YORK City Knights are out to set the 'record straight' when they travel to Sheffield Eagles tomorrow in the Arriva Trains Cup (3.15pm).

After a disappointing display in their defeat by Dewsbury Rams a fortnight ago, Knights player-coach Paul Broadbent feels his charges have one or two points to prove when they arrive in his home-town.

And after a free weekend last week gave former Eagle Broadbent, his coaching team and the squad some extra time on the training ground, confidence has been restored and now it is down to the players to get the Knights' first win against a fellow professional club.

Broadbent told the Evening Press: "As far as I'm concerned, we have got to get our season up-and-running.

"After a disappointing showing in our last match, we really need to set the record straight. We are now heading towards the league season and have got to prove what we can do.

"After the Dewsbury, there were a few disappointed people, but we've got back to training and have been doing some quality stuff, so the confidence has returned."

To many of the Knights supporters, the visit to the Eagles will be the acid test to how well they will do in National League Two this season.

Having only played, and lost to, sides from National League One so far in the Arriva Trains Cup, Sheffield is being targeted as the chance for the Knights to register their second win of the season - their only win to date has come against amateur outfit Skirlaugh in the Powergen Challenge Cup.

However, Broadbent, who won the Challenge Cup with the Eagles in 1998, believes the side's defeats have not been down to the opposition, but down to their own failures.

"We haven't lost to sides in National League One because we have been played of the park, it hasn't been a case of that, it has been because we've not doing things right.

"As soon as we can put these areas right, then we can be competitive."

Broadbent, who is still friends with Sheffield coach Mark Ashton, believes the Knights are of a similar ilk to tomorrow's host - although Wednesday night's win over Batley Bulldogs has left them brimming with confidence.

"I think they are similar us," added Broadbent. "Up to Wednesday their confidence was low, and they were really disappointed to lose to Hull KR on Saturday. But on Wednesday they went out and really wanted it."

The Eagles will add new signing Tony Weller to their squad for Sunday, with the Australian winger or full-back, who holds an Irish passport, arriving in the area to teach in Barnsley.

However, barring a troublesome groin strain that looks set to rule out wing wonder Alex Godfrey, the Knights are at full-strength.

That means Broadbent will be available after successfully returning to the fold after a shoulder operation.

York Knights from: Molloy, Smith, Firth, Callaghan, Beever, Yeaman, Krause, Hayes, Jackson, Gallagher, Kennedy, Fletcher, Cain, Robinson, Lloyd, Ramsden, Broadbent.

Updated: 09:42 Saturday, March 08, 2003