Winger tips Wasps for brighter future

The Wasps top try scorer last season has put pen to paper on a new one-year contract, with an option for a further year, to end the speculation about his future.

He had been linked with a move away from Huntington Stadium ever since the start of last season's off-field problems. But now he is ready to give his all to the Wasps cause and help them become one of the surprise forces in the first division.

"I've had a bit of interest from other first division clubs but if I was going to play in the first division then I would rather be with York, my home town club.

"Most of the lads from last year are back with us and they've all got the bit between their teeth and training hard. We'll definitely surprise some of the bigger sides in the division and I think we can finish in the top eight," declared Deakin, who has been keeping his hand in with York Rugby Union Club during the winter.

He spent some of last season on the sidelines after refusing to turn out when the club were unable to pay the players' wages.

But he returned soon after to help the Wasps to promotion, finishing the season with 15 league and cup tries to make him the joint top scorer in the second division.

Now a new wave of optimism is sweeping through the club after the upheaval of last season and Deakin admits the appointment of a new administration team, in the form of chief executive Jim Race, consultant Roland Davis and commercial manager Mark Brayshaw, was one of the major factors in his decision to commit himself to York.

"I'm sure things will be run properly from now on and we've had assurances from the board that they will," said the former Leeds and Hull wingman.

"I think we have the right team now, on and off the field. There's an excellent spirit at the club. The feeling within the side is that getting promotion has got York back on centre stage.

"The side we had last year could have also done well in the first division. Wakefield are in Super League now and we beat them the year before last so there's no reason why we can't do well."

Deakin believes the signing of Salford Reds' former New Zealand Test player Peter Richards, whose ability he has witnessed first hand, will be a major influence on the rest of the side.

But he claims that hooker, where utility man Richards has played during his three-year career at the Willows, is not his best position.

"He's a great signing. I played against him at Salford a couple of times when I was at Hull. He's tough in defence and a great organiser.

"But I think he'd be wasted at hooker. I'd like to see him at loose forward or possibly scrum half. He'll make a lot of us pull our socks up and get us in line like in Super League.

"It shows how ambitious this club is by going and signing a player like that. Just because he's come here doesn't mean he's past Super League. He's still a first class player."

Richards is not the only quality player who will be competing in the first division this year, which is one reason why Deakin, who would like to see the Wasps move in with York City at Bootham Crescent to boost attendances, is urging the fans to turn out in their droves at Huntington Stadium.

Said Deakin: "I'm hoping people will come and support us. We were getting over 1,000 at the end of last season which was a real turnaround from the start of the year and there's no reason why we can't get 2-3,000.

"If the public want to see good quality rugby they've got the chance. A lot of Super League players are coming down to first division and it's going to be as competitive, if not more so, than Super League.

"Quite a big gap has developed within Super League which showed last season but the first division showed that it is very competitive.

"I think Widnes are going to be a strong side this season and Lancashire Lynx will be a hard side to beat. But we will surprise a few teams and I hope we'll be able to put York back on the rugby league map."

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