BOSS Paul March will try a couple of experiments tomorrow as York City Knights wrap up their pre-season preparations.

The Knights take on a young Leeds Rhinos side at Huntington Stadium in their final friendly, with March fulfilling his promise to give every fit player in his first-team squad at least two pre-season outings.

And to that end, three players will play in unfamiliar roles as March has a look at different combinations while giving them game-time.

Young Danny Grimshaw, normally a half-back, will play at full-back, back-rower Ryan Esders will start the game at centre, and Andy Gargan, also a half-back, will begin at loose-forward.

The encounter also provides debuts for props Danny Ekis and Scott Woodcock, who haven't yet played due to injury or illness, while teenage prospect Oliver Wilcox-Harrison will start a Knights game for the first time.

Esders played a few games at centre last season amid an injury crisis, so it is the places for Grimshaw at full-back and Gargan at loose-forward that are possibly the more interesting.

Former Great Britain amateur international half-back Gargan has not played at 13 since his York Acorn ARLC days, and only then very rarely, while Grimshaw is new to the full-back role.

March reckoned it could pay off for both the club and the players. "He's not the quickest half-back but he's put a bit of size on and I think he will adapt to the loose-forward role very well," he said of Gargan.

"It's a new test for him and I'm sure he will come up trumps.

"His size and his ball skills put him in the frame for the loose-forward role and it could prove to be his best position. And until Rob Spicer comes back (from injury) we haven't got a definite loose- forward, so it's going to be good for competition for places."

As for Grimshaw, he added: "He's a half-back too, but I feel he can contribute a lot from full-back, the same as Danny Ratcliffe has.

"He (Ratcliffe) switched to full-back and it's been a success and I reckon that Danny Grimshaw can be as big a success.

"He's a ball runner - if he gets the ball in his hands he can be dangerous. He's got a lot to learn about the position, it's new to him, but these friendlies are there so we can have a look at things and get combinations right."

Jamie Thackray is the star name in Leeds' line-up, the former Great Britain international prop having been left out of the first-team party that is in Florida for warm-weather training, after being told he can leave the club.

The remainder are academy players, including York-born Danny Allan, as reported by The Press. But March has pointed out his Knights' team also has its fair share of youngsters - one of which is former Headingley starlet David Leeke, who joined his home-town club from Leeds - complimented by old heads like himself.

"Leeds are bringing a full-time squad of under-21s and they will want to be very competitive against a first-team squad. But we've got a lot of young players as well," said March.

"We'll have to see what it brings. We're looking to build on what we've already achieved in the previous two friendlies. Again I'm not bothered about the result, it's all about the performance."

Knights: Grimshaw, Mapals, Esders, Lewis, Leeke, Rhodes, P March, Ekis, D March, Applegarth, Buckley, O Wilcox-Harrison, Gargan. Subs: Hodgson, Endersby, Woodcock, Watling, Blaney, Divorty, Kelly, Ferris.

Leeds: Sheldrake, Jones-Bishop, Broughton, Watkins, Archibald, Allan, Brown, Jones, McShane, Thackray, Brown, Howey, Worrall, Hardbottle, Lawton, Fox, Elkington, Clarkson, Ely.

Referee: P Brooke.

Kick off: 3pm.