AUSSIE firebrand Simon Friend has leapt from the cauldron to the cooler - and is now set to be thrown into the York City Knights melting-pot.

The 26-year-old former Canberra Raiders star touched down in England amid the snow storms yesterday, 24 hours after leaving his homeland in the middle of a typical Australian summer.

He was to have his first training session with his new team-mates tonight and will be immediately thrown into the Huntington Stadium hot-house on Sunday for the Knights' opening clash of the season against Batley Bulldogs in the Arriva Trains Cup.

It was a cold arrival for the 26-year-old back-rower but he is hoping for a warmer reception when he gets on to the pitch.

"It's freezing," Friend joked to the Evening Press after checking in to York. "I didn't expect the snow.

"It was 28 degrees Celsius when we set off and 28 degrees Fahrenheit when we arrived."

As for his new team-mates, he said: "I met one of the boys, Aaron Wood (a fellow Aussie), yesterday so he was my first contact, and I'll get to know the guys tonight at training, which I'm looking forward to."

Friend has hardly had time to rest following his long flight but was still keen to get practising and playing. "It will be good to get into it," he said.

"I'll see how I go at training tonight and then see if I get selected (for Sunday)."

Friend, who captained the Raiders' reserve grade side to their premier league title - a standard above National League Two - last season, has signed a one-year deal at Huntington Stadium.

As revealed by the Evening Press last week, the Knights beat several clubs to his signature after a move to Super League club Widnes fell through when the Vikings decided instead to strengthen other positions.

He is now hoping the move to the Minster city will prove a stepping-stone to the top tier.

"I'm aiming to get into Super League and my goal for the year is to play well for York and have fun. It's seems like a great club to come to," he said.

"Coming to England is something new, something different, and I signed for York because they seemed very professional and I've heard a lot of good things about the club and the city."

Friend, who does not count on the overseas quota because his mum has Irish parents, has flown over to England with his partner, Katrina. And they are both looking forward to their year in the Minster city.

"We don't know that much about York but we've looked up a few things on websites," he said.

"We know there's a lot of history and a lot of people have told us it's a beautiful place - though you couldn't really tell today because it's covered in snow."

Friend ends recruitment

THE arrival of Simon Friend is likely to conclude the recruitment at Huntington Stadium for the foreseeable future.

The 26-year-old Aussie became the 25th player to sign forms for the coming season with York City Knights, while amateur players Neil Mears and Carl Hughes take the squad up to 27.

Knights chief executive Steve Ferres confirmed: "That's pretty much the squad finalised. It's unlikely that we will fetch anybody else in unless we have an injury crisis."

Coach Richard Agar added: "I'm more than happy with the squad I've got."

Updated: 10:39 Thursday, January 29, 2004