INFLUENTIAL play-maker Rob Roberts will miss York Wasps' home clash with Whitehaven this Sunday(kick-off 4pm).

Loose forward Roberts has a knee injury which, although not serious, "needs to be sorted out," according to Wasps coach Lee Crooks.

Also ruled out are Mick Hagan and Craig Moore who both have knee injuries, Hagan's being the most serious.

As reported in yesterday's Evening Press, the Wasps will hand a debut to 19-year-old full-back Mike Hall who has been signed on loan from Hull KR.

Goal-kicker Hall was a member of Rovers' all-conquering 1999 Academy team and also made a big impact last season, earning him a call-up to the first team. On his debut he broke his leg in two places but is now on the road to recovery.

Another newcomer, former Hull KR forward Shane Cockerill, will be on the bench along with half-back Ricky Hall who made a couple of appearances for York earlier in the season. He is now back to Huntington Stadium after a spell with Hull FC Alliance.

Stand-off Mark Spears makes a welcome return to the side after missing the Workington defeat, as does Andy Hutchinson who was left out last week while a disciplinary matter was investigated.

Crooks has been working hard all week to identify what went wrong against Workington and has placed the blame firmly on a lack of fitness.

York were trailing just 14-10 after half an hour but ended up on the receiving end of a 60-10 hammering.

Crooks spent more than four hours studying the video of the match and concluded: "A lot of things that went wrong were down to a lack of fitness. That's probably something I underestimated.

"I knew we needed to work on it but I didn't realise that having put pressure on the players to make sure we increased our defensive line speed the effect that would have on them during the game.

"For the first half hour their line sped was very good but after half an hour that took its toll and we were a spent force."

A number of the York players, including Roberts, Neil Harmon, Moore and Shaun Austerfield, have had lengthy periods out the game. Others have been unable to devote enough time to training because of work commitments and Crooks admitted: "If you take that into account you can appreciate why we leaked so many points in the last ten minutes of the first half and in the second half.

"There are a few players who have to work extremely hard on their fitness."

Like Workington, neighbours are on a hot run of form which has seen them win four out of five matches this month. That has taken Paul Cullen's men to within touching distance of the play-off zone.

They welcome back fullback Wesley Wilson from his mandatory lay-off through concussion, but Ian Devlin faces a fitness test on his damaged shoulder.

Sunday's match is the last of three successive home games for York, after which they have just three remaining fixtures lat Huntington Stadium this season.

Wasps: (probable) Mike Hall, Simon Wray, Matt Mulholland, Shaun Austerfield, Aaron Campbell, Mark Spears, Danny Waite, Andy Hutchinson, Alan Pallister, Neil Harmon, Darren Crake, Mick Ramsden, Lee Bardauskas. Subs: Gareth Oulton, Ricky Hall, Shane Cockerill, Nathan Pincher.

Whitehaven: (from) Wesley Wilson, Jonathan Wignall, David Seeds, Howard Hill, Mark Wallace, Lee Kiddie, Leroy Joe, Mark Cox, Aaron Lester, Dean Vaughan, Gary Smith, Ian Devlin, Spencer Miller, Steve Kirkbride, Robert Purdham, Garry Purdham, Phil Sherwen, Paul O'Neil.

Referee: Graham Shaw (Wigan).

Updated: 10:39 Saturday, April 28, 2001