DANNY NICKLAS is back on trial at York City Knights - and with a clean slate as he looks to reignite his rugby league career.

The 24-year-old's last spell at Huntington Stadium - when on loan from Hull FC in 2013 - ended in acrimonious fashion as he departed in controversial circumstances in mid-season, after which the team tumbled to relegation from the Championship.

But boss James Ford, who played alongside the half-back that year, is happy to give him another chance with the club, saying he will judge him on what he does now "rather than what has happened previously".

"Danny is on trial with us," confirmed Ford, Nicklas having ended last season in the amateur game with West Hull after being released by Doncaster in July.

"He's been at this club before and he's played a bit of Super League. He's got a lot of ability and this is a good way to make sure he's happy with how we do things these days and that we're happy with what he brings us as well.

"The early signs are positive. He's fitting in well and he seems to be enjoying the discipline and structures we now have around his time at work."

Nicklas - seen as a potential Super League star as a youngster at the KC Stadium, breaking into the top-flight side 11 times only for injury to hamper his burgeoning career - played twice for York on dual-registration in 2012, only to be recalled by Hull for non first-team duty, much to the Knights' chagrin.

He returned to York on a proposed season-long loan the following year, and played in nine of the opening 13 games.

But, with the then Knights boss Gary Thornton expecting that switch to become permanent upon his early release by the Airlie Birds in May, the player's agent had teed up another crack at Super League with Hull KR.

Thornton, already unhappy that year with some Hull players' attitudes on dual-reg, was left seething, telling The Press: "I was looking forward to him focusing on York but it seems he never had that on his agenda."

Nicklas, meanwhile, took to Twitter to defend his move and counter insinuations about his professionalism, saying: “Did I really refuse to play? I think it was more like I walked out of Hull FC then I didn’t want to sign for York as I had something else lined up.

“Making me out to be someone that doesn’t want to play the game and making me look a ****. I think dual-reg is a joke and it should have never come into the game! And I think a lot of players will agree with me on that.”

Ford today said all that was water under the bridge.

"Danny was pretty keen to come and work with my staff and play for York again," he said.

"He's heard positive things about the boys and how much of a tight-knit group we are, and he was keen to be part of it - and why wouldn't you be, because they're a fantastic group.

"I played outside Danny and to be honest I enjoyed playing with him. He's got skill and good vision.

"I don't think everything went quite his way last time he was here but he's older now and more mature, and people deserve second chances.

"Everything he's done since coming back has been positive. We will judge him on that rather than what has happened previously."

Nicklas' switch to Hull KR in 2013 did not pay off and, after brief loan spells at Gateshead and Gloucestershire All Golds in League One, he joined Doncaster in 2014.

After impressing early on as Paul Cooke's Dons took the Championship by storm, he was sidelined for over a year due to a knee reconstruction, returning in April this year.

He played ten more times - but only twice after Thornton took over a struggling side from Cooke, and he was released in July.

Asked if a contract offer was now likely at York, Ford said: "He's impressed the conditioning staff as well as the skills coaches, and we will have a look at him in the pre-season trial games. If he continues working as he is doing, I can't see any reason why not."