THE proposed York rugby league club will be looking to the youth of today to build a great team for tomorrow.

That was the message from chief executive Steve Ferres, who suggested that in the long-term the club - which is soon to be set up if given the go-ahead from the Rugby Football League - would turn to home-grown players to form the backbone of the side.

He told the Evening Press the new York club would bring in some experienced players to start with and be competitive in its first season back in the league, should it be allowed in. But he stressed it would try to develop rather than buy success.

"In the main we will be looking for youth and developing that," he said.

"We will want junior and youth players to progress through to Northern Ford Premiership level and maybe Super League.

"We will get some experienced players but I would not envisage us going out to get players who have been around for a long time. We're not going to try to buy success; we're going to look to develop our own team and it will take time.

"But we will have a competitive side in York next season."

The Evening Press has previously revealed that youth development was high on the agenda of the unnamed consortium looking to take over the new club.

And Ferres today confirmed: "A lot of work has to go into that. We want it to be a vibrant club that moves forward."

Ferres, a former coach at Huddersfield Giants and Hunslet Hawks, has always been keen to develop English ability and propel home-grown players on to the big stage, and he said there was no reason why North Yorkshire could not prove to be a hotbed of talent.

"We want lads and kids of York and North Yorkshire to eventually come into the side and play," he said. "That would be ideal, though we know it is a long way down the road."

Ferres said the club would also be holding trials for wannabe professionals in the build-up to next season and suggested the team would play friendlies.

"At some stage there will be open trials held for different levels to give players an opportunity to have a run-out and stake a claim for a professional place or a spot in the Academy," he said.

"We also need to give the team a test before next season."

Meanwhile, the revised business plan to back up the proposed new club's application to join the Rugby Football League, effectively in place of the folded York Wasps, was to be sent to the RFL by the end of this week.

If endorsed by the RFL board it would be submitted to the full RFL Council, which would approve or turn down York's bid at its meeting on July 31.

Updated: 12:02 Monday, May 27, 2002