NEW York City Knights signing Rob Spicer is determined to work his way back to Super League - and he reckons the Knights can help him get there.

The 21-year-old back-rower joined the LHF National League Two champions this month after being surprisingly released by Super League side Wakefield after three seasons in their first team squad.

But rather than see it as a permanent step down in his career, Spicer is eager to make it a stepping-stone back into the top tier and has promised 100 per cent effort as his new club look to consolidate their place in NL1.

"I want to play as well as I can for York," he said. "My ideal goal is to get back into Super League and so I want to play well enough to get the chance to make the step back up, and I think York can help me do that."

The official fixture list for the Knights' 2006 season is unveiled tomorrow and while Spicer admitted knowing little about his new National League opponents, he reckoned the standard would be high.

"The top four, the likes of Widnes and Hull KR, will be full-time clubs and it will be tough against them," he said. "But if we compete with them and push for fifth or sixth place it would be a very good first season in NL1."

Spicer received an offer from big-spending Dewsbury, whom the Knights beat to the NL2 title last season, as well as strong overtures from Super League-bound Castleford Tigers before signing for the Knights.

He said: "I decided York were a team on the up and an ambitious club and that I'd like to be a part of that and help them achieve their goals.

"Castleford were interested but with them not having appointed a coach at the time they said they could not offer a deal until they had the coach in place. It was unfair to leave York waiting in case Castleford offered me a deal."

That decision meant Spicer has left not only Super League but also the full-time environment for the first time, which in turn means he has needed a new day job.

"It's going to be a learning curve," he said. "It's a bit weird having previously had to get up in the morning for training at 9 o'clock and finishing at 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon and now having to go to training at 6.30pm. But I will get used to it."

He is not new to all the squad at Huntington Stadium, though, which will no doubt help him settle in.

He explained: "I know a few of the lads from Wakefield's Academy, like Jimmy Elston, who is also development officer there, Joe Helme and Matt Blaymire. And I know Neil Law and (Knights assistant-coach) Paul Broadbent from their time at Wakefield, so there are a few familiar faces which is good."

NL1 fixtures will be published in Wednesday's Evening Press.

Updated: 10:17 Tuesday, November 29, 2005