HEAD coach Gary Thornton insists York City Knights will field their strongest possible sides on both days rather than prioritise victory in either of their Easter clashes.

The Knights host Kingstone Press Championship big-guns Featherstone on Good Friday (1pm), when they will go into the game as massive underdogs, and they then go to lowly Barrow on Bank Holiday Monday, when the odds of victory are much shorter, despite their current poor away form.

However, when asked if he would consider resting players for the Rovers clash in order to focus fully on Monday’s match, Thornton said: “If someone’s not fit to play they won’t be risked on Friday, but we have to put our strongest team out.

“If they do well, it could potentially be the same team on Monday.”

The Knights could also be hampered by the return to parent club Hull this coming weekend of regular dual-reg trio Danny Nicklas, Jack Briscoe and Dean Hadley, and, almost certainly, of Chris Green, who had been made available for Sunday’s postponed game at Doncaster.

It is thought the Airlie Birds will want to keep cover for their own Super League double-header.

The Knights’ two opponents, Featherstone and Barrow, have no dual-reg tie-ups so face no such concerns.

Thornton said: “We’ve got the Challenge Cup tie (at Blackbrook ARLC) the week after and we definitely won’t have the Hull players for that.

“We are where we are. Nobody will give us a prayer against Featherstone, but if we perform like we did when we played Halifax at home we’ll be in with a shout.

“We want to be going to Barrow and winning, but I will be picking the strongest team available on Friday and if all goes well we can look to stick with that team on Monday.

“Two games with such a short turnaround isn’t easy but it’s the same for everyone – we’re no better and no worse off than anybody else.”