BUOYANT York Wasps have set their sights on a happy Monday after a stirring display against Hunslet Hawks last night.

Although the Wasps were beaten 30-14 at South Leeds Stadium, it was their best performance in weeks and almost ended in triumph.

Coach Lee Crooks is now calling on York fans to get behind the team in numbers for Monday's home clash with Batley Bulldogs.

"I'm just hoping the public of York come and support us and appreciate what the club is trying to do.

"I know we have got to help ourselves before we can ask others to help us and I think people can see that we're trying to do that. John Stabler (chairman) and Tony Coleman (director of football) have done a tremendous job in getting players to come to the club," said Crooks.

New signings Rob Roberts and Neil Harmon, both former stars of Super League, were missing from last night's line-up but will make their debuts on Monday.

Wasps second-row Darren Crake has only seen brief glimpses of Roberts in training but believes he is worth coming to see.

"It was the best training session I've had for a while on Thursday, because of the numbers and because of the better players.

"Rob Roberts was brilliant. He can really throw the ball about, he has got a really good rugby brain and organises better," said Crake, who was full of praise for York's efforts last night.

They fielded another five newcomers in wingers Simon Wray and Phil Musgrave, stand-off Mark Spears, second rower Ryan Hardy and substitute John Gwillam.

But there was a noticeable difference in the standard of the debutants compared with some of the youngsters who have been thrown in at the deep end in recent weeks.

Crake, who joined Wasps from York Acorn in January, summed it up when he said: "Technically they are better and they've got a bit more bottle. There was more aggression, more organisation, more talk and more ability.

"I'm going to have to play for my position on Monday."

However, the 30-year-old admitted the Wasps had contributed to their own downfall last night.

He said: "We gave silly penalties away. Our discipline let us down, and I'll hold my hand up to that.

"I gave a couple of penalties away for retaliating but aside from that, a couple of tries they got were from our mistakes and the others were from playing a couple of good balls out which we couldn't argue with."

Crooks had a different outlook on the penalties conceded, making clear his opinion of referee Steve Addy.

"I'm not too pleased with the referee at all. I don't think he did us any favours.

"Both teams were lying on but we were the ones who continually got penalised. It's been ridiculous. I've made my feelings known to him," said the Wasps boss, who was also disappointed with the sin-binning of Alan Pallister for lying on.

Crooks believed York could have won the game but had few complaints. "We've made seven changes to the team, we've had one training session together and for the majority of the game we were as good as they were," he added.

dianne.hillaby@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 11:32 Saturday, April 14, 2001