FORWARDS Austin Bell and Josh Tonks' claims for a shirt in York City Knights play-off semi-final have been bolstered by inclusion in the Kingstone Press Championship One Team of the Week.

Bell was returning after nearly three months out with an ankle injury, while Tonks was making only his third appearance after joining from Dewsbury, but both stood out in Sunday's win over London Skolars in the last game of the regular season, Tonks being the sponsors' man of the match.

Second-row Ryan Mallinder is likely to be back for the table-toppers' play-off tie with Hunslet or Oldham on September 21 after being rested, and boss Gary Thornton admitted he faced selection headaches in the pack, with Jay Leary also knocking on the door and Iain Morrison not yet ruled out.

In-form Ben Reynolds was also named in the Team of the Week, having switched from stand-off to full-back, giving Thornton more food for thought, especially if James Haynes passes fit to return to number one.

Said Thornton: "Austin was terrific. He's been chomping at the bit to play. He carried the ball strong and hard and gave us punch we needed.

"Tonka has started to learn our systems and is playing pretty well.

"There will be some difficult decisions but they've done themselves no harm at all."