AUSSIE aces Simon Friend and Aaron Wood might be new to promotion and relegation in rugby league - but they are relishing the added spice.

The duo, who joined York City Knights from clubs in Australia in the closed season, are eager to end their first campaign in English rugby on the up - literally - by sampling the joys of promotion for the first time.

Friend tasted success and failure in the Premier League back home - the NRL reserve grade level - when he came last with one club, North Sydney Bears, then won the title with another, Canberra Raiders Reserves, before moving to York.

But, as rugby league down under does not involve promotion and relegation between tiers, there was no price of falling down the trapdoor the one time, nor the chance to progress to a higher level the other.

"Promotion and relegation is all new to me," the 27-year-old second-row told the Evening Press.

"Back home if you win the competition, it's congratulations and that's it. Promotion and relegation adds a bit more importance to the competition. It's a good idea as you've got something extra to strive for."

He added: "We (the Knights) know we're good enough to go up but it all puts added pressure on you."

Wood, too, was a big fan of promotion and relegation, having also come from an environment in which the benefits of club stability are believed to outweigh the costs of going up or down.

"Back home it's either you win it or you don't and that's it. Promotion adds something extra and I'm all for it," he said.

"You've go something to achieve, something to set your goals to, not just winning a grand final, which is what I've been used to playing for in my 20 years in footy. There's a bit more to aspire to, to get promoted to a better league.

"Relegation puts lot of pressure on teams and I would not like to be in a position like that, but it's about how you are through the year and what you can achieve. "

The Knights had no game this weekend due to the National League's Arriva Trains Cup final, but they get back on the promotion trail - and bid to end their three-game losing run -- on Friday with a trip to fellow contenders Sheffield Eagles (kick off 8pm).

Wood added: "If you prove you've got a good team in National League Two you deserve to get a crack at a bigger league and that's our aim. I think the team we've got now can compete with any team in NL1 on our day, and it's up to us to prove it."

Updated: 11:02 Monday, July 19, 2004