FIRST Knight Mark Cain will be looking to put old friends to the sword tomorrow as the big kick-off finally arrives for York's new professional rugby league team.

The 26-year-old welcomes his former team-mates to Huntington Stadium as York City Knights entertain Hull Kingston Rovers (KO 3pm) in the first group match of the new-look Arriva Trains Cup.

A massive crowd is expected for the clash, and Cain, York born and bred, was naturally hoping his home-town team could record their first win in their first-ever match.

"Training has been going really well," he told the Evening Press on the eve of the clash. "We're all enjoying it, the coaching is good, so let's hope we can get off to a winning start.

"There are a few players down there who are on a learning curve but they are learning and they're improving week in, week out, and you can't ask for any more.

"There are also a lot of top quality players - Lee Jackson, Richie Hayes and Daz Callaghan to name just three - and things are looking good."

Cain showed his commitment to the new York set-up when he became the first player to sign for the club in November, leaving Rovers for a third spell at Huntington Stadium. And he is yet to have any regrets.

He said: "I was told that once the club got rolling we would pick up quality players and the club has done that. Little things behind the scenes are all good too.

"The club seems to be professionally run - for example, they're selling a product rather than just begging for cash hand-outs. It all seems to be going in the right direction."

Two other York-based players followed the half-back over from Craven Park in the close-season, namely Alex Godfrey and Hayes, the Knights captain, while Callaghan, Gavin Molloy and Scott Yeaman are also former Rovers players. Scott Fletcher and Lee Jackson too have connections with Hull and still live on Humberside, while Knights coach Paul Broadbent and new winger Chris Smith are also former Hull players.

Cain, who helped Rovers to fourth in the league and the final of the Buddies Cup, now the Arriva Trains Cup, said of his former club: "I've a lot of old friends down there, they're a good bunch of lads.

"They've got a good set-up, but although they've signed a couple of quality players, they've lost a lot of influential players. They've got some good youngsters coming through and a lot of it will be about how well they've come on."

A lot will also rest on how well the Knights gel in their first encounter. Both the Knights' friendlies were called off due to a frozen pitch and their only real run-out came on Tuesday in a semi-contact match featuring local amateurs.

He added: "Obviously, with us not yet having a game, tomorrow will be a good yardstick to see what stage we're at."

Updated: 11:44 Saturday, January 18, 2003