NEW York City Knights ace Nathan Graham is relishing the return of international rugby league and is gunning for new European honours to kick off 12 months of success.

The 31-year-old full-back, who moved to Huntington Stadium from Featherstone earlier this month, is set to don the Scotland jersey on Sunday when they kick off the inaugural European Nations Cup against Ireland in Glasgow.

The new-look tournament, part of the expanded international rugby league calendar, means participating players have had to cut short their closed season, but Graham can't wait to play and reckons it will set him up well for a promotion push with the Knights next year.

"More international competition is brilliant and is definitely a good thing for rugby league," he told the Evening Press. "Hopefully they will keep this thing going year on year. It's good for development and boosting the sport.

"It also gives you as bit of a head start in the fitness stakes. After this tournament we will be starting pre-season. I've had almost six weeks off now so needing rest is not a problem for me."

Graham, the Knights' sole representative in the competition after Scott Rhodes was forced to pull out of the Scotland squad due to injury, already has six caps and is likely to add to them against Ireland and then in France in a fortnight. The winners of this group will then meet the top team in the group featuring England 'A', Wales and Russia in the final to be televised by Sky.

"It's going to be very tough against Ireland. We're at home and will have had a full week's preparation so hopefully we'll do well. France will be tough as well but we beat them in 2001 and we're pretty confident we can do the business.

"England are the favourites but it will be a big game if we meet them in the final. Our aim is to get there - there's no point competing if you don't think you will win."

Graham, the former Bradford Bulls and Dewsbury star, comes to the Knights as player-assistant coach to Richard Agar, an ex-team-mate at the Rams and Featherstone.

"It's a new challenge for me," he said of his coaching duties. "I've had a bit of input at Featherstone before in training but not on such a formal scale, and I'm really looking forward to it.

"Richard has got some really good ideas and there are a lot of good players on board so we could be challenging for top spot (in National League Two). I'm not saying we will breeze it and win it outright but we will be up there."

Former Knights loanee Tommy Gallagher is in the Ireland 17 that will take on Scotland tomorrow. The teenage forward from Leeds Rhinos, who also had a loan spell in Super League with London Broncos, will start the game on the bench.

Scotland's line-up is due to be named shortly before kick off.

Former Huddersfield and Hull forward Rob Roberts, who had a brief stint with York Wasps in 2001, is in the Wales team to face Russia at Aberavon on Sunday.

Updated: 10:25 Saturday, October 25, 2003