YORK City Knights boss James Ford is hoping Hull KR dual-reg duo Matty Marsh and Will Dagger will be available again next weekend - for what will be a much sterner test of his team's title credentials.

Marsh and Dagger had arguably their best games in York shirts on Sunday as Ford's men walloped minnows Hemel Stags 90-0 to go top of Betfred League One on points-difference above Bradford Bulls.

However, Rovers picked up a couple of new injury concerns in their Magic Weekend loss to Hull FC so it is unclear if either will be free to travel with the Knights to Whitehaven next Sunday - Cumbria traditionally being an unhappy hunting ground for the Minster city side.

Said Ford: "We're in regular discussions with Hull KR regarding player availability. I hope both are available but we will see."

Half-back Marsh scored four tries and full-back Dagger two in the romp against the Stags. It was the former's fourth outing for York this term, the last coming on April 4, and the latter's second, after his bow against Hunslet earlier this month.

Said Ford: “They were both superb. I was really happy with what both of them did.

“It was good to see Marshy smiling and good to see him having a run at teams and pushing through. He scored a remarkable try when he showed unbelievable pace.

"I keep saying he's got all the ingredients. Hopefully we can continue to see him playing like that and I'm sure he will be giving Tim (Sheens, Hull KR boss) a nudge if he keeps doing so.

"Will has got a load of potential. He showed a lot of class with a couple of really well-timed cutout balls and positionally he was much better, and he gave some good energy coming out of yardage.

"When they come down here and play with that kind of attitude it reflects really positively on the blokes over at Hull KR."

Sheens, already without veteran playmaker Danny McGuire, saw centre Junior Vaivai and on-loan St Helens hooker Aaron Smith - who previously had a brief loan spell at York - depart early on against Hull.

That may open up a space for Marsh or Dagger to return to their first team for Friday night's match against Wigan.

The Knights, though, should have players returning for the trip to Whitehaven, the scene of that epic play-off semi-final defeat last season.

Onfield general Andy Ellis and strike centre Jake Butler-Fleming are expected back in full training this week, while joint top-scorer Judah Mazive rested a niggling groin problem on Sunday and should also be okay to play. Hooker Will Jubb also sat out the Hemel match having played for England Universities on Saturday.

Ford revealed they were down to 18 fit players on Sunday - including Jubb.

The Humberside derby, meanwhile, saw former Knights loan star Kieren Moss score a hat-trick to potentially cement his place in the Hull KR line-up, albeit in a 34-22 Hull win. The Aussie wrote his place in the York RL annals last month after notching a club record seven tries in a match in the world record 144-0 defeat of West Wales.

Former Knights favourite Liam Harris, who starred at York on dual-reg from Rovers last year, scored on his debut for Hull.