SIX of York City Knights’ seven new off-season signings are in line for their club debuts in tomorrow’s pre-season opener at Featherstone Rovers (3pm).

The trip to the LD Nutrition stadium is the first of three friendly matches for York over January, with the hosting of Halifax and a visit to Bradford Bulls coming later in the month.

Knights fans will be set to witness new recruits Will Sharp, Ben Johnston, Danny Washbrook, James Green, Chris Clarkson and Elliot Wallis in York colours for the first time tomorrow though.

The game is a repeat of the two side’s Championship play-off semi-final, of which the Rovers prevailed as 30-4 winners at Bootham Crescent.

There’s just under a month to go until York’s Betfred Championship season opener away to Toulouse Olympique on Saturday, February 1.

Head coach James Ford has admitted that he’s yet to settle upon a side for that game, with the pre-season matches an opportune chance for players, both and existing and new, to impress.

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Ford said: “Training has gone really well and the players are certainly making it difficult for me to identify my best 17.

“I’m looking forward to watching them all intensify the competition for places with a strong performance against a very good Featherstone side.

“We’ve identified some areas we need to be better in, without sacrificing what has made us York over the recent seasons.

“These games do help get your players ready for the Championship and enable the coaching staff to identify the best combinations & relationships across the squad.

“Apart from Ronan Dixon, all the players not selected should return imminently and play some minutes before the Toulouse fixture.

“We want to give ourselves the best opportunity coming into what will be a tough Championship season and get close to the standards we set ourselves heading into Round 1. We want to go into that game in form.

“We want to have a look at all the squad and I’m sure the supporters will be as eager as I am to see the new players settle in and see how the combinations are shaping up.

“These games throughout January give the players a real opportunity to force their way into the team for the Toulouse game – they will all be desperate to play in it – and they give the supporters opportunity to see what we’re about this year.”

Prop forward Ronan Dixon is the most serious of the injury concerns and is set to miss the first eight to 10 weeks of the season, with an operation required.

Jimmy Keinhorst, arguably the highest profile of the new additions, is currently recovering from a shoulder injury and Ford has said that there will be an "outside chance" that he will feature in the final pre-season game against Bradford.

Forward Josh Jordan-Roberts and hooker Kriss Brining are both targeting returns from injuries against the Bulls. Winger Perry Whiteley also misses the trip to Featherstone through injury.

York City Knights squad: Marsh, Salter, Sharp, Johnston, Robinson, Jubb, Teanby, Washbrook, Scott, Spears, Green, Clarkson, Porter, Baldwinson, Stock, Bass, Wallis, Bardle (Trialist), Brown (Trialist), Harrison (Trialist), Towse (Trialist).

l Elsewhere, York have confirmed that their Betfred Championship match at home to Widnes Vikings on Sunday, May 3 will now kick off at 6:15pm rather than the usual 3pm.