YORK Knights have boosted their forward line for the final two months of the season after welcoming back homegrown talent Toby Warren.

Warren, 19, arrives back at the LNER Community Stadium on loan from Betfred Super League heavyweights Leeds Rhinos, for whom he penned a four-year contract last September.

The York-born second-rower had spent time at amateurs New Earswick All Blacks before signing for the Knights on dual registration from Heworth in 2020, going on to agree a contract at York until the end of the 2023 season.

He was also a product of the Knights Foundation’s Excel player development programme alongside wingers AJ Towse and Myles Harrison, aimed at providing the city’s emerging talent with quality coaching and guidance, as well as a pathway into the Knights’ set up.

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Such is his promise, Warren made his York debut in their 29-16 victory at Newcastle Thunder in September 2021 at the age of just 17, also starting in their 32-22 triumph over London Broncos later that season.

He made three appearances for the Knights last year, earning himself a call-up to the Yorkshire Academy Origin Squad as a result of a string of impressive performances.

Warren will provide a vital boost during the run in as York look to continue their late push for the play-offs, with influential Welsh forward Bailey Antrobus currently sidelined with a toe injury.

Whilst the Betfred Championship is undoubtedly a different challenge than playing Reserve grade rugby - in which a terrible neck injury to Warren forced the abandonment of his side’s match with Wigan Warriors in May - head coach Andrew Henderson is delighted to welcome the young starlet back to York.

“I’m really pleased to have secured Toby’s services for the remainder of the year,” he enthused. "We've got to thank Leeds for helping us out with that one. 

"It's off the back of Sunday. We obviously lost James Cunningham to a HIA and he's going to have to have further investigation there with that, and then obviously Chris Clarkson too with the rib injury, so we felt that coming into the back end it was important to try and bring a couple of bodies in.

"Oli Pratt is still with us to the end of the year from Wakefield so we can call on him, obviously, Toby Warren and we're still in the market potentially to try and bring another one in as well if we can just to give us that little bit more depth for the back end of the season.

"I'm really pleased to secure Toby. He's an exciting talent, and he obviously knows the club well from being part of this system before and being part of the club."

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Henderson has not been shy in his wishes to develop the club's young talent this season, and is keen to entice as many homegrown players as possible - but only if they tick all his boxes.

"If we can give York-based players opportunities, we'll try and do that," he explained. "But there's no sort of God-given right that just because they're from York then they'll get a game.

"They've got to have the potential, they've got to have the talent, and above all, they've got to have the right personality that's going to fit the playing group.

"Thankfully for Toby, he ticks all those boxes, so it wasn't a hard decision to try and get him back in the fold.

"I'm looking forward to him adding value and what he'll bring to the team at the back end of this season for us."

Warren himself was equally as excited about the move and showing what he has learned from his time at Leeds back in front of the York supporters.

“I’m buzzing to be back at York until the end of the season and I’m really excited to get back out on the field in a Knights shirt," he admitted.

“I’m looking forward to playing at the LNER Community Stadium again and I’m excited to show everyone how far I’ve come as a player in the 10 months or so since I’ve left, having had a full pre-season and the best part of a season in a full-time environment at Leeds.”

Warren is immediately available for selection for the Knights, and could make his second debut for the club against high-fliers Toulouse Olympique at the LNER Community Stadium on Saturday evening (6pm).