WILL DAGGER is fit for this Sunday’s Betfred Championship clash between the York Knights and Batley Bulldogs - despite being rushed back for last weekend’s win over Toulouse Olympique.

Head Coach Mark Applegarth confessed that York had opted to rush Dagger back from a hamstring injury after not featuring for the Knights since July’s 27-0 triumph over Doncaster, with the full-back playing a starring role in a first win at Toulouse in 13 years.

Dagger has recovered in good spirits after that 20-12 victory over French side Toulouse, with Applegarth explaining the decision-making process behind opting to rush the 25-year-old back to fitness, with ‘must-win’ matches approaching for the Knights.

“Touch wood he has [come through okay], we rushed him back a couple of weeks earlier than we would have liked,” Applegarth told BBC York.

“Dags was confident in himself and in his body, that’s good enough for me as he knows his body better than anyone.

“He seems to have got through alright and I thought that it was great to have him back.

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“Him, Ata [Hingano] and Nikau [Williams] together are a nice combo and it kind of softens our blow of losing Liam [Harris] and then Cooky [Sam Cook].

“I’m glad to have him back, but I thought that from one to 17, everyone stepped up and played their part in different roles.

“How we stuck to our plan was great, but that’s been and gone now and we look forward.

“They are must-win games coming up, if the player is happy to play, if you’re at the start of the year and have 20 odd games coming up then you’ve got to bat smart, but when you’re down to six games left, then you’ve got to take a few calculated risks.

“He got through a lot of rehab, normally we like to give players a week or two when they’re in training where you can assess them and make sure that there is no doubt, but when you’re at this stage of the year you’ve kind of just got to go ‘there you go son, let’s see what you’ve got’.

“That’s what we did with Dags.”

Applegarth also confirmed that York’s James Cunningham has suffered a rib injury in the Knights’ win over Toulouse, but that the hooker had recovered in good spirits.

The York Head Coach believes that the rest of his squad have also recovered in good stead, having battled to a physical challenge with Toulouse.

Applegarth told BBC York: “He’s [Cunningham] alright, he’s getting there.

“He popped his rib but he’s a tough little cookie, he had to do a big tackle after he did his rib to stop them from breaking away, which shows you what sort of character Cunno is.

“He should be alright, he trained yesterday, he was a little bit tender but I’m sure he will be alright come Sunday.

“Everyone seems to have [come through okay], apart from a few bodies.

“It was a physical game, both teams went at each other just as you want, so we had a few sore bodies come Tuesday.

“We did some extended recovery and will hopefully be in a state to do our main session on Thursday, touchwood on Friday, and then get ready for another tough battle on Sunday.”

In other Knights news, Jordan Thompson is set to undergo a two match suspension. 

Thompson will be absent from York’s next two Championship fixtures after being charged with a Grade C Dangerous Contact notice, having been sin binned in the Knights’ recent 20-12 triumph at Toulouse Olympique - their first in 13 years. 

The win comes with the suspension to Thompson, who will miss York’s return to the LNER Community Stadium on Sunday, August 25 when facing Batley Bulldogs (3pm), as well as the Knights’ visit to Whitehaven on Sunday, September 1 (3pm), should the fixture go ahead with the hosts currently undergoing severe financial concerns, that may see them fail to fulfil the remainder of their Championship fixtures for the 2024 season.