YORK Wasps winger-cum-second row Leigh Deakin has shown his commitment to the club's cause by rejecting the advances of Dewsbury Rams.

The former Leeds Rhinos and Hull star was approached by Rams head coach Andy Fisher to join the Northern Ford Premiership's seventh-placed outfit, but Deakin has told him he would rather rough it out with the Wasps.

The York-born 29-year-old, who was the club's top try-scorer back in 1998, has even snubbed the offer of a one-month loan deal to keep playing during the crisis to show his loyalty to the hard-working band of Wasps supporters.

Had he accepted the offer, Deakin - who had a stint in the 15-a-side game with York RU before returning to Wasps for his third spell at the start of this season - would have teamed up with former Huntington Stadium colleagues Jamie Benn and Craig Moore, after the pair both made their debuts on Sunday in the Buddies National Cup.

But Deakin, who ironically made his comeback in the Wasps side against the Rams back at the start of March after breaking his jaw early in the campaign, told the Evening Press: "I had an approach from Andy Fisher over the weekend asking to come along to the Rams, but I declined it because I want to stick it out with the Wasps and see what happens.

"You just have to see the hard work all the supporters are putting in and that seems to be paying off. I'm still hopeful that we will be let back in in June.

"Basically I've always said that I wanted to finish my career at the Wasps.

"Andy did offer me the chance to join just for a month, but I did say that I will stick around and I will as my heart is with the club.

"Craig Moore and Jamie Benn have both signed for the Rams and the best of luck to them, but I'm a York boy."

Wasps caretaker coach Stewart Horton was delighted that Deakin, one of the seven players to attend the club's first get together back at the Huntington Stadium on Tuesday, has opted to stay and is hoping more players will follow suit.

"It is really good to hear," he said. "Hopefully there will be more that now decide to stay.

"We've lost one or two but to be honest that was only to be expected.

"Hopefully we can keep all the York lads as that is the core of the side we are looking to build from. I'm now looking a few local amateurs to bring in."

Fans' leader Gary Hall echoed Horton's sentiments: "It is a big boost for Leigh Deakin to turn down a move to Dewsbury.

"He has said he would rather stay and fight with the Wasps, which is great. When someone like Leigh says he wants to stay it gives the supporters a boost.

"We are having to start up the club from the bottom and work our way up and to do so the nucleus of the side has got to be local lads."

Updated: 11:37 Friday, April 12, 2002