YORK City Knights kick off their season on Sunday, February 13 with a massive Northern Rail Cup fixture away to favourites Castleford.

The Tigers, relegated from Super League last term, are quoted 11-4 to win the cup by bet365.com, ahead of Whitehaven at 7-2.

Also in the Knights' group for the pool stage of the competition are a second National League One side, Featherstone (odds of 14-1), and the Knights' National League Two rivals, Hunslet (100-1). York have the shortest odds of all NL2 clubs at 33-1, ahead of Dewsbury and Workington, who are both on 50-1.

The top team in each group progresses to the quarter-finals with the runners-up going into quarter-final play-offs.

Updated: 10:53 Saturday, January 29, 2005