YORK Wasps forward Darren Crake has admitted that defeats such as yesterday's 60-4 thrashing by Workington make him consider retiring from the professional game.

However, the big second-rower has vowed he and the rest of the squad will battle on to turn things round.

Leo Epifania's men suffered their tenth defeat in 11 Northern Ford Premiership games, and Crake told the Evening Press: "There are a few of us who get so disappointed with results like yesterday's that it makes you feel like retiring and giving up.

"But that's the easy option and none of us want to do that so you've got to keep fighting on."

The heavy defeat came just seven days after the Wasps' morale-boosting first win of the campaign, and in some respects was a case of back to normal for the struggling club.

"It is very reminiscent of last year, which is not a good feeling," said Crake. "I did not play at Workington last year, but yesterday's result was like the scorelines we were getting last season.

"But if you look at our team in comparison to last year, there's more experience now.

"On paper we are a good team but pinpointing why it's going wrong is hard. Leo must be pulling his hair out."

Crake, a substitute yesterday, said the Wasps were determined to bounce back against fellow strugglers Gateshead at Huntington Stadium next Sunday, but argued that they shouldn't need to limit themselves to beating only the teams at the foot of the table.

"It's really frustrating," he said. "We know we are a lot better than we have showed and we are a lot better than the teams at the bottom of the NFP, but we can't really say that if we're down there as well.

"Individual errors cost us again. I was guilty of two mistakes as soon as I went on and all you can do is lift your head up and make sure it doesn't happen again.

"But exactly why things went wrong, I don't know.

"Maybe we need a bit more faith in ourselves and a bit more confidence in the blokes around you."

Epifania said it wasn't a case of back to the drawing board - as there were no new lessons to be learnt.

"I don't want to keep going on about the same old story but what can you do?" he said.

"It just shows again that the quality in my side isn't up to the level of the top sides in the NFP.

"There are players who can deal with it if teams run at them at half speed but at full speed they can't tackle them.

"I've got too many players who will get caught out.

"I will coach with the hand I've been dealt but these top sides have probably got squads of 20 players who would walk straight into our team. How can you compete with that?

"I can't threaten my players with the axe as I've got no-one to come in for them if I dropped them.

"I've also got three or four players out - we're struggling as it is but with four blokes out it gives me nothing to play with."

As for the Gateshead match next week, he added: "They're definitely beatable and it will be a good test of character for my players to see if they can come back with a good performance after this defeat."

Updated: 11:49 Monday, March 18, 2002