FORMER Kiwi international Carl Hall has blasted back at Hunslet players after they allegedly labelled York Wasps as 'soft' for not wanting to play yesterday's fixture.

The Boxing Day encounter at South Leeds Stadium was postponed 30 minutes before kick-off because of a frozen pitch, after referee Ben Thaler agreed with the Wasps players that it would have been too dangerous to play.

The Hunslet Hawks squad -one place above basement side Wasps in the Northern Ford Premiership - were critical of the decision, but Hall today slammed their complaints.

"Their players were calling us soft but they can say what they like," he told the Evening Press.

"It certainly spices things up for when we play them next time. It will be very interesting.

"Every rugby player is tough but you don't need to prove your toughness by playing on concrete."

The former Leeds, Bradford, Featherstone and Doncaster centre, who, at 32, would have been one of the most experienced players on the field had the game gone ahead, said to play it would have threatened the careers of the players.

"I jumped in the middle of the pitch and none of my studs went in. It was not fit to play on," he said.

"I would not have played on that ground. I'm not going to go and end my career by playing on a concrete pitch."

Hall was also critical of the Hunslet club for not calling the game off sooner, especially as every other game in Yorkshire was postponed much earlier in the day because of frozen pitches.

"They've got a nice stadium but it hasn't got underground heating and when every game around the county is called off it makes you wonder why ours would have been okay," he said.

"They should have got a local referee to come down and have an inspection earlier in the day.

"When I was at Doncaster last season they (Hunslet Hawks) made us come all the way from Donny before calling that match off too."

Team-mate Ben Sorbello agreed it would have been too perilous to play. "I've never seen anything like it," said the 31-year-old Australian.

"When you ran you could not pull up on it. It would have been pretty dangerous for anyone. It was probably in the best interests of the players from both teams that it was called off.

"At the end of the day your health is most important, it's common sense."

The French-born full-back was otherwise disappointed not to play. "We were pretty confident we were going to bash them, especially in the forwards," he said.

"The boys were pretty revved up. I think we all knew we had to win. Leo (Epifania, Wasps coach) was quite upset we lost to Batley last week - that game was there for the taking - but we all knew that if we got two points yesterday then our season would be up and running."

- FIVE of the six Northern Ford Premiership matches yesterday were called off because of frozen pitches.

The Yorkshire-based games at Batley, Featherstone, Hunslet and Keighley plus the Swinton versus Leigh match at Gigg Lane fell foul of frozen pitches.

The only encounter to take place was the local derby at Whitehaven, where the hosts beat Cumbrian rivals Workington 28-14.

Updated: 12:01 Thursday, December 27, 2001