JAMES FORD says any misfiring York City Knights player will get further chance to impress before the season starts – starting tomorrow night.

Head coach Ford admitted after Friday’s 20-16 defeat to Castleford Tigers – sealed by a late winner from former favourite Greg Minikin – that his side looked a bit rusty at times, albeit in their first run-out.

He would not say from which players in particular he required improvements ahead of the big kick off next month, but he did say he would not make final judgements on any new boys.

“I can’t make cast-iron appraisals based on one game,” said Ford.

“They will get another opportunity to show they’re a lot better than maybe they showed.”

The Knights are due to take on York Acorn ARLC in a behind-closed-doors opposed training session tomorrow night, and there are also plans in place for another pre-season friendly – possibly on Sunday, February 7 – to make up for the two fixtures, against Hull and Featherstone, that both fell foul of the weather earlier this month.

Said Ford: “We’re trying to arrange another game. We’re working hard to organise an extra fixture and we will also get a lot from training against York Acorn.

“Finding that fluidity we need – we can really work on that against a good amateur team like Acorn.”

Friday’s match saw the teams compete again for the Paul Higgins Memorial Trophy in memory of the popular former Cas player and coach who also served York academy chief and development guru, before he died suddenly aged 56 at a York schools rugby league festival in 2008.

The first such fixture was in 2009 and the record now stands at three wins each.