NEW Earswick All Blacks ARLC starlet Tom Hodgson will tonight get a chance to stake a claim for a future first-team role at York City Knights.

The BARLA (British Amateur Rugby League Association) Great Britain Under-18s hooker played for the Knights' Academy last year, and has been training with the first team in pre-season.

The teenager is unlikely to sign a professional contract in the immediate future as he has a good chance of going to Australia with the Community Lions representative team in the early summer, and playing first-grade rugby with the Knights would undo his amateur status.

However, trial games do not affect that standing and Knights boss Mick Cook, keen to run the rule over him in first-team action, is set to throw him in off the bench in tonight's friendly at home to Castleford.

Cook said: "He played in our Under-21s last year and stood out well. I've been impressed with him in training and I'd like to have a look at him against better opposition than he's likely to face in the U21s."

Hodgson turned out against the Knights 12 days ago playing for the Mark Cain All Stars' in Cain's testimonial match. He has been a key player for the All Blacks this term and is in the team that faces Queens-bury in the Pennine League premier division tomorrow.

As for a possible pro deal, Cook said: "We'd have to discuss it with him, but he's got this chance of going to Australia if he plays well enough and we wouldn't want to get in the way of that."

New Knights players Johnny Waldron and Andy Gargan, both signed from York Acorn ARLC, have forfeited their chance to go on the BARLA tour, but they are a few years older than Hodgson and decided it was time to turn professional.

Cook added: "Tom's only a young kid and he's got plenty of time to play for the Knights. If we decide we'd like to sign him, he could sign after the Australia trip."

Cook will leave it late to decide whether Joe Helme or Ryan McDonald start tonight's game up front alongside Tabua Cakacaka, but he will almost definitely rest Adam Sullivan.

Scott Rhodes may have his first run-out of the year but will not be risked if there is doubt about his fitness following his hernia operation.

Dave Buckley and John Smith will start in the second row, but Rob Spicer is being given more time to recover fully from his hand problem, and Dan Potter (deadleg) and Ian Brown are also rested. Nathan Priestley is likely to sit it out due to slight knee ligament trouble.

"I'm looking for a bit more cohesion with our play," said Cook. "I want us to be tougher defensively and more fluent when we're carrying the ball, and for us to improve generally."

As reported in yesterday's Press, Cas are bringing a young team, the exception being former Knights star Danny Brough. Cook added: "This team won't be mugs. It will be a good test."

Tonight's teams

Pre-season friendly York City Knights v Castleford Tigers
(at Huntington Stadium)Knights (probable): Rayner, Waldron, C Spurr, Palmer, Godfrey, Liddell, Gargan, Cakacaka, Wray, Helme/McDonald, Smith, Buckley, Grundy. Subs: from Hodgson, Mapals, Watling, Helme/McDonald, Rhodes, Priestley.

Tigers: Owen, Shenton, Jones, Bassinder, Ripley, Croft, Brough, Boyle, Johnson, C Potter, Payne, Knowles, Westerman, Lee, Duckworth, Cording, Watts.

Kick off: 7.30pm.

Referee: Jamie Leahy (Dewsbury).