THE good thing about friendlies is the fact defeats don't matter.

York City Knights lost 25-18 to a predominantly young Leeds Rhinos side at Huntington Stadium yesterday but Mick Cook's men showed enough to suggest there is more to come from his new-look side.

Improvement is needed, as would always be the case, but for a first hit-out of the year, it wasn't bad.

The Knights will face superior sides in their debut National League One campaign but this Leeds team were far better than the young outfits that lost to York in the past two pre-seasons and Cook can be pleased with the intensity his side showed against them - the first 48 seconds apart.

It took that much time for Leeds to remind the hosts they were in a match rather than a training session as prop Nick Scruton charged through a gap in midfield and gave a scoring return pass to talented half-back Jordan Tansey.

Ashley Gibson booted his first of four conversions and could have scored himself in the corner moments later but juggled and lost the ball over the line.

York hit back, though, as former hero Peter Fox failed to take a high ball under pressure and Matt Blaymire gathered to dig over.

Blaymire, one of the most consistent players last season, went on to give another polished performance - super-solid in defence, most notably when perfecting a great cover tackle on opposite number Richie Mathers, and adding good options to the attack - to take the man of the match accolade.

Still, while possession, territory and errors were evenly shared, Leeds had more of a cutting edge and crossed midway through the half via Nathan McAvoy thanks to an overlap that wasn't covered.

In their next attack, a great ball out of the tackle by Carl Ablett put Scruton in.

Scruton, Chris Feather and in particular experienced hooker Shane Millard in the front row troubled the Knights throughout the first half, but the likes of Adam Sullivan and new boy Dean O'Loughlin took the fight to them, while Jonny Liddell was accomplished in his new position of hooker when introduced.

However, York's kicking game was indifferent. Paul Thorman will need to buy new shooting boots - the ultimate difference between the teams being goals scored.

Nonetheless, it was Thorman's smart chip that saw York again on the mark as Player of the Year Lee Paterson pounced.

Half of Leeds' players had already had a run-out this year - the Boxing Day win over Wakefield - and this may have contributed to their being the more cohesive side. Indeed, they made it 24-10 at the break as Feather blasted in.

However, the Knights had most of the play after the interval. The introduction by Leeds of a host of young subs probably had an effect, but the Knights, by the same token, did improve.

There were fewer gaps in defence, while at the other end they hit good form in short bursts and built up periods of pressure, albeit undoing it with cheap turnovers from drop-outs and such like.

New half-back Phil Hasty entered the fray and at times showed what an exciting prospect he is, while second-row recruit Rob Spicer looked a class act in his 40 minutes.

Hasty made a fine follow-up tackle on Mathers after Blaymire had stopped the Leeds captain, and soon combined at the other end with Thorman and Neil Law, though Craig Farrell could not take the killer pass. Winger Farrell was otherwise excellent, while Jason Golden, the Leeds loanee, showed much promise.

Liddell went close for York when following up his own grubber before great hands saw the Knights cross for a third time as Sullivan's superb off-load put Law in.

Hasty provided the moment of the half with a great break and, although the move ended as the former Hull KR man himself knocked on, York soon scored as Leeds turned the ball over at the scrum and Paterson crossed in the corner from dummy-half.

Paterson, who went all of last season without a try, now had two in 46 minutes.

York, so often the comeback kings last season, sensed an equaliser but Tansey killed the game with a drop goal which, although met with boos from the crowd, showed Leeds' eagerness to win and thus a healthy respect for their hosts.

Knights match facts

Rugby League Friendly

York City Knights 18,

Leeds Rhinos 25

(at Huntington Stadium)

Knights: Blaymire, Farrell, Potter, Law, Clarke, Rhodes, Thorman, Sullivan, Elston, O'Loughlin, Smith, Ward, Paterson. Subs (all used): Helme, Buckley Spicer, Liddell, Hasty, Blanchard, Golden.

Tries: Blaymire 9; Paterson 29, 75; Law 62.

Conversion: Thorman 29. Penalties: None. Drop goals: None.

Rhinos: Mathers, Fox, Gibson, McAvoy, Williams, C I'Anson, Scruton, Millard, Feather, Kirke, Tootill, Ablett. Subs (all used): Brown, Endersby, Hart, Burgess, Brook, J I'Anson, Faal, Halliday, Watts, Harris.

Tries: Tansey 1; McAvoy 19; Scruton 22; Feather 37. Conversions: Gibson 1, 19, 22, 37. Penalties: None. Drop goals: Tansey 78.

Referee: Phil Bentham (Warrington).

Attendance: 2,630 Penalty count: 9-7.

Half time: 10-24.

Updated: 11:51 Monday, January 16, 2006