YORK City Knights have added more firepower to their 2019 Betfred Championship pack with the signing of big Jack Blagbrough from Leigh Centurions - a player "with Super League potential".

The 24-year-old former Sheffield Eagles forward had signed a three-year deal with Championship big guns Leigh 12 months ago after spending the 2017 season playing for Mackay Cutters in the Intrust Super Cup in Australia.

However, he agreed a release from his Centurions contract at the end of the season and was a free agent - meaning the Knights did not pay a fee.

Blagbrough initially graduated from the Huddersfield academy ranks and made his Super League debut for the Giants against Bradford Bulls in September 2013.

He then signed for Sheffield and combined his playing career with a maths and biology degree at the University of Leeds. He made 11 appearances on loan at York from Sheffield in 2015, during head coach James Ford's first season at the helm.

Ford said: “Jack has the potential and the drive to become a really good rugby player. He’s good in contact and has a good attitude towards the defensive side of the game.

"He's a strong carrier of the ball. He's got lots of drive to be better. I think he's got potential to play at a higher level than we're at.

"Hopefully the environment we've got can help Jack fulfil that potential.

"We're getting a player with his best years in front of him and he's a much better player now than the one we had on loan in 2015."

Ford added: "I’d like to thank the supporters and sponsors once again for backing the club so effectively making signings like this possible."

Blagbrough becomes the 23rd player to be signed on at York for next year.

The squad now comprises League One Player of the Year Connor Robinson, fellow nominee Ben Cockayne, hookers Harry Carter and Will Jubb, centres Brad Hey, Liam Salter and Perry Whiteley, wingers Judah Mazive and Kevin Brown, winger/full-backs Ash Robson and Matt Chilton, full-back/half-back Matty Marsh, utility back Jason Bass, captain Tim Spears, and fellow packmen Blagbrough, Ross Osborne, Ronan Dixon, Josh Jordan-Roberts, Joe Porter, Sam Scott, Jack Teanby, Marcus Stock and Mike Kelly.