SECOND-ROW star Ed Smith is set to lose his ever-present status this season due to suspension - prompting York City Knights boss James Ford to vent his anger at the Rugby Football League disciplinary process.

The in-form 22-year-old will be available for the Knights' trip to Coventry Bears tomorrow (3pm) as they look to keep up the pressure on the top two Oldham and Keighley, who meet at Whitebank.

But he will then be banned for one match, the visit of Oxford, after submitting an early guilty plea to the charge of punching Osian Phillips amid a melee during a fractious end to last week's clash at South Wales Scorpions.

Blasted Ford: "I am absolutely astounded that no other player has been charged from that. There was a five-to-ten-minute period of constant provocation from South Wales Scorpions. The hooker hit Jonny Presley after he passed the ball - about 30 seconds after, it was that late - and there were a couple of high elbows, and it nearly boiled over then.

"Then Phillips starts attacking Kriss Brining and Ed's gone in to defend him, and Ed's the one player out of the whole melee to get charged.

"They (the RFL) say they can only look at what has been out on report, not all the incidents leading up to it.

"It's a complete lack of thought into the whole process once again."

Phillips' role in the melee, after which both he and Smith were sin-binned, was looked at by RFL disciplinary chiefs but the panel deemed his yellow card was sufficient punishment.

Added Ford: "My boys have shown incredible discipline for 77 minutes but the one time Ed decides to look after Kriss Brining - which I'm pleased he did - he gets this.

"If someone is going to do that to us, then we have to look after each other. If the referees aren't going to do anything about it, then we will, simple as that. It's ridiculous we're the ones getting punished for it."

Smith retains his place tomorrow but Ford again rotates his line-up in notable fashion, this time with The Press Player of the Year leader Greg Minikin, player/assistant-coach Mark Applegarth - the team's only other ever-present - and captain James Haynes all rested. Ben Dent is also sidelined by illness, while on-loan Jack Blagbrough has not been made available by Sheffield.

Jordan Howden, who goes in at full-back rather than stand-off, Jack Aldous, Micky Learmonth and Josh Tonks all return and Adam Dent comes onto the wing for his first outing since the Challenge Cup tie at St Helens in May. He scored twice when York last met Coventry in April.

Ford insists rotation does not suggest complacency.

"I wanted to give James Haynes a rest after his recent efforts on his return from injury, especially after the long travelling last week," he explained. "Greg is having a deserved rest - he's played a lot of games but he's still a young boy and I have to be mindful of overplaying him - and so is Mark Applegarth, who gets through a ton of work.

"There's no complacency at all.

"Jordan Howden is a half-back/full-back - he first caught my eye at full-back for Cas against Featherstone, when he was outstanding. He's a full-time player coming back into the side.

"Josh Tonks has arguably been one of our best players at an outstanding level this year and he's back, and Liam Cunningham's in at centre, where he was very unlucky to lose his spot in the first place.

"I see it as rotating to keep players at the top of their game, not weakening us."

He added: "Coventry play an expansive brand. They're unorthodox and shift the ball from all over. They're attack-minded and I think it will be a fast-flowing game. They've also recruited (prop) Jack Morrison from Swinton, who's robust in the middle.

"It will be a tough game for us, especially taking into account the travelling again after last week's trek. But it's a game we must win to keep pressure on at the top and our attitude will be bang-on."

Dual-registered Howden's inclusion confirms he will be a York player for the rest of the season.

Blagbrough may yet be back at York as part of his loan but, given the transfer deadline has now passed, he will be made ineligible for the Knights if he now plays for Sheffield.

The understanding now is that the same applies for dual-registered Michael Channing - he will remain eligible for York this season unless he turns out for Castleford.

Previously, it was thought the parent club had to decide whether to free up a dual-reg player for the rest of the season by a certain date.

Knights (probable): Howden, A Dent, Craig, Cunningham, Morrison, P Smith, Presley, Aldous, Carter, Learmonth, E Smith, Tonks, Mallinder. Subs: from Brining, Roche, Nicholson, Hey. Stand-by: Morland, Applegarth.