YORK City Knights are set to be without amateur stars Neil Mears and Carl Hughes for parts of the forthcoming season as the pair seek "once-in-a-lifetime" international success.

Both players, who are on amateur forms at Huntington Stadium, are heavily tipped for places on the BARLA Great Britain Lions tour to Australia in the summer and as such are unlikely to sign professional forms at least until those commitments are fulfilled.

Should they be selected for the tour, they will be away for about a month in mid-season, while to fulfil amateur criteria they can not quit their amateur clubs and must be available for representative matches, meaning their availability for the Knights before the trip would at times be limited.

Nevertheless, the Knights are backing the duo and coach Richard Agar said he understood their standpoint.

"Both players are making the preliminary squads to go on this tour and they are understandably reluctant to relinquish their amateur status," he explained.

"We fully understand that and we hope we can help them. For a young lad, to go on this tour would be great."

Agar was confident the Knights' squad was good enough to withstand their intermittent absence, especially as both players were not guaranteed places as it is.

Hughes, who scored four tries in seven games after joining towards the end of last season, is likely to be down the pecking order at half-back, with Danny Brough, Scott Rhodes and Jim Elston the more likely candidates, while Mears, who impressed as substitute in the three final games of last term, will come up against Rich Hayes, Craig Forsyth, Yusuf Sozi, Joe Helme and Dan Briggs at prop.

"We feel the squad has got enough depth to allow these players to achieve a once-in-a-lifetime dream," said Agar.

Briggs, meanwhile, is a third player to have signed amateur forms at Huntington Stadium.

The York-based former York Wasps and Hunslet Hawks prop, who has been playing for nearby Arriva Trains Conference amateur club Heworth, will also face stiff competition for a starting berth, but Agar praised the 24-year-old's attitude and is pleased to have the added competition for places.

He added: "Dan said he would be happy to continue as he was and train hard, and hopefully if and when he gets a spot he will take his chance, which is a commendable attitude.

"He's also a good bloke to have around the place."

Updated: 10:10 Saturday, December 20, 2003