YORK City Knights boss James Ford has no preference when it comes to play-off opposition - and instead is sticking with the cliched "one game at a time" mantra.

The Knights could finish this weekend with a top-five place in Kingstone Press League One already guaranteed if they beat London Skolars at Bootham Crescent tomorrow (3pm) and Hunslet lose to runaway leaders Toulouse today.

But Ford says he hasn't looked at the possible permutations heading into the last rounds of the Super 8s, and believes that in any case anyone can beat anyone else.

He also hasn't set a points target for this final week, when the games against the Skolars and Keighley Cougars sandwich Thursday's rearranged clash with Doncaster.

"We're just focusing on London," he said. "They're a good team and have beaten some teams above us in the table, so we'll have our hands full.

"If we win, our position improves in terms of making the play-offs.

"We haven't set a target for the week. We haven't been thinking about Doncaster or Keighley as that would be very disrespectful to a very good London team."

As things stand, Toulouse (37pts) are guaranteed top spot, with Barrow and Rochdale (both 29pts) vying for second.

Then, battling for fourth and fifth, come Doncaster (24), York (23), Hunslet (22) and, with an outside chance, Keighley (20). Doncaster and York have three games left, the others two.

The top two after next Sunday's last matches will meet in the first promotion final, the winners of which go straight up, with the losers going into the play-off semi-finals for the second promotion place. That team will host the team that finishes fifth, while third meets fourth.

York fans would probably prefer to face Rochdale rather than Barrow or Toulouse in the semi-finals given the Knights' recent records against those teams.

But Ford said: "Lots can yet happen and it would be pretty naive of us to try to finish in a specific position in order to draw one team or another.

"It would be impossible to predict all the results and how things will end up.

"Anyone is capable of beating anyone.

"We will just play as hard as we can, like we have done for the majority of the season."

Fans were handed a general boost this week when City of York Council confirmed rugby league can be played at Bootham Crescent next year, meaning the up-for-sale club now have the security of tenure to be allowed promotion if they achieve it - and if they continue beyond this season.

On his team's chances of going up, Ford said: "It's every game as it comes. We'll try to win as many as we can. It's a tough ask but we're a tough team."

Skolars - beaten 58-14 by Toulouse in last week's traditional "Friday Night Lights" match in the capital ahead of the Challenge Cup final - are the one side in the Super 8s who cannot now make the play-offs, but finishing above the likes of Newcastle and North Wales having been outsiders for the top eight still makes for a successful season for the relative minnows.

Ford also insisted they remained a threat.

Asked if they were the easiest of the three remaining fixtures, he said: "No. They're three very different teams. London have some big, athletic players and if we don't improve dramatically from our performance against Hunslet it will be a tough afternoon for us."

Ford is poised to recall hooker Harry Carter and fit-again Mark Applegarth.

Mike Emmett also plays after he faced no disciplinary action following his controversial red card in the defeat to Hunslet, for alleged stamping.

Said Ford: "They deemed it no case to answer, as I think everybody in the ground believed would be the case. It was clear on video, a complete non-event and a baffling red card to be honest."

Knights: from Haynes, Buchanan, E Smith, Craig, Saxton, Presley, Nicklas, Learmonth, Brining, Aldous, Tonks, Westerman, Hey, Emmett, Carter, Spiers, Waller, Applegarth, P Smith, A Smith.

Skolars: from O Thomas, Nash, Small, Juma, Hill, Coleman, Lawrence, Dollapi, M Bishay, Williams, Fatouri, Mbaraga, Robinson, Driver, Sykes, Gray, Druce, M Greenhalgh, Pointer.