IT has been a long journey, but all the hard work will finally come to fruition when the York City Knights tackle Hull KR tomorrow and head coach Paul Broadbent can't wait.

While Steve Ferres and his band of helpers have laid the foundations from which the Knights have risen, Broadbent has been concentrating on getting things right on the training field.

Now, with the day of reckoning almost upon his squad, the former Wakefield prop, who misses the match through injury, is ready to see how far the squad has come.

Although both arranged practice matches fell foul to freezing temperatures, he has no fears.

"All the lads are really up for it. There is an enthusiastic buzz about the place," said Broadbent.

"Hopefully, the players will take all this from training on to the field tomorrow.

"The practice matches haven't happened so there is nothing we can say or do that will change that, we just have to get on with things, but I don't see it causing too much of a drama.

"Apart from full-on tackling we've done everything we can in training and a lot of the drills have been structured around making decisions in pressure situations.

"I'm looking forward to watching the lads put it all into practice and they can't wait to finally get out there and take everything from training into the game."

Broadbent and his team of coaches have named a 22-strong squad initially for the match, although five players will miss out when the final line-up and replacements are announced.

One doubt is winger Alex Godfrey, with the proven try-scorer set to see a specialist to see whether he will be cleared to play after damaging his hand.

Knights from, Beever, Batty, Coleman, Embleton, Molloy, Hallas, Smith, Godfrey, Westmoreland, McTigue, Cain, Krause, Ramsden, Fletcher, Bolas, Hayes, Jackson, Callaghan, Yeaman, Kennedy, Lloyd, Stannard.

Updated: 11:45 Saturday, January 18, 2003