A CHANGE of game-plan will help York City Knights’ injury-hit line-up overcome a Cumbrian challenge at Huntington Stadium tomorrow.

That’s the opinion of head coach Dave Woods, who has been forced to alter his team for the Championship One visit of Workington Town (3pm) – and to throw in a trialist for a semi- professional debut at the age of 26.

As reported by The Press, Woods is now without big Brett Waller and Alex Benson, in addition to fellow props Jon Fallon and Davey Burns, and, with only two recognised front-rowers available, it means Callum Dinsdale, a relative unknown who has been playing in the reserves for the last few weeks, is to be thrown in at the deep end – against the likes of former Knights cult hero Ryan MacDonald.

It also means a change of tactics.

Woods said, “We won’t be trying to take them on up the middle. Workington usually have a big pack and they’re strong and aggressive. We will try to play on the edges more and work their big fellas around a bit, make them turn around. We’ve got a pretty mobile side.”

Waller and Fallon have knee injuries and Benson is suspended for two games, although it has been confirmed that last week’s Northern Rail 9s counts on that ban so he will be back for next Sunday’s trip to Swinton. Woods knew they would be missed, but said his side could cope with Town’s size.

“We’ve got a pretty good defensive side,” he said. “They’re not huge but their contact is good. The likes of Nathan Freer and Jordan Ross are good at contact and Luke Hardbottle is one of the best I’ve seen. I don’t think that will worry us. Jack Lee is also strong down the middle.

“Workington will be big and strong but I think we will cope with it all right.”

Dinsdale, who lives in Bradford but works in Wakefield, spent a year in Australia having previously been an amateur at National Conference club West Bowling.

He is friends with Paul White, whom Knights star Chris Thorman knew from their time at Huddersfield, and he asked to come for a trial since when he has not missed training.

Woods said: “He’s done a really good job in the reserves and I thought he played pretty well in the 9s against some pretty experienced players.

“We want him to go out and give his best for ten or 15 minutes and then we’ll give him a spell (a rest on the bench).”

As predicted on thepress.co.uk, Steve Lewis is also back for the first time since the game at London Skolars on June 6, when he suffered a recurrence of the hamstring pull which had kept him out for the preceding two matches. He has played in the last two reserve outings, scoring both times.

James Haynes also returns at full-back tomorrow after missing the Hunslet defeat through illness, Wayne Reittie making way.

Woods, whose arrival at York in April coincided with Lewis switching from the threequarters to the back row, said: “Steve gives us some options – he can play back-row, loose-forward, centre and wing. He started to play some really good footy in the back row, running great lines and picking up in defence, before the injury.”

Workington are also missing a couple of props in Lee Dutton, due to work commitments, and Ruairi McGoff, whose loan from Barrow has ended and who has a knee injury anyway.

But they have Joe McKenna back from work commitments and he will form the front-row force along with Kris Coward, Stewart Rhodes and MacDonald – a bruising prop in his one year at York in 2007, who has been granted a three-month testimonial at Town by the Rugby Football League for his services to the game. Town are also without half-back Liam Finch, who could miss the rest of term with an ankle problem, and back-rower Ryan Campbell, who also has ankle damage.

Knights: Haynes, Wilson, M Mitchell, Allan, Lineham, Thorman, Ratcliffe, Dinsdale, Lee, Freer, Ross, Duckworth, Hardbottle. Subs: Williams, Lewis, Clough, Stearman.

Workington: Carter, Backhouse, Frazer, Low, Marshall, Holt, Kaighan, Coward, Pedley, MacDonald, Whitehead, Stack, Coupar. Subs: from Johnson, Robinson, Rhodes, McKenna, Hewitt.

Referee: Dave Merrick (Castleford).