FORGET all that’s gone on off the field and focus on performing with pride against the odds on it.

That was effectively the message from assistant-coach Chris Spurr as a threadbare York City Knights face a hiding to nothing against big guns Toulouse Olympique in today’s Kingstone Press League One play-off semi-final (4pm UK time).

Crisis club York travelled over to France with the bare minimum of 13 players, with several unable to get the necessary time off work to travel at short notice for what is an unexpected tie.

Moreover, the game is almost a dead rubber, too, with the Knights, already huge underdogs, having been told by the Rugby Football League on Wednesday that they were not eligible for promotion anyway after not providing the necessary security of tenure at a ground for 2017 - a knock-on effect of the latest off-field uncertainty.

Under-fire chairman John Guildford has said he might appeal that decision next week, arguing they can play at Featherstone Rovers if not Bootham Crescent.

All that aside, former Knights centre Spurr, who came back to the Minster city in August as number two to James Ford, says the players should focus on personal performances – and even on causing the biggest upset in decades in search of one final hurrah, no matter what happens to the club thereafter.

“Ultimately it’s pride in your personal performance,” he said, of what will motivate the players in light of recent events.

“There is also a chance to play in a final and those chances don’t come along very often. That’s the message James has been getting across.

“I think he played in one final and I played in only two in 15 years of playing. They are few and far between.

“This is still an opportunity to win something and, for some, it might be their only chance in their career. That should be motivation enough.”

Spurr revealed he was not surprised when the RFL announced their decision, subject to appeal, to bar the Knights from promotion.

“James and I had discussed it briefly,” he said. “I assumed this would be the case having seen what’s happened in the past and guessed it would be announced at some point.”

Toulouse went through the entire league season unbeaten before their shock reversal at the hands of runners-up Rochdale in last week’s promotion final – a result which saw the Hornets go up and dumped the French money-men in the play-offs for the second promotion spot.

They enjoyed two comfortable wins over York this year – the second occasion being against 15 men after that Super 8s game was only confirmed at short notice.

There had been uncertainty over the Knights’ immediate future at that time after Guildford said he was to close the club, arguing City of York Council’s community stadium project made it unsustainable before saying he would see out the season.

Spurr says Ford’s travelling troops this time have nothing to lose. “I wasn’t here for much of the year but York beat Rochdale three times and Rochdale have just beaten Toulouse. They’ve shown that they are beatable,” he said.

“We’re going over as big underdogs and there’s no pressure on the lads. We will give it a go and what will be will be. We’ve got nothing to lose.

“It might be the last time this group play together. I’m sure they’ll all give it their best and play for each other.”