TIM SPEARS reckons the new-look York City Knights side are in for a unique experience this weekend and “as big a challenge as there is" in League One – but he reckons it could be another key moment in their development.

The Knights kick off their League One campaign on Saturday evening (6.30pm) away to a big-spending Barrow outfit who are among the favourites to join moneybags Toronto in winning promotion.

The Raiders are also York’s big bogey side, having won the last 11 meetings between the teams in a sequence stretching way back to 2007.

Spears, one of the old heads in James Ford’s predominantly young team, is well aware of the test that awaits. But he has been impressed by the squad's progress in a short space of time and, while he is toeing the party line of “not over-talking and underachieving”, he believes if they continue developing at the current rate, they could be “knocking on the door come the back end of the season".

“It seems quite a while ago since the beginning of pre-season with the uncertainty and adversity that was around then,” said the former Featherstone captain, a marquee signing for the Knights’ new owners after they secured the club’s future.

“The boys have come together really well. The training facilities are excellent and we’ve got some quality coaches.

“I think we’ve grown as a group week on week and got better with each of the pre-season friendlies.”

The new team lost their season-opening League One Cup tie against North Wales in extra time after conceding an equaliser on the hooter, but they saw off amateurs Egremont in the Challenge Cup on Sunday – bagging a fourth-round home tie against old rivals Rochdale in last night’s draw.

“That first (competitive) game was disappointing with the last-minute loss,” Spears continued.

“It was a bit of a reality check for us and there were a lot of lessons for a lot of players in terms of having a winning mentality and how to shut out a game that you’re in control of, and how to build pressure not release it.

“We then came up against a really good amateur team in my opinion, who got stuck into us and made us work hard for every point we scored.

“You’ve got to be pleased with scoring ten tries, and keeping them to eight points is a much-improved effort compared to some of the pre-season games.

“The boys are working hard on improving our defence - and it will have to go up another notch on Saturday when we have pretty much as big a challenge at League One level as you can get, up at Barrow.

“We’re quite a young group. I’m not even sure all the boys have travelled up to Cumbria before.

“It’s quite unique going up there, and it’s about getting the travelling side of things right and getting our preparation right.

“Kicking off at Saturday teatime in Cumbria is not what we’re used to, and we’ll be up against quality opposition who are pushing hard to get promotion.

“They have a big, physical pack and we’re going to have to be on top of our game if we’re going to come away with anything.

“But the boys are positive and confident. We’re improving week on week. It will be a good yardstick for where we’re at.”

Asked if the team had targets yet this term, Spears intimated getting in the top four had to be an “aspiration” but said: “The overarching message from York City Knights is that we don’t want to over-talk and underachieve.

“To start speculating or making bold statements about where we will end up – I don’t see what there is to gain from that at this stage with a new, young group.

“Our goals in the short-term are about continuing to improve. If you get that side of things right you will be knocking on the door come the back end of the season.

“We’re striving to work hard and get to know each other, understand what James Ford and (assistant-coach) Chris Spurr want from us on the field, and strike up partnerships with a lot of new players.

“It’s about individually and collectively improving week on week, rather than looking too far down the track.”