YORK City Knights have turned to Australia for their latest recruit.

The LHF National League One newcomers will soon announce the signing of second-row cum prop forward Dave Buckley from one of Australia's most traditional clubs, Newtown Jets.

Buckley, a 24-year-old schoolteacher, has Irish ancestry so is not counted as an overseas player, meaning the club still have the quota option open to them. He is set to arrive in England in late December or early in the new year.

The Knights decided to open talks with Buckley after receiving his CV and video footage of him in action. Coach Mick Cook said: "We had a look at the footage and liked what saw.

"He's pretty strong and aggressive and he carries the ball well. He's in good shape and we checked him out with a few contacts over there and heard good things back."

Newtown, who have a strategic partnership with NRL giants Sydney Roosters, are the oldest rugby league club in Australia, having been formed in 1908, and currently play in the New South Wales RL's VB Premier League - one level below the NRL - with a second team in the NSW Jim Beam Cup competition.

They had a number of South Seas internationals in their 2005 ranks, plus Phillip Leuluai and Luke Covell, who were in New Zealand's initial Tri-Nations squad, and have just enjoyed the club's best season in years, being one game away from reaching the Premier League Grand Final.

Buckley played more so in the Jim Beam Cup but was pushing for a regular first-team berth and was popular among the supporters.

Cook added: "He's played at a reasonable level and the footage we've seen is of him in the Premier League and he looks okay, breaking tackles and knocking people over. He's still a young player as well.

"We've got a pretty strong pack taking shape and I'm happy with how we're looking."

Updated: 10:56 Friday, November 18, 2005