YORK City Knights have admitted they are entering “must-win” territory ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Rochdale.

Off the field, they have received a blow as former captain Lee Paterson has rejected an offer to return, although in better news York Acorn ARLC prop Davey Burns has joined on trial.

On the field, inconsistent results have left James Ratcliffe’s men fifth in Championship One, needing a run of wins to get into the promotion picture.

But tomorrow they face a team who have climbed above them in the table, and they will travel without captain Richard Blakeway and Player of the Year Mark Applegarth, as well as talisman Chris Thorman.

Knights general manager Ian Wilson described the match – a month after the sides met at Huntington Stadium when York just held on for victory – as must-win as they eye third place and, therefore, an easier run in the play-offs.

And Ratcliffe said: “It think they’re all ‘must-win’.

“We have to get consistency in our form. At the moment we’re playing at 50 per cent. We win one, lose one. We can’t carry on like that.”

Fit-again back-rower Jordan Ross makes a timely return in place of loose-forward Blakeway (groin/knee), who limped out of last week’s loss to Hunslet, while prop Nathan Freer is a like-for-like replacement for Applegarth (knee), who is being rested after needing painkillers to play last week. Thorman (quad) is another week away from fitness.

Chris Williams gets a rare chance, being preferred to Casey Bromilow as replacement hooker due to good displays in the reserves.

Both he and winger Tom Lineham face two games in less than 24 hours having also been named in the squad for tonight’s reserves trip to Widnes.

Ratcliffe added: “It (two games in two days) is something we’ve spoken about but I think they can handle it if we get our timings right (with substitute rotations).”

The Knights have named a 17-man squad but will pull in at least one more body from the reserves.

Rochdale full-back Craig Johnson begins a two-match ban so joins long-term casualties Craig Tunstead, who has been out since injuring his knee at York, Lee McGovern and Adam Wayne on the sidelines.

As for Paterson, The Press revealed this week he was in talks, but those proved fruitless.

However, Burns has joined on a four-week trial. He is expected to play in the reserves match at Oldham next Saturday.

Wilson said: “Davey has been in great form for Acorn and we feel he is a player who can make the step up to the semi-professional game.”

Hornets: from English, Taylor, Gorton, Reid, Bloomfield, Crook, Roper, Hayes, Wood, Cocka, Samuel, Smith, Ashall, Raftery, Cookson, Bowman, Hough, Fleming.

Knights: from Ratcliffe, Tuffour, Lineham, Wilson, Waterman, Duckworth, Stamp, McLocklan, Lee, Williams, Stearman, Fallon, Freer, Waller, Ross, Lewis, Clough, AN Other.

Referee: C Leatherbarrow (St Helens).

Meanwhile, Alex Benson nd Danny Hill will have to wait to get back into first-team reckoning due to strict Knights policy.

The forward pair fell down the pecking order due to injury and missing training respectively, and neither have played since mid-April.

Both are fit but must first do reserves’ duty – and neither can play in tonight’s Reserve Championship match at Widnes (6pm) due to work commitments.

“It’s a policy we’ve set in place and we’ve got to stick by it,” said coach James Ratcliffe.

Heworth ARLC utility back Luke Campbell, 17, will be involved tonight, having signed on trial after progressing through the Knights scholarship.

Tonight also sees a return to reserves action for teenager Josh Mortimer, the York Acorn prop who played last year, and Dan Ljazouli, the Scarborough-based front-rower, who is at Loughborough University and last played for the reserves in 2008.

The match is at Widnes RUFC.

Knights reserves: Lineham, Campbell, Mole, Mitchell, Reittie, Carmody, E Smith, Woods, Schofield, Bromilow, Williams, Chatt, G Smith, Mortimer, Ljazouli, Hardbottle, Rice.