YORK City Knights have taken former Wakefield Trinity academy hooker Danny Maskill on loan from Featherstone Rovers.

Maskill - the son of former Castleford, Leeds, Featherstone and Doncaster legend Colin Maskill - joined the Championship big guns over the winter after returning to the UK following a three-year spell in Australia, but he has not been able to nail down a spot in the Rovers side.

The 22-year-old, who represented Leeton Galloping Greens and Queanbeyan Kangaroos down under, is now likely to make his York debut on Saturday when the Knights go to Coventry Bears for their rearranged Betfred League One game (3pm).

Maskill said of his switch to York: “I’m really looking forward to my time there. Learning the trade from a hooker like Andy Ellis will be a fantastic opportunity for me.

“Hopefully I can get out there and make an impression. I have a big month ahead of me and have to take my chances as and when they come.”

Knights head coach James Ford said: “Danny is a hard-working young man. He’s a tough and uncompromising player which are excellent traits for a hooker to have.

"He’s a good trainer and very keen to establish himself at this level and beyond. I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Maskill effectively replaces St Helens acting-half Aaron Smith as York's on-loan hooker while the club wait for Harry Carter to get match fit from his knee injury.

He will compete with Ellis and Will Jubb for one of two hooking roles, and this weekend is likely to interchange with the latter, with Ellis facing a late fitness test after picking up a knock in last week's win at Hunslet.

Fellow veteran Graeme Horne is also set to sit this weekend out with a minor injury, while centre Jake Butler-Fleming is another facing a late test after his dead leg against the Parksiders.

Elsewhere, there is a return in the back line for Ash Robson and in the halves for local lad Liam Jackson, with Ben Cockayne reverting to full-back, while Mike Kelly and Dan Hawksworth come into the pack.

There are no dual-reg players in the provisional 19-man squad.

Ford, meanwhile, confirmed that Robson had been dropped from the team that went to Hunslet last week due to a "minor breach of club discipline". He would not say what that breach entailed.

He added: "I'm happy with how the issue has been resolved and I'm looking forward to seeing Ash play and train to the levels we know he's capable of, and to helping him become the player I know he's capable of becoming."

Explaining why he is set to deploy Cockayne at full-back and Robson on the wing, instead of vice versa, Ford said: "I feel how Ben plays there will suit us this week.

"His talk and experience will be invaluable for Liam Jackson in the halves. He's also really good around dummy-half and in pushing through, and that will be important for us this week."

He added: "Long-term I see Ash as a full-back but in the short-term we have other excellent options in there."

Robson replaces Tommy Saxton on the wing. Ford said of the veteran: "Tommy did some good things (against Hunslet) and he knows what he needs to work on.

"I have trust in him. His experience and work rate is really valuable and he will still have an important role to play for us. This time it's important we get Ash back out there."

On Hawksworth's return, Ford said: "He missed out quite unfairly (against Hunslet). He's really impressed everyone at the club and he needs to keep playing to continue developing.

"We're taking the sensible option with Graeme (Horne). It makes sense to give him a rest and give Dan an opportunity to continuing developing on the pitch."

Knights (probable): Cockayne, Robson, Hey, Batchelor, Mazive, C Robinson, Jackson, Ronan Dixon, Jubb, Siddons, Kelly, Scott, Spears. Subs: Maskill, Porter, A Robinson, Hawksworth. Fitness tests: Butler-Fleming, Ellis.