SPECULATION that York City Knights star Simon Friend is set to join Salford City Reds has been dismissed as rumours - and the Aussie is in the Knights squad for Sunday's trip to Barrow.

Friend, who turned 27 yesterday, was alleged to have been in talks with the Super League strugglers with a view to achieving his goal of playing in England's top flight.

However, Salford's football director, Steve Simms, told the Evening Press he knew nothing of the alleged move, adding: "I haven't seen York play this season."

And Knights chief executive Steve Ferres said: "It's just rumours."

Friend joined York at the start of the season harbouring aims of playing in Super League, with coach Richard Agar saying the Knights could be the "vehicle to help him achieve that".

The second-row powerhouse, who has British ancestry so does not count on the overseas quota, had starred for Canberra Raiders' reserve grade side down under and has been a hit with the Knights supporters since moving to Huntington Stadium, winning the first-ever Evening Press-sponsored Knights Player of the Month award in March as voted for by fans.

Aside from the Friend speculation, York's pack, which has already been diminished by the enforced retirements of Rich Hayes and Danny Seal, faces another blow as prop Joe Helme may not be able to play at all this term.

The 20-year-old, who impressed last season after joining the club in July, was ruled out of the early part of this season because of fire service training requirements, but the club had expected him to become available once those commitments were completed.

However, Ferres said: "Joe looks unlikely to play because of work commitments after getting a post as a fireman.

"He's still training with us with a view to the situation changing at some time."

Ferres added: "We're in the market for a couple of players because we've lost three since the start of the season.

"We've got one on loan in Richard Wilson and he's doing a good job, and we're actively looking to add to the squad but it's not easy at this moment in time. We're looking to fetch players in that add to the squad not just bulk it up."

Updated: 10:56 Friday, May 07, 2004