JAMES FORD is hoping to see more from York City Knights on Sunday at home to Whitehaven than he saw in Cumbria earlier in the season.

In June, a lacklustre Knights were well beaten 37-12 defeat at the Recreation Ground, where York never really looked like getting back into the contest despite second-half tries from Jordan Baldwinson and Kieran Dixon.

On Sunday (3pm) at the LNER Community Stadium, York have the chance to set the record straight with Whitehaven, who have proved to be one of the Betfred Championship’s surprise packages.

“Whitehaven deserved to beat us,” head coach Ford said. “They held us up over the line three or four times because they were more desperate than we were on the day.

“They reacted to a couple of loose kicks and offloads better than we did because they were more desperate which was what I found really disappointing.

“Some of the skill that we produced was really poor and we lacked desperation. It wasn’t what we were used to seeing in a York shirt.

“We’re really looking to playing on the weekend and playing with much more energy and enthusiasm and togetherness.

“They’re a team that don’t make many errors, work hard for each other defensively and have got plenty of aggression about them,” he continued.

“They’ve brought in Louis Jouffret in the halves alongside Nikau Williams - two good players.

“There’s plenty of threat out of dummy half, with Newton and Phillips, off the back of any kind of ruck wins. And the two wingers are a handful, Bulman and Walmsley, probably for different reasons.

“Bulman is a very strong and direct outside back whereas Walmsley is a really quick and skirts the line.

“They’ll definitely present some challenges for us because they’re a god team and they are where they area for a reason.

“But we’re really looking forward to the challenge at the weekend.”

York: (from) Marsh, Salter, Atkins, R Dixon, Jubb, Teanby, Clarkson, Scott, Stock, Kirmond, Green, Whiteley, Jones-Bishop, Towse, Harrison, Warren, Washbrook, Dow-Nikau, Johnson, Gannon, McDonnell.