YORK City Knights have snapped up a former Illawara Steelers star to complete a quick-fire quadruple sweep.

Utility player Trevor Krause, who spent five seasons with the National Rugby League club now known as St George-Illawara Dragons, became the first player from overseas to sign for the Knights, his work permit having been granted and cleared with the Rugby Football League.

The 30-year-old Aussie - who had been playing for Temora Dragons in the New South Wales Group Nine competition, a level supposedly as good as, if not better than, NL2 - joined three other players in signing for the Knights yesterday.

Former Hull KR and York Wasps winger Gavin Molloy and fellow youngsters Damian Kennedy and Craig Westmorland complete the quartet which takes the tally of Knights players up to 17.

York chief executive Steve Ferres said he signed Krause after the Aussie had advertised in a rugby league trade newspaper for a position at an English club. Ferres chased it up and, after hearing good things about the player from connections Down Under, as well as from Chris Judge, who had played with Krause in Australia, offered him a deal.

"He's played five seasons with Illawara Steelers in the NRL and for the last few years has been playing for Temora Dragons at a very good standard," said Ferres.

"He's a great competitor and is a winner. He's not a superstar coming over here, he is what I'd call a players' player."

Krause has experience of playing in England, having starred for the New South Wales Police side on their unbeaten tour last year, and has a host of individual awards from Temora. He was player of the season in two of the last three years, the league's player of the year two seasons ago, and was named man of the match in the NSW Group Nine district Grand Final.

Krause, who can play at six, seven, nine or 13 will be joining up with the Knights on January 9 and Ferres added: "I'm delighted to have him."

Molloy, a regular for the Wasps last year before the club folded, starred for Bridlington in the Summer Confe-rence, winning a call-up to the amateur league's national side.

The winger, who can also play full-back or centre, turned down a return to Hull KR to have another crack at Huntington Stadium, where he impressed in the recent trial game arranged by the Knights.

Ferres said: "We're taking him on after he showed his ability and commitment in training. He turned Hull KR down because he believes in what we're doing here."

Kennedy, a 6ft 3in packman, joins Knights on loan from Leeds Rhinos. The 19-year-old English-born Australian, who will be joining York on January 6, might get some game time with the Leeds first team in festive friendlies.

Fellow 19-year-old Westmor-land is a back-row forward who rose through the ranks of the Sheffield then Huddersfield academies. He has gleaned some first-team experience with Gateshead and is a Great Britain Student international.

Ferres added: "They're up and coming players and Paul Broadbent (Knights player-coach) believes he can work with them and we can improve them."

Updated: 12:20 Saturday, December 21, 2002