ANDREW HENDERSON believes that the York Knights progressing past Betfred Super League side Leigh Leopards in Sunday's Betfred Challenge Cup quarter-final is not an 'unthinkable' task.

Henderson's been handed a hard blow with the number of injuries in his Knights squad, and admitted he knew how hard of a task it would be to cause an upset against high-fliers Leigh.

But the Knights head coach claimed it would be 'phenomenal' if his side were to defy the odds and reach the Challenge Cup semi-finals.

"The odd fluky upset does happen, we'll certainly be reminding our players of that because it's not an unthinkable task, it looks like it at the moment because it's a pretty big mountain to climb." Henderson admitted.

"But it's not unthinkable.

"That would be just phenomenal, wouldn't it? To be in the semi-final of the Challenge Cup, I don't know the last time York would have been in that stage of the competition.

"We've got an opportunity to create history, it's another motivator for us.

"It would be an incredible achievement if that was to happen, it probably puts a bit more pressure on us as a squad because there's more game.

"But we'd take it! If we were playing in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup and are one win away from Wembley in two separate competitions, just wow.

"That's not a bad position to be in, gives you two bites of the cherry.

"We're dealing with a lot at the moment, but what I will say is that not one player has winged about it, not one player has said 'no Hendo I won't play there', they've just accepted it and cracked on.

"They're doing their best and the effort is genuinely there, I can see it.

"They haven't lost faith just yet, that's the challenge for me as a coach. I've not dealt with an injury crisis like this in my career before.

"I've had some situations once or twice but not to this length before, it's just another challenge as a coach that you have to experience.

"It's about how you can keep your team motivated and prepared for what's to come, even with this we're not going into the Challenge Cup not trying to win the game.

"We want to deliver a performance and the focus will be on that.