HEAD coach James Ford has given the biggest hint yet that veteran half-back Jonny Presley is set to don the boots again for York City Knights - perhaps starting with this weekend's Ladbrokes Challenge Cup clash with Rochdale.

Presley has taken on a coaching role at the Knights this year, seemingly happy to be only a back-up on the field as he winds down his playing days.

But boss Ford has always said he wanted the 32-year-old to remain a fully-fledged option, and, having outlined a need for more experience in the outside-backs this week after the team just scraped a League One win over minnows South Wales Ironmen, he has suggested he may look to deploy an old head in the halves too in Sunday's fourth-round tie.

"What we've got is potentially really good," he said of his back seven as a whole.

"They are great athletes and have talent but they're all mainly at the same stage of their development, aged 20 or 21.

"They've all got potential to be really good and we've seen glimpses from them all. We need to turn those glimpses into consistency and someone with more experience in there will facilitate their development."

Ford has already all but confirmed former captain James Haynes will start at full-back in place of the crocked Ash Robson, while veteran winger Tommy Saxton, a Challenge Cup winner with Hull back in 2005, is in line for a recall after his off-season injury.

Former Featherstone, Keighley and Fremantle playmaker Presley, whose only run-out this year came as a substitute in the pre-season friendly win over Hull, could also be included.

Ford added: "The young players can learn off people around them as well as from performing themselves at this level."