HEAD coach James Ford insists he wouldn't think twice about swapping York City Knights' world records for promotion this year - but he also says Bradford Bulls remain clear title favourites.

Ford watched his team thrash hapless West Wales Raiders 130-0 at Stebonheath Park in Llanelli on Saturday to set a new rugby league record for the biggest-ever away win in the professional arena.

It followed their 144-0 trouncing of the same opposition in the reverse fixture at Bootham Crescent in April - the highest-ever points tally in the pro game worldwide.

But more importantly for Ford was the fact it put them top of Betfred League One and wiped out Bradford's points-difference advantage too - albeit only temporarily as the Bulls responded with an excellent 48-0 victory at North Wales Crusaders 24 hours later.

Runaway top-two York and Bradford remain level on points at the summit, with the Bulls now 10 ahead in points-difference column, with five games to go. Only one team go up automatically with the runners-up joining the next three teams in play-off semi-finals.

“I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing," said Ford of the Knights' record away win. "It’s obviously good for our points-difference but it's not good for the sport or for League One.

“Either way I would gladly swap both results for promotion.

“We're now preparing for Hunslet (on Sunday).

“Obviously this game will be totally different. It’s a derby and they'll be fired up for it. Gary Thornton (Hunslet boss) will have them frothing at the gob and we'll need to make sure we’re at our best as individuals and as a team.”

Bradford still have to go to Llanelli during the run-in and are likewise expected to pile up the points - boosting their for-and-against tallies.

Ford said: “Bradford are still title favourites regardless.

"They’ve always been favourites and probably will be favourites up to the last game of the season. They’re former World Club champions so why wouldn't they be?

“The pressure is not on us. We have to win our games and that’s a big challenge in itself, but people expected Bradford to run away with the competition and we’re doing our very best to stay with them.”

Ford completed his two-match touchline ban on Saturday and as such had no contact with his players immediately before or during the game.

He was happy with their display in the wind and rain, saying: “I thought we were really good in challenging conditions. The weather was horrendous and the (seven-hour) journey was a challenge but we’ve scored 130 points.

“We came up with some errors but our mindset and skill levels were where they needed to be and we’ve done exceptionally well to be as clinical as we were in those conditions.”

Ford, meanwhile, has backed the Raiders to turn things around in south west Wales.

He recognised the Knights' ruthlessness might not have made them many friends, but revealed he too had been on the receiving end of such a hammering when he was a teenager.

Ford explained: “It doesn’t look like it (a record home defeat) will help rugby league grow in west Wales and I imagine our ruthless approach won’t go down very well in some quarters.

“Ultimately though we have to score as many points as we can and give ourselves as good a chance as possible to finish as high in the table as possible.

“What I will say about the score is that I played in an academy side (for Featherstone) that got beat by over 100 points at Bradford - and a number of our players went on to play in Super League.

“There are good facilities there (in Llanelli) and a good pitch and the people were welcoming.

“If they can develop a community game there, increase the pool of players and ultimately in five years or so have a side that can challenge in mid-table, then that’s success and they can build from there.

“Nobody expected them to come into this competition and beat teams like York or Bradford in year one.

“If they learn and build, hopefully West Wales can be a success.”