YORK City Knights winger Chris Smith is set for yet more knee surgery - but is confident of returning soon.

Smith's latest knee clean-up has proved unsuccessful but he is hopeful of booking a date with the North Wales-based expert who successfully carried out the 28-year-old's two knee reconstructions.

"He's not happy with what the other surgeon did and thinks there are still bits of bone floating about in the knee," said the Wales international.

"We're trying to get a date sorted out through the insurance and it's a case of the sooner the better. Once I've had this done it should be a couple of weeks before I'm back."

The former St Helens star's career has been dogged by knee trouble in recent years including those two reconstructions, the second of which kept him out for the second half of last season. He needed cartilage trimming earlier this year and has also undergone an arthroscopy, which have restricted his number of appearances to four this term.

However, he has deemed this latest setback as "not too serious".

Meanwhile, prop Andy Burland has left Huntington Stadium for the Knights' National League Two rivals, Hunslet Hawks, on a month's trial.

Burland, who played 13 times for York last season, had been back on trial at the Knights and played three times this term before being let go.

Coach Richard Agar said: "We did not feel he was fit enough and the only way he will get fit is with match-time, but I don't feel we have the luxury of carrying a player to give him match-time at this stage in the season.

"We were quite happy with what he did and for him to stay as a member of the squad but I can't make guarantees to anyone about how much game-time they will get. I was not prepared to do that and he's chosen to try his luck at Hunslet so good luck to him."

Agar said that with Dan Briggs returning from injury there was no desperate need for a replacement front-rower, though they were keen to keep hold of fellow prop Richard Wilson, who is coming to the end of his initial one-month loan from Hull KR.

"We're really happy with the way Richard has been going," he explained. "You get a lot of game-time out of him and he's a very steady player who talks well.

"I would like to make his stay longer and we will have to discuss it with Hull KR and Richard himself."

He added: "We're always on the lookout to improve the squad with another prop but we're mindful of not just fetching anyone in. We need someone who's ready to play in our first 17."

Updated: 10:59 Thursday, May 06, 2004