IT is perhaps symbolic that Oldham will provide the first-ever opposition for York City Knights.

For the Lancashire town's rugby league fans endured a similar plight five years ago to that endured over the last nine months by their York counterparts - seeing their club die before helping a brand new outfit rise out of the ashes.

For York Wasps read Oldham Bears, and for the Knights read Oldham Roughyeds. The only difference was Oldham's fans did not miss out on any on-field action.

The Bears went into liquid-ation at the end of the 1997 season but were reborn under the new guise in time for the 1998 campaign, and since then have grown into one of the biggest powers below Super League.

They are expected to be one of the leading lights again in the National League division one this year, especially after beating Rochdale 28-22 in a Christmas-time friendly, so will provide division two outfit York with a good opening test.

They are likely to bring a quality side to Huntington Stadium, though not necessarily the first-choice 17 as player-coach Steve Molloy - a team-mate of Knights boss Paul Broadbent when Sheffield won the Challenge Cup in 1998 - has promised that those who did not feature against the Hornets will play against York.

They have added seven highly-rated players to their strong squad in the close-season, with five of them - ex-Leigh trio Paul Anderson, Chris Irwin and Simon Svabic, and former Barrow duo Martin McLoughlin and Iain Marsh - likely to play.

However, Chris Morley, older brother of Great Britain star Adrian, completes his drugs ban picked up while with Leigh, while Darren Shaw - another Wembley winner with Broadbent - has a groin problem.

Updated: 10:49 Saturday, January 04, 2003