Big hits on the menu as Benson aims to down Hull

The Hull-born captain will take on the physically-imposing figures of Liam Watts and Ben Galea at the Huntington Stadium in a match the home side will be desperate to cause an upset in.

Benson, 25, is positive about their chances and insisted he will be first on the scene to let their Super League opponents know they are in for a tough match.

“People have long been talking about the game and in a sadistic type of way,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to it and getting to test myself against some of the best players around.

“I’d like to think that I’ll be among the first to welcome the Rovers players to York by putting in a big hit and making my mark.

“When players of their calibre come at you, you need to forget who they are and what they’ve achieved and just concentrate on putting the hits in.”

Rovers, whose England winger Peter Fox started his career at York, are overwhelming favourites to progress but have been struggling this season, their latest loss a hugely disappointing error-ridden affair at Wakefield.

With the pivotal Scott Murrell out of action after injuring his elbow in Sunday’s defeat, joining the likes of Clint Newton and de-registered Willie Mason on the sidelines, York will look to cause a shock while confidence is low.

Promoted Knights have overcome a difficult start to Championship life by securing back-to-back wins against Toulouse and Dewsbury leaving them in a positive frame of mind.

Victories for part-time clubs over Super League rivals are increasingly rare but Benson said: “The pressure will be on their shoulders because they’ll be expected to win and probably expected to win big.

“We’re the underdogs and that gives us a degree of freedom to enjoy the game and for a lot of our side this will be the biggest game of their careers.

“Personally, being from Hull makes it an even bigger game.

“I started my career at Hull FC and I’m from that side of the city.

“We’ve got a few other Hull lads in the squad, so that’s a nice extra incentive for us.

“It’s going to be a big battle for all the lads because we don’t come up against this calibre of opposition too often.”

York coach Dave Woods will hope ex-Hull FC stand-off Chris Thorman can utilise his top-flight experience to guide York around the pitch while Rovers chief Justin Morgan – who sees his side down in 12th with just four wins this season – is unlikely to rest many top names.

“We’ll approach it like any other game whether it be Wigan, Wakefield, York or Bramley Buffaloes,” he said.

“We can’t afford to do anything different and will give York the respect they deserve.”