ACE half-back Paddy Handley believes York Wasps are ahead of the game in the Northern Ford Premiership, despite being at the wrong end of the table.

The 24-year-old stand-off reckons the Wasps have set an example for other NFP clubs to follow as regards the new pay structure at the club whereby players get a percentage of gate receipts.

With the York club having come through their financial crisis, he believes that could give them an advantage in future seasons.

"It's been a bit traumatic with the new wage structure and so on, but I see this as a new start for us," he told the Evening Press.

"I think three quarters of NFP clubs in two or three years will do what York have done as regards pay.

"I think we're ahead of the game and hopefully we'll be sorted in two years' time or so when others go through turmoil."

Handley signed for Wasps in August last year and has remained upbeat despite the troubles.

"All the players that stayed are 100 per cent committed to the club and the new lads seem to be doing the job okay.

"We just need to build on it, but it's all positive for us now."

Handley was speaking ahead of tomorrow's NFP clash with his old club, Featherstone Rovers, at Huntington Stadium.

And being an old Rovers' favourite, he knows who to look out for if the Wasps are to shock the visitors, who moved fifth in the table with a defeat of Hunslet on Wednesday.

"It's easy for everyone to say Jamie Rooney, but for me the real dangerman is hooker Richard Chapman. He's Super League material and if he gets in full flow around the ruck area he will cause a lot of problems."

As for scrum-half Rooney, the NFP's young player of the year, Handley added: "He's an excellent player. I played alongside him for a couple of years and we got a good partnership going."

York homeboy Handley - he started as a youngster at Heworth - first signed professionally for Leeds, spending three years at Headingley before moving to Featherstone in 1987.

"Leeds didn't want me to go but I wanted first team rugby and 'Fev' offered me that. I enjoyed it there and was a bit upset when I left."

He said a combination of less travelling, Lee Crooks as coach and the fact he has a young family in York persuaded him to sign at Huntington Stadium, which is just five minutes from his home.

"'Fev' offered me a contract but I always wanted to play for my home-town club," he said.

"I'd known Lee Crooks a few years - we did our level three coaching together - and I did not need much persuading to come."

As for the Wasps' chances of following the Challenge Cup defeat of Oulton with their first league win, he added: "We all want it but we've got to be clever with the ball as well as committed, and a lot of that's up to me and (half-back partner) Gareth Stephens."

Chris Allen has been ruled out of tomorrow's clash after suffering a burst blood vessel in his leg, with Spencer Hargrave taking his place in a reshuffled 13.

Shaun Austerfield (thigh), Paul Butterfield (concussion) and Mick Hagan are all okay after recovering from knocks picked up in that game.

Crooks said: "Featherstone are probably one of the form teams at the moment, but we've got our first win under our belts and there's an air of confidence in the squad."

Tomorrow's Teams:

YORK WASPS: Darling, Oulton, Moore, Lloyd, Butterfield, Handley, Stephens, Forsyth, Pallister, Hagan, Crake, Austerfield, Hargrave. Subs: from Hutchinson, Waite, Dobson, Tichener, Hoggard, Pincher, Briggs.

FEATHERSTONE ROVERS from Bramald, Stokes, Dooler, Swinson, Simpson, Bastow, Rooney, Dickens, Chapman, Morgan, Evans, Lowe, Darley, Gibson, Barnett, Helliwell, Clarkson.

Updated: 10:56 Saturday, February 03, 2001