Halifax boosted by Heaton return

Halifax coach Karl Harrison, who last week watched his side snatch a late 30-26 win over Sheffield Eagles, has praised the character of his squad.

Centre Ben Heaton could return for Halifax after recovering from a recent ankle injury.

And Harrison said: "We showed great resilience and we've got a bit of belief in the squad. It wasn't the first time we've won with two minutes to go.

"We've some really solid characters, and we'll be there or thereabouts when it comes to dishing out the silverware at the end of the season."

On York, he added: "They gave us a fright earlier in the season, but we've to look after ourselves. That's been our message all year. We've created a new culture at the club and we're doing OK."

Paul King, James Ford and Rhys Clarke are all unavailable for the Knights, while Ed Smith is also set to miss out.

York City Knights coach Chris Thorman said: "Ed wants to play, but he'll make it worse if he does. He's almost too tough for his own good sometimes."

Knights lost 40-12 against Featherstone last week, but Thorman believes there was plenty of improvement in his side.

He said: "We were much better than we were against Leigh, and for me they're the two strongest teams in the competition.

"We were much better against Featherstone, and when you look at the squad we had out I thought we did all right. We had a few U18 players and York College players making their debut, and they're putting their hands up and doing a decent job."