The York Knights have acquired forward Jacob Gannon from the Leigh Leopards on loan.

The 21-year-old forward, who previously made two appearances for York on loan from Warrington Wolves in 2021, later joined Adrian Lam’s side ahead of the 2023 season.

While Gannon has yet to debut for Leigh, last year he represented both the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup champions Halifax Panthers and the Betfred Championship promotion-winners London Broncos.

As a former England Academy international, he has also previously played for Rochdale Hornets, Bradford Bulls, and Swinton Lions.

Gannon’s signing comes at a crucial time for the club, as they face an injury and suspension crisis with as many as nine players potentially unavailable for Sunday’s match against Championship title favorites Wakefield Trinity.

With captain Liam Harris and Nikau Williams suspended, and Richie Myler, Brenden Santi, Will Dagger, and Jimmy Keinhorst sidelined due to injuries over recent weeks.

Knights head coach Andrew Henderson expressed his satisfaction with Gannon’s loan arrival, stating: “I’m really pleased to be able to bring Jacob here on loan. Jacob has been here before, so he’s familiar with our environment, and I’ve briefly worked with him before at Warrington, so I know him personally as well.”

“We needed to bolster our squad due to our current injuries and suspensions. However, it’s crucial that anyone we bring in has the right quality and personality to fit into our group, and we believe that Jacob ticks all of those boxes.”

He added: “Jacob can play in the middle or on the edge, providing versatility to our forward pack. He will certainly challenge our current forwards for a place in the side.”

Gannon could potentially make his Knights debut against Wakefield at the LNER Community Stadium on Sunday (3pm), in the second part of a double-header with York Valkyrie, who will be facing Featherstone Rovers in their Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup quarterfinal (12pm).