[Post edited to correct information about Oxford's Gill


From the RFL website: Oxford - Davies, Parry, Griffith, Carter, Hayes, Withington, Brooker, Igbinedion, Nicholson, Harrison, Canterbury, Backhouse, Burnett, Allan, Nathaniel, Gill, Casey, Gardiner, Cryer

So that's probably:
Tom Davies, Jordan Parry, Harry Griffith, Errol Carter, Mark Hayes, Adam Withington, Marcus Brooker, Dan Igbinedion, Aaron Nicholson, James Harrison, Casey Canterbury, Ryan Backhouse, Harvey Burnett, Danny Allan, Josh Nathaniel, Jordan Gill, Callum Casey, Luke Gardiner, James Cryer

Dual reg / loan - James Harrison, Callum Casey (both Batley), Aaron Nicholson (Keighley)

Compared to last week:
Out - JJ Baird (injured), Jordan Siddons (suspended - this game only), Jack Smith (suspended - game 1 of 2), Will Maher (in Castleford's squad for their game on Sunday), Luke Evans, Santino Decaro
In - Harry Griffith, Errol Carter, Mark Hayes, James Harrison, Jordan Gill, Callum Casey

Harry Griffith is a new signing who plays in the back row and was previously with Elmbridge Eagles, London Broncos and Cardiff University.
Callum Casey joined Batley earlier this season and has played once for them (against Leigh). Before that he was with Leeds, Halfax and Hunslet and with Ireland in the European Championship. Plays centre or second row.
James Harrison turned out for Oxford earlier this season.
Jordan Gill is the brother of Kieran (who played dual reg for Oxford earlier this season). He was previously with Castleford youth and Featherstone reserves. Plays centre.

Also of note is that Tom Holmes is back from injury but is also in the Castleford squad this weekend rather than in ours.

York - Adam Dent, Ben Dent, Sam Smeaton, James Morland, Austin Buchanan, Harry Tyson-Wilson, Danny Nicklas, Mark Applegarth, Pat Smith, Jordan Crowther, Adam Robinson, Ross Divorty, Mike Emmett, Harry Carter, Matty Dale, Brad Hey, Jack Anderson, Richard Wilkinson, Jack Aldous


From the York local paper:
Head coach James Ford has no qualms about ringing the changes for York City Knights at Oxford on Sunday as he prepares to throw in three debutants and swap round half his line-up. Two of this week's notable new loans from Halifax, centre Sam Smeaton and packman Adam Robinson, along with teenage half-back Harry Tyson-Wilson, who arrived on loan from Hull last week, are set to start the League One clash. Fit-again Rich Wilkinson and Harry Carter - who have missed the last four and six games respectively - are also added to the 19-man travelling party along with Matty Dale, Brad Hey and Jack Anderson, making potentially eight changes to the 17 that beat Hunslet.

Some alterations had been expected against the expansion club at Tilsley Park (2.30pm) following the recent tough schedule of four games in 15 days, three of them against promotion rivals, including the iPro Cup final. But altering half the high-flying team is still a surprise, especially with several key men being rested - among them Ed Smith, Josh Tonks, Jack Aldous, playmaker Jonny Presley and try-machine Kriss Brining. When asked if fluidity could be affected, Ford said: "We're a well-prepared team and all the boys coming in are good players. It's an opportunity for them to stake a claim to become a regular. I have no issues with whichever 17 I put out. I pick the best 17 for the club on any given day. What matters to me is that the team wins and the club moves forward."

Ford has described Smeaton and Robinson as "two of the best signings the club has made in many years" - especially if they end up staying the season, not just the initial one-month period. He said: "I've been really fortunate to have been able to bring in players of such high quality to add to an already strong squad, and I'm thankful to the club and Halifax for allowing us to do the deals. I'm really excited to see them. They'll bring a lot of experience and ability to our edges."

