agenda, Ford said: "We're looking to possibly strengthen the squad and are considering our options available to us.

"If we find someone who is available and who suits the club and our budget, then we would look to do something.

"We've been looking for a while and patiently waiting for a suitable player to become available."

Player/assistant-coach Horne scored one try and helped to make another as the Knights, looking to equal a club record of 10 straight league wins, built an 18-8 lead at the Recre last Sunday, but they were second best throughout the second half.

Asked about veteran front-rower Horne's display in an unaccustomed role, Ford said: "It was a challenge for him. It's a new position - or at least one he's not played in a long time - and as a team we did not give ourselves a chance.

"We conceded a number of penalties, and we had the ball only 10 times in the second half and only once in Whitehaven's half, when we managed to force two offloads and lose possession.

"I don't want to be too critical (of Horne at half-back) because we didn't have the ball, but Graeme is better for us in other positions."

Ford also reckoned some "harsh" refereeing was another key factor in the defeat.

"Having looked at the game back, I do strongly believe a few of the decisions were harsh," he reasoned.

"I don't know what we could have done in similar situations other than what we did. I will take that up with people at the RFL.

"I think we were harshly treated in one or two areas, such as inconsistent ruck management. After a second look at the sin-binning, that seemed a very strange decision.

"A 14-3 penalty count is very lopsided and taxing in terms of our energy levels. Put four or five on ours and take four or five off theirs and it's a different game.

"But you have days like that. We have to speak about being good enough to win games regardless of calls going against us.

"We could still control our defence such as our first contacts and third-man efforts, and they will be better going forward.

"We did not tackle hard enough and we gave the referee too many opportunities to penalise us.

"We were unlucky in some areas but we need to focus on being better."