York City Knights coach Mick Cook will stay in charge next season whether or not they stay up.

A new contract that will take Cook's tenure to the end of 2007 has been announced by chief executive John Guildford as part of a triple boost alongside news that Leeds Rhinos prop David Toothill has been captured on loan, while both David Buckley and Rob Spicer have agreed terms for next season.

The new deal offers a resounding vote of confidence in Cook, who has suffered criticism from fans as the Knights have failed to set National League One ablaze.

He said: "I have always had the full backing of the board right from day one.

"John Guildford has worked very hard to try to bring players in and Roger Dixon spoke to me the other day about wanting me to stay.

"I like the club and I want to stay, even though it's been a tough job.

"It's been challenging for all of us not just with the results but with all the injuries."

But despite the endorsement of the board, Cook will not be using the contract as a reason to sit back.

"It's time to knuckle down now," he said. "We have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Nobody expected us to stay up except us when we got promoted but now it's up to us.

"I'm just trying to focus on this year my main goal is to keep us in the first division and we have still got a very good chance of doing that.

"The only thing we have done is we have talked about recruitment earlier rather than later so we can get players on board."

One man hoping to add his muscle to the remaining seven games is 20-year-old Rhinos prop Toothill.

He has been drafted in until the end of the term in a standard emergency call-back deal.

The 20-year-old Academy forward was previously at Leigh Centurions and had a spell at Halifax last year.

His arrival is all the more timely with the news that pack member John Smith will be in plaster for at least three to four weeks after breaking his foot.

Meanwhile, current players are being approached in batches to discuss next season and Buckley and Spicer due to return from his long-term injury along with Jason Golden against Halifax on Sunday are the first to agree to new terms.

The Knights Academy side take on Halifax at Huntington Stadium tomorrow night, kick off 7.30pm.