JAMES FORD has hit back at critics questioning York City Knights' ability to beat Kingstone Press League One's big boys.

The head coach, unhappy at claims his team are "flat-track bullies" who hammer rugby league's expansion clubs but lose to play-off contenders, says no-one else is having to contend with the off-field turmoil his players are enduring.

And, ahead of tomorrow's clash with table-toppers Rochdale, he insists his side will "sooner or later start beating the more established teams".

Defeat at Newcastle last Friday was the Knights' third defeat against teams vying for promotion. They have enjoyed four wins but all against development teams and they currently sit eighth in the table, the lowest of all the clubs from the game's traditional heartlands.

Ford has already acknowledged his side need to "win matches as well" as deal with off-field strife, and to that end he has dipped into dual-reg to give his injury-hit troops a lift tomorrow by taking Michael Channing and James Clare from partner club Castleford.

But he has also demanded they get more praise regardless.

"I don't think people are giving my players enough credit," he said.

"I don't know the situation at every other rugby league club but in all my time in rugby league I've never seen a situation quite like the one we're in at the moment.

"My players stick together, they turn up and and train to a very high standard, wherever we're training, and, apart from a 25-minute patch at Keighley and at Newcastle, we've been pretty good throughout the season.

"That needs to be acknowledged. They are dealing with a whole heap of stuff and they're doing it very well and in a professional manner as well.

"There are positive signs everywhere I look. One thing that's missing is beating one of these bigger teams and when we do that we can continue to grow."

The Knights have been homeless since the end of last season as the community stadium saga rumbles on, and they have been without a proper training base, with Ford having had to arrange ad hoc sessions at various venues while asking players to do gym work in their own time.

Tomorrow's match is again being held outside of York, at Featherstone Rovers (3pm).

"The players can all hold their heads up high given the way they have conducted themselves," added the rookie boss, in his first year as head coach after hanging up his boots.

"It would be very easy to make excuses due to the fact our training has been severely hampered, we have no home ground, and other things. But they turn up, they want to improve and we're making progress.

"There are always setbacks to deal with, that's part of life, that's how you develop mental strength and resilience.

"I can see my players growing as a group mentally and physically.

"Sooner or later we're going to start beating the more established teams.

"In the games we've lost, which have all been away from home, we weren't that far away and, with the mentality and character we've got, we're going to start knocking these teams off and change one or two opinions about us as a group."

He continued: "It's a fantastic opportunity for us this weekend. Rochdale are top of the league, they're a good team, but we're a good team.

"We don't make excuses. When we lose, the responsibility falls at my feet. When we win, the players deserve the praise and acknowledgement.

"We've got a plan to beat Rochdale and I'm confident we can execute it."

Channing and Clare, who are set to re-form a Super League centre-wing partnership, are two of a few changes Ford is making to the side beaten at Newcastle.

As revealed by The Press, hooker Harry Carter is omitted, with Pat Smith switching to dummy-half and fit-again Jonny Presley back in the halves.

Nev Morrison also returns onto the opposite wing as Clare, while centre Liam Cunningham moves inside as in-form second-row Josh Tonks is out with a dead leg.

Lee Waterman drops to the bench with Tyler Craig set to miss out entirely along with Scott Glassell.

Knights (probable): B Dent, Morrison, Minikin, Channing, Clare, Howden, Presley, Applegarth, P Smith, Aldous, E Smith, Cunningham, Nicholson. Subs: Canterbury, Mallinder, Waterman, Pickles. Stand-by: Carter, Craig.