YORK City Knights are close to unveiling more additions to the squad for next season - with Darren Callaghan and Mark Cain high up the list of probable returnees.

Matt Blaymire became the latest acquisition last night and the Evening Press understands the Knights are currently tying up deals with up to four players, taking the number in the 2005 squad to 15 ahead of the first pre-season training session next Tuesday.

No further names have yet been released but the Press believes popular York-based duo Callaghan and Cain are likely to be among them, though the pair have both only just returned from holiday and no deals have yet been thrashed out.

The return to Huntington Stadium of Blaymire bolsters the Knights' back-line options. The young winger cum full-back scored three tries in six games for the club early on in their inaugural 2003 season before injury curtailed his season.

He then went travelling to Australia, where this season he helped the Coogee Dolphins win the South Sydney 'A' Grade competition for the first time in their 25-year history, with Blaymire playing the play-off final at full-back.

The former Wakefield Trinity Academy player has now been invited with the Dolphins - the club that lost six players in the 2002 terrorist bombing tragedy in Bali - to play in a curtain-raiser to the USA Tomahawks v Australia match in New York on December 3, though financial restraints may prevent him from travelling.

Coach Mick Cook was happy with the recruitment drive so far. He said: "We're trying to get a squad together that's capable of getting out of this division. That's our priority and we're happy with the signings we've made so far and we're looking forward to starting pre-season now.

"We're still trying to get a few players we want. Recruitment can be quite difficult, but we're happy with the way we're going at the moment and we're looking to bring a few more players to the club shortly."

The Knights will also bring across a number of Academy starlets from Leeds Rhinos as part of their partnership agreement with the Super League champions, though these players are unlikely to arrive in the near future as they don't return to pre-season at Headingley until November 15.

No names of possible loan recruits have been revealed but the Press believes York-born winger Peter Fox, a former York Acorn junior, may be among those being seconded from Headingley.

Former Rhinos assistant-boss and Academy chief Cook, who also came to Huntington Stadium as part of the Leeds-York tie-up, said: "We've got some lads pencilled in but we'll see how they go in pre-season and consider whether we think they are ready for the step up before we commit them to coming across."

Updated: 10:08 Wednesday, November 03, 2004