Tyson-Wilson will replace Presley and form a half-back partnership with Danny Nicklas - the only player to have played every match so far this term. "I'm really happy with how Jonny's been playing over the season," said Ford. "We brought Harry in to freshen us up in the halves and he's looked really good in preparation and deserves to start. We've only had two half-backs and I'm much more comfortable having three. Rich Wilkinson and Pat Smith are options there but I feel Rich, long-term, can mature into an excellent full-back, while Pat and I agree hooker is his best position." Captain Aldous is named in the 19-man party but is unlikely to play, meaning Mike Emmett will take the armband.

Minnows Oxford shocked Gary Thornton's Knights team 24-16 at Huntington Stadium in April 2014, and have given York some testing times in the three meetings since, despite 58-16, 44-20 and 36-26 defeats. However, they have won only once in 11 League One outings this term, and their only two wins in all competitions have come against fellow strugglers Hemel. Ford said of the hosts: "They're a threat. I watched them against Toulouse (a 54-8 defeat) and they made the first couple of line breaks and against Rochdale they posted 20-odd points (a 52-24 defeat). They're a capable team with ball in hand and have a fair bit of spirit among them. If they can get their tails up, they're a hard team to beat. We need to respect them and their key individuals but we need to focus on ourselves, make the game as quick as possible and get our execution right."

Oxford boss Tim Rumford, the former Heworth ARLC coach, whose side lost 48-10 at Coventry last week, said: “That was a disappointing performance following our first win of the season. York are a good side who have recruited well so it’s going to be a big test.”

Oxford this week signed 6ft 4in ex-London Broncos academy back-row Harry Griffith. Also in their squad are former Knights Ryan Backhouse, who joined a week ago, Casey Canterbury, Josh Nathaniel and Danny Allan, plus Allan's former Heworth team-mate Adam Withington.


And an earlier article from the same local paper:

Promotion-seeking York City Knights' recent recruitment drive has gone into overdrive with head coach James Ford signing four more players - all with top Championship nous. Three of them come on loan from Halifax - packman Adam Robinson and centre Sam Smeaton arriving initially for a month and winger Tommy Saxton re-signing until the end of the season. The fourth is Andy Smith, the 31-year-old former Bradford, Salford, Halifax, London Broncos and Dewsbury threequarter who has been on the Knights Foundation staff since February and who is now looking to get back into first-grade action after two seasons off the pitch.

The signings - following those of Ross Divorty and, on loan, of Jordan Crowther and Harry Tyson-Wilson - represent the clearest indication yet that the League One high-fliers, far from resting on their laurels, are preparing for a renewed push for play-off success. They also mean a few of the current fringe players might be going out of the revolving door on loan, given the size now of the squad.

Said Ford: "I'm really grateful the owner and the board have helped me to improve the squad. They're trusting me to take the club forward and that's fantastic. These are Championship players and good Championship players. They've played for some excellent clubs who have played in and won Championship Grand Finals."

Robinson, 28, formerly of Wakefield, Batley, Oldham, Doncaster and Dewsbury, has been at Halifax for four seasons but has seen his game-time limited in the last few months. Ford said: "He's a really strong-running forward who can play back-row or in the middle and has a lot of intent about him. He carries the ball really hard and direct and defends that way too. He can be a great signing for us. He's played an awful lot of Championship rugby and done well in that competition. He's providing top-quality competition for the other back-rowers at the club. I'm excited to bring in another player of this calibre."

Smeaton, 27, formerly of Featherstone and Sheffield, is in the same situation at The Shay. Said Ford: "I played against him a number of times. He's a bit like Mike Emmett in that he can get under your skin and get you a bit flustered, but he's also skilful and will give you strike on the edges."

Former Featherstone winger Saxton first arrived at York last month and played in three victories, scoring one try, before pulling a hamstring in the victory over Rochdale. He will not be risked in Sunday's trip to Oxford, though Robinson and Smeaton are in contention. Ford said: "He's got an awful lot of experience and, more importantly, an awful lot of class. He's a talented, natural rugby league player. We've seen glimpses of that which have changed the momentum of games. He'd not played for several weeks before he came to us so we've not seen the best of him, but, come the Super 8s and beyond, I'm confident he can be a really important player in our drive for promotion."