DAVE WOODS will be staying as York City Knights head coach next season – in what could prove to be a timely boost in their battle to beat relegation.

The Press can reveal Woods is to end a period of uncertainty over his future by formally agreeing a new two-year deal today.

He will stay even if the Knights are relegated from the Co-operative Championship, which would bring with it reduced terms, although they have four games with which to save themselves – starting with Friday night’s home clash with title contenders Featherstone – and Woods believes their destiny remains in their own hands, despite a much harder run-in than teams around them.

“We can get something out of this season – there’s no reason why we can’t play great on Friday,” he said. “The minimum we need is a bonus point – it’s the minimum we need from every game.”

Woods arrived at York as director of rugby in April 2010 and took the Knights from mid-table mediocrity in Championship One to promotion through the play-offs after replacing James Ratcliffe as head coach last summer.

There have since been changes behind the scenes, especially with player pathways, and Woods says he wants to continue building a stronger club – not least in the first-team arena, where he hopes to now retain the bulk of this year’s young squad believing they can kick on next term.

“It’s been good,” he said of his time at Huntington Stadium.

“I just hope we can keep the players together. They’re a good bunch of fellas and I’m sure they will have learned a lot this year.

“The things that have been put in place with the reserves training with us and the under-18s being set up – it’s all looking really good for the future. I just thought I wanted to stay and try to make it all better as we go.”

Woods’ job offer has been on the table for nearly a fortnight but commitments outside of the game delayed the process and the former Gateshead boss needed time to talk things through with his family.

“I’m giving up a lot to stay here,” said the Aussie, who runs the Cross Keys pub in Tadcaster Road.

“I’m giving up seeing my family every day by having to work a job down here when I could work up there, and I had to weigh all that up. We had to decide what’s best for us as a family.”

Woods, who first came to England in 2005, added: “Joanne (his wife) is great – she’s always supportive whatever I do with rugby league. She came across from Australia because it was what I wanted to do.

“When we went back, she came came back over again. She knows it’s my passion and she’s been supportive right through.”