York City Knights are hopeful of naming their new coach within the next few days.

Chief executive Steve Ferres confirmed to the Evening Press today that discussions have been held with a potential successor to Paul Broadbent, who officially resigned as player-coach and retired from the game yesterday.

Ferres also said he was "excited" about where the club was going.

The Press believes Broadbent had told Ferres about his decision to leave Huntington Stadium at the end of the season some time before the resignation was publicly announced yesterday. That gave the Knights opportunity to line up the new man and minimise the time without a coach. In their statement yesterday, the club also said Broadbent had had an input into the appointment of his successor.

Ferres said: "We want somebody young who will grow with the club. We want somebody to replace Paul Broadbent who has got similar attributes. The main criteria is that they are enthusiastic, keen, honest, hard-working, able to attract players, articulate, and who has got the respect of players and is good on the training ground - and I am close to getting somebody who fills all this, and he's a nice bloke to boot.

"I'm excited about where we can go from here. These are exciting times for York City Knights and whoever comes to the club is coming to a club moving forward quicker than any other in the Rugby Football League."

The job must be one of the most attractive coaching roles in the National League given the success of the Knights' first season.

The club are believed to be in a healthy financial position with one of the best set-ups outside Super League, and they also have the highest average attendance of all the clubs in National League Division Two and are among the six best-supported clubs in the entire league.

No names have been released by the club but fans have already begun speculating on who the new boss will be.

Many have suggested the club could appoint from within, with Broadbent's assistant coaches John Kain and Graeme Hallas in the running.

Another possible target is former York star player Brad Davis, who is leaving Wakefield Trinity Wildcats at the end of the Super League season. The 35-year-old has looked set to join French giants Villeneuve Leopards on a two-year contract but that agreement is only provisional.

Bradford hooker James Lowes, who is set to leave the Bulls at the end of this season, has apparently been seen at Huntington Stadium in recent weeks and might fit the bill.

Andy Kelly is also available after Featherstone Rovers decided not to renew his contract at Post Office Road, while old head Peter Roe recently quit Swinton Lions, though he has been linked to the vacancy at Featherstone and his age makes him an outsider.

Updated: 11:32 Thursday, September 18, 2003