YORK Wasps Premiership play-off hopes will be finished for good if anymore financial problems resurface this season.

That is the opinion of Wasps coach Dean Robinson who believes the directors must ensure the pay dispute which has played its part in two successive defeats does not happen again.

Speaking after last night's 30-4 defeat at mud-bath Ram Stadium, an obviously frustrated Robinson said: "We've had no preparation whatsoever since the Rochdale fixture. This situation cost us the second division championship last year and if we don't get our act together it's going to cost us the top five this year.

"I hope people will start to pull together and rally the cause or it's going to be a long hard season.

"I feel frustrated for the players. Two weeks ago we demolished Oldham playing some of the best rugby we've ever played. We were on the crest of a wave then 24 hours later we are in crisis.

"The club has never had as much wealth coming into the coffers and here we are back in this situation. I thought we'd have learned from the mistakes last season and moved on.

"I think it's for the directors to address the situation and make sure that what damage has been done now is the last damage that's done this year. We can't afford anymore problems or our top five aspirations will be out the window.

"We have to regroup as a club, not just after this game, and I'm confident of putting the show back on the road. If there are anymore financial problems then I fear the worst for York Rugby League Club."

They were strong words from Robinson who admitted he did not even know if the game would be played 24 hours earlier as the players had threatened to down tools if they were not paid.

That was resolved on the eve of last night's match with Dewsbury Rams, who went top of the Northern Ford Premiership, but Robinson said: "I believe we were beaten 10 days ago when all this started."

While he can do little about events off the pitch, Robinson revealed he now expects to re-build and is envisgaing some comings and goings in the next couple of weeks.

"There are one or two individuals in the camp who have lost heart in the club and lost their appetitie with what's happened in the last 10 days. That's something I'll have to address next week to see if they want to stay here or go to pastures new. I foresee one or two players leaving and bringing in some fresh faces, I have a couple of people in mind," said Robinson.

Of the match itself, the Wasps coach was not critical of referee Nick Oddy for not abandoning the game at half-time despite the appalling state of the pitch which was standing under inches of water.

"When it had got to its worst state I thought the match had gone on too long. It would have been harsh on Dewsbury to have called it off. But the last 20 minutes it was no more than a lottery. If 15 or 20 minutes into the game the pitch had been in that state he would probably have had no choice to call it off."

Dewsbury coach Neil Kelly, however, would happily have given York an early escape. He said: "Just before half-time the rain became torrential. I wouldn't have had any qualms if he had called time them."

Wasps captain John Strange refused to use the pitch as an excuse and said: "They had the same conditions as us. There was a lack of commitment and a lack of communication in attack and defence. When we got behind we struggled to fight back."

Of the events of the last two weeks he added: "Rugby league is a game where you have to be 100 per cent focused or things start slipping. But we still know we could have beaten Dewsbury."

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