YORK City Knights head coach James Ford has insisted that last Sunday's win in Cumbria has not given him a selection headache ahead of Swinton Lions' visit.

The Knights boss has spoken of the importance of high-quality preparation and its rewards for both individual and team as York return to Bootham Crescent for round nine of the Betfred Championship.

Ford has made several changes to the inexperienced side that came away from Barrow Raiders with a 32-16 Coral Challenge Cup victory.

Toronto Wolfpack loanee Nick Rawsthorne – who pulled up in the warm-up – makes the 19-man squad along with Jason Bass, Liam Salter, Ben Cockayne, Connor Robinson, Graeme Horne, Joe Batchelor and Ronan Dixon.

Kriss Brining and Marcus Stock retain their place but are expected to start on the bench. Kevin Brown, Brad Hey, Conor McGrath, Jack Blagbrough, Mike Kelly and Dave Petersen drop out.

Ford said: "There were promising individual performances (at Barrow) and I was pleased with what they did but there’s lots to improve on.

"We’ve looked at that together. They know and we know where they need to be better.

"I don’t have a ‘preferred’ side. I prefer to see them training well and competing for places and if players do that they’ll find a place within the team.

"I’ve selected the side I feel is most appropriate to perform. Swinton are a good side and it’s important that we take these league points.

"The lads who came in (for Barrow) did really well, although the lads who were left out had done nothing wrong.

"It’s about keeping the players’ readiness where it needs to be for the full 27 rounds of the season."

The importance of preparation extends beyond training and into matchday itself, says Ford, who has warned of the threat of Swinton's versatile attack.

York may have picked up some excellent results this season, but it is not past successes that will carry them through, rather their efforts in building up to and during the match.

Ford said: "We take each game as it comes. If you go into a rugby league game not prepared to work harder than the other team you’re going to get beat.

"We’ll get our prep right and work incredibly hard. That’s where we start – by working harder than the other team and preparing to fight harder than the other team.

"The team that wins is the team that plays best.

"I believe that accumulating positive days in training is a precursor to an energetic and focused performance, and that’s what we need."

The Knights have brought in half-back Lewis Heckford from Dewsbury Rams on an initial one-month loan. He is in line to feature next week against Widnes.

Knights (from): Marsh, Rawsthorne, Whiteley, Mazive, Bass, Salter, Cockayne, Robinson, Teanby, Jubb, Horne, Batchelor, Scott, Jordan-Roberts, Spears, Brining, Stock, Dixon, Porter.