YORK City Knights are trailing two engage Super League players in the hope of tempting them to Huntington Stadium, the Evening Press believes.

The LHF National League Two champions currently have 20 players signed on for their first foray in NL1 and boss Mick Cook is looking to increase that number to 23 or 24 before the season kicks off in February.

And the Press understands that among those on the shopping list are Wakefield back-rower Rob Spicer and Widnes ace Matt Whittaker who both played in Super League last season.

It is thought the Knights could face stiff competition for their signatures, with new Super League side Castleford believed to be considering making full-time offers for the pair.

Knights boss Mick Cook, fresh from a holiday, said the Knights were also looking at bringing in a new player from Leeds Rhinos' Academy via their association with the Super League outfit.

They would also monitor the situation with former Knights Peter Fox and Ian Kirke, who are on full-time deals at Headingley but may yet return to York on loan, although two players who definitely won't be back are Yusuf Sozi and Chris Ross, who, as reported in later editions of yesterday's Press, have joined NL1 rivals Doncaster. Prop Sozi had turned down new terms at York in September while utility back Ross was not expected to stay having struggled to keep a regular shirt.

"We're still looking at our partnership with Leeds and we are interested in a player there but nothing is confirmed," said Cook. "We're looking at another one or two, possibly three, to add to that.

"We're happy with where we are at the moment. We've got cover in pretty much all positions and it's a good start. We're talking to a couple of other players and if we manage to get them we would be reasonably happy to start the season with that squad."

The Knights are set to appoint a coach for the new Academy team in the near future but Cook said the main concern was the first-team.

"The priority is to sort out the first-team squad and get good enough strength in depth there to compete in NL1," he said.

"But we are very serious about getting a Senior Academy together. We've already identified some players for the Academy and we're hoping to build a team of young York players who will hopefully prove themselves in the Under-21s, develop and knock on the door for a first team spot, which will be available if they show enough promise."

The Knights begin pre-season training next Tuesday (Nov 8) and are to follow the same pattern as last year with sessions in York on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and at Leeds Rhinos' plush training centre on Sundays. The partnership between the two clubs is likely to be similar to last season, even though Cook's own employment with the Super League club's Academy section has ended.

Updated: 11:49 Thursday, November 03, 2005