Non-Super League clubs, including York Wasps, are to review the timing of their winter season.

A six-strong working party has been set up to examine whether to shift the start date of the Northern Ford Premiership once more.

The current season began on December 4, three weeks earlier than the previous year, and there is a call to kick off the campaign as early as October, immediately after the Super League Grand Final.

The debate comes in the wake of further disruption to the Premiership season, with frost and snow wiping out all of yesterday's nine NFP fixtures.

Chris Hamilton, chairman of the Association of Premiership Clubs who will head up the working party, said: "The weather has to be taken into account. It's a very pertinent reminder of what can happen.

"We have been fortunate in the last couple of seasons in terms of the weather and this is perhaps a timely reminder to make sure we don't lose focus of what can happen."

The working group will canvass the opinions of all 19 NFP clubs before they convene on February 7.

Wasps' match at home to Gateshead Thunder yesterday was called off following a 10am pitch inspection.

The Wasps have now suffered two postponements in succession following the calling off of last week's home clash with Sheffield Eagles. That match has been rearranged for Sunday, February 25, subject to neither team reaching the fifth round of the Silk Cut Challenge Cup, but no new date has yet been set for Wasps' match with Thunder.

The previous day the bulk of the National Cup fixtures were postponed, including the games involving Heworth, New Earswick All Blacks and York Acorn.

Updated: 11:50 Monday, January 22, 2001