York’s recruitment stance made clear as coach shares honest admission

York Knights will not make any further additions to their squad before the end of this season, head coach Mark Applegarth has confirmed.

Having been promoted ahead of 2026 via the vote of an independent panel, it was agreed that York and Toulouse Olympique would only receive half the amount of central funding compared to the other 12 clubs in Super League.

Utilising the £650,000 they were granted, the Knights have also used a loophole to their advantage by creating an official partnership with Championship outfit Newcastle Thunder.

That partnership, in all but official terms, allows Applegarth to pick his best 17 each week from two squads.

But the quality available to him has been a sobering reality in recent months, with 11 defeats now suffered in their last 12 Super League matches.

‘We need a recruitment cycle or two to get that depth and that quality throughout the full squad’

The format of Super League is yet to be confirmed for 2027, but it’s widely expected that London Broncos are set to be promoted.

Accordingly, the competition may well grow to 15 clubs just a year on from adopting a 14-team format.

York currently sit second-bottom of the table having been thumped 72-20 on home soil by Wigan Warriors on Saturday afternoon. That clash saw 72 points conceded unanswered before 20 were scored through four tries in the closing ten minutes.

Speaking after the game at the LNER Community Stadium, head coach Applegarth said: “There’ll be no more players in for this year, that’s my understanding at this moment in time.

“We knew we needed to give people chances who were unproven.

“It’s really important you provide opportunities for people to show that they should be on this journey.

“But at the same time, I’d be naive not to say we need a recruitment cycle or two to get that depth and that quality throughout the full squad to get to where we want to be.”