FORMER boss Gary Thornton reckons York City Knights will be among the clubs pushing for promotion from League One this year.

Thornton brings his Hunslet side for a friendly at Bootham Crescent tomorrow (3pm) believing his successor at York, James Ford, has recruited "really well" in the off-season as the Knights look to build on their run to the play-off semi-finals last term.

And, while fallen giants Bradford Bulls will start the season as title favourites, Thornton, who is also targeting the top-five play-offs for his current club, believes a number of teams, including York, could topple them.

"It will be a really competitive league, more so this year than the year before," he said at the official launch of the 2018 rugby league season yesterday.

"I imagine Bradford will be favourites but they're beatable. There are five or six teams who can push them close.

"York have recruited really well, and their partnership with Hull KR will be a benefit. It's the same with Doncaster and their partnership with Hull.

"The Cumbrian teams (Whitehaven and Workington) will be tough. There are a few teams who could be as good as Bradford and who will be up for those games.

"It's the toughest competition in League One for a good number of years."

Hunslet failed to make the Super 8s last year but Thornton, who took over midway through the season, led them to the Shield and he reckoned they would go into this season in better fettle.

"It was disappointing not to make the 8s," he said. "I had four games (after taking over) before the Super 8s split and the game in London cost us - we were really poor that day.

"We weren't happy to go into the Shield but the objective when we were in there was to win it and we did that.

"We also created a good feeling around the place which you get with winning regularly, and we've carried that into pre-season."

League One now reverts to a straight home and away format followed by play-offs, scrapping the Super 8s set-up.

Thornton added: "If you're not in the top five this year, you can't get promoted, so that's what we're looking at.

"Our target is to win our home games and pick up what we can away."