York Knights have ingredients to thrive in Super League, declares Mark Applegarth at start of landmark year

York will become Super League's 25th club when they kick off the new season against defending champions Hull KR on February 12 – a landmark moment for the Knights, the region and the competition itself.

And yet for all the excitement, the harsh realities of top-flight rugby await a club still new to the rigours of a full-time set-up.

York – operating on half the central funding of most rivals – are expected to prop up the table alongside fellow promoted sides Bradford Bulls and Toulouse Olympique.

But internally, the Knights are approaching their maiden Super League campaign with a bullish mindset.

Mark Applegarth's message is clear: York didn't fight their way from League One to merely survive.

"You can either have a victim mentality or a growth mentality," said the Knights boss. "I've always favoured the growth mentality.

"It's an opportunity York have been after for a number of years. We don't see getting to Super League as the goal – we want to be competing for honours.

"All things considered, I think we've built a good base for year one. You can look at any excuse you want but if we keep everyone fit, we've got a pretty tasty team.

"We've got the older end who have been there and done it, a middle group with their best years in front of them and a younger group who bring hunger and fresh energy. There are a lot of good ingredients to bake a nice cake."

The first few weeks of the season, however, will put that recipe to the test.

York face four of last season's top six in the early weeks, along with the two sides that finished just outside the play-offs.

The Knights don't play a fellow promoted side until hosting Toulouse in round nine – but Applegarth remains undaunted.

"I've never been one to read too much into all that," he added. "At the end of the day, you've got to play everyone twice.

"You're admitting you don't belong if you're looking at that sort of stuff and being intimidated by it. We're relishing it.

"Whoever we're playing, we want to show what York Knights are about. Naturally, you're going to play teams with world-class players but we want those challenges."

Although they were only given the green light via a panel recommendation in mid-October, York adopted a Super League mindset long before.

The club planned to move full-time come what may, allowing them to convince Paul Vaughan and other seasoned players of their ambitions.

The new signings joined a group that topped the Championship in 2025, many of whom were stepping into the unknown at the start of pre-season.

"I wouldn't say the move to full-time has been seamless but it's been as smooth as you would expect," said Applegarth.

"We've got all the full-time staff in place and York St John University have been great in accommodating our schedule.

"There's a lot of equipment you need to buy when you move from part-time so I can't thank the club enough for investing in that side of it.

"Everyone has adapted really well and ripped in. We've got lads who are keen to succeed and achieve.

"When you're part-time, you've got to get bang for your buck and the most value from the limited time you have with them; when you're full-time, there are no excuses because you can cover what you need to cover.

"It's been an enjoyable journey taking a club from a part-time programme to a full-time one. We've built ourselves a good base to carry on building from."

Applegarth knows all about the challenges awaiting York.

After a tough initiation in Super League with Wakefield Trinity, he is ready to prove he belongs.

"I feel like I do," he said.

"Obviously the circumstances last time were challenging and the new ownership there decided to get a new coach. You can't control that.

"I'd like to say I've matured and evolved as a coach. Relegation stung my ego a bit but it was a great lesson in staying true to your values and working under intense pressure.

"A lot of those experiences helped me last year when it was the complete opposite. It's really important that you keep a level head through the good times and the bad."

York are now just a matter of weeks away from a moment that has been years in the making.

While they have ambitious long-term plans, the message for their inaugural season is straightforward.

"We're very lucky in York to have a great sporting community," said Applegarth. "We're not going to make bold predictions for year one. All I'll say is that we want to give the community a team they're proud to get behind every single week."