YORK City Knights boss James Ford has admitted having to make some big selection calls for the title D-Day clash with Whitehaven - but added he's had to make them all year.

The Knights, needing to beat the Cumbrians to seal the Betfred League One crown on the final day of the regular season, go into the game with only a few injury absentees - Perry Whiteley this week joining fellow centre Jake Butler-Fleming in the treatment room.

They will also again be without dual-reg winger Will Oakes, who has been kept back by parent club Hull KR.

However, the bulk of the squad have been fighting for places, and, in notable decisions, Ford appears set to leave out prolific try-scorer Judah Mazive and bulldozing prop Adam Robinson in favour of local lad Matt Chilton and the ever-improving Ronan Dixon.

Fan favourite Harry Carter also gets the nod as interchange hooker, with Will Jubb missing out due to Andy Ellis' return.

Asked if they were big calls, Ford said: "There are numerous big calls - it's not just Robbo and Judah. Will Jubb's missed out, Mike Kelly's missed out, Dan Hawksworth came back in last week and played well but he's missed out.

"There have been big calls all season.

"Ultimately I can only select 17 and I'll go with what I think is the best 17 based on the information I have on form and fitness and styles of play."

Mazive has scored 16 tries in 18 appearances this term and has been nominated for the League Young Player of the Year award, but has missed the last four games after initially losing his place due to a hamstring injury.

Chilton was a latecomer to the squad, joining on transfer deadline day from neighbouring amateurs York Acorn, and has only made four professional appearances, his three tries all coming in the big win at whipping boys West Wales Raiders.

Ford said: "Matt Chilton deserves to be in the side. He's very safe under kick pressure. Ronan Dixon has had a tremendous season.

"It's been difficult (to make selection decisions) but you have to take the emotion away from it and look at it purely from a performance perspective because ultimately that's how we're judged.

"I don't expect everyone to be happy about being left out."

Ford had rested a number of players for last week's straightforward win at Hemel Stags but they all return.

Included in that number are Ellis, centre Joe Batchelor, second-row Sam Scott and Aussie forward Joel Edwards.

Meanwhile, the weather forecast is for more rain on Sunday following the recent deluges.

Asked which side those conditions would favour, Ford said: "We can't control the weather. We can't control how well other teams play or how well a referee operates. We can only control what we do.

"That regards our preparation, our concentration, our composure. If we do all those things to our standards, I'm confident we will get a performance."

Knights (probable): Marsh, Chilton, Hey, Batchelor, Robson, Cockayne, C Robinson, Ronan Dixon, Ellis, Horne, Jordan-Roberts, Scott, Spears. Subs: Carter, Edwards, Ormondroyd, Porter. Stand-by: Mazive, A Robinson.

Whitehaven: from Abram, Burns, Nandye, Mossop, D Thompson, Phillips, Roper, Shackley, Eaves, Forster, Holliday, Gillam, Aiye, Coward, Green, Howarth, Mossop, Tilley, J Thompson, Herve.