YORK City Knights have added two more players to their ever-increasing squad ahead of Sunday's revenge mission to London Skolars.

The Knights travel to New River Stadium looking to avenge the disappointment of a 16-16 home draw against the professional new-boys earlier in the season, with both Joe Helme and Dan Briggs added to the playing numbers.

The signings take the number of in-comers to Huntington Stadium to six in the last eight days, following on from the recruitment this time last week of Jonny Woodcock, Leigh Riddell, Neil Mears and Kevin Spink.

Helme, 19, comes from Wakefield Trinity, where he has been plying his trade in the Wildcats' Academy. The 6ft 2in prop or second-row has signed for this season and next.

Knights chief executive Steve Ferres said: "I've watched him play and he's a good player. He's a young lad with a lot of potential and we can work on him.

"He's got all the ingredients to become a top player. He's got pace, size and excellent ball skills and I believe we can give him the coaching to bring him on."

York-based Briggs, the former York Wasps forward who joined the professional game from local amateurs Heworth, has signed from Hunslet Hawks.

The young prop had been a fixture in the South Leeds Stadium side's squad last season, scoring a decisive try in the Hawks' 14-9 victory over the Wasps in February, but has only turned out six times this season, on each occasion from the substitute's bench, scoring one try.

The Knights squad will travel to London tomorrow to help their preparations ahead of Sunday's match against the National League's whipping boys, whose only point so far in either Division Two or the preceding Arriva Trains Cup came in that draw at Huntington Stadium in May.

The Knights had overnight stays ahead of their two matches in Cumbria earlier this season and it paid off with victories both times, and they will be looking for more of the same in the capital.

"The biggest advantage is the fact you don't get the fatigue from travelling the long journeys before the matches, and it also keeps the team together and you get that extra bonding," said Ferres.

"It's worked for us in the two games at Workington and Barrow and hopefully it will help again this weekend."

About 50 Knights fans are also going down early tomorrow in a pre-booked 'Knights on Tour' weekend trip to London, while it is estimated a total of 250 supporters will be making the journey south for York's first game in the capital since the Wasps played London RLFC back in 1994.

Updated: 11:06 Friday, July 18, 2003