YORK City Knights “are capable of upsetting the odds” said boss James Ford ahead of Sunday’s Ladbrokes Challenge Cup test against Betfred Super League outfit Catalans Dragons.

League One Knights have already shown they can spring a surprise in the competition, having beaten Championship side Swinton Lions 26-12 in the fourth round.

Catalans currently sit bottom of the Super League with two wins to their name, while Knights are joint-first in League One and come into the game off the back of a resounding 66-6 victory over London Skolars.

However, the two are, of course, completely different animals, and Ford has warned that Catalans will not be overcome easily with the quality they have.

He said: “We’re aware that we’re performing pretty well but there are things we need to improve. We’ll have to be at our best.

“They’re a full-time Super League side with top-level players. They’re clinical with plenty of pace.

“We’re aware of their threats, but we have shown we are capable of upsetting the odds.

“We’ll need to be at our maximum and that’s what we’re preparing to do.

“A number of the younger members of our team have the potential to kick on and play Super League rugby, so this will be an opportunity to showcase that potential.

“For some of the older players, it’s an opportunity to show they’ve still got it, while for others who haven’t had the chance to play at Super League level this will be a great opportunity to finally do that against one of the best teams in Europe.

“We’ll need to have a lot of intensity in our defensive work. We’ll have to work harder than them off the ball and take all our chances, but we’ll also need a little bit of fortune here and there.

“The harder you work, the luckier you get, and we’re due some luck.”

Ford will hand the Australian loan recruit Jake Butler-Fleming his first start this campaign following his loan signing on Tuesday while Brad Hey will be brought into the starting 13 alongside Adam Robinson, Graeme Horne and Joe Batchelor.

Jake Normington and Chris Siddons are vying for a place on the bench but, from last week's squad, dual-reg Will Oakes and Jordan Walne will miss out, as well as Mike Kelly.

Steve McNamara will make four changes to the Catalans 17 that made the trip to Castleford for the comprehensive 41-0 defeat, with the club’s record appearance holder Rémi Casty being reprieved for the first time this season.

Greg Bird – who has the highest number of assists to his name this season for Catalans with five – returns after having been rested last week, having left the field with a knock in the French side’s 32-23 home capitulation to Wigan Warriors a fortnight previously.

Iain Thornley, Brayden Wiliame and Alrix Da Costa will also make way for Paul Aiton, Vincent Duport and Antoni Maria.

Knights: Moss, Robson, Hey, Butler-Fleming, Mazive, Cockayne, C Robinson, A Robinson, Ellis, Horne, Batchelor, Scott, Spears. Subs: from Jubb, Hawksworth, Porter, Dixon, Simmons, Normington.

Catalans: from Mead, Broughton, Yaha, Langi, Aiton, Moa, Garcia, Bird, Bousquet, Simon, Duport, Baiteiri, Margalet, McIlorum, Tierney, Jullian, Albert, Maria, Gigot.