Chairman Trevor Cox was today preparing a rescue package aimed at bringing York Rugby League Club's players back into the fold.

The chairman was expected to meet the players tonight and present a series of proposals aimed at ending the boycott.

It is believed the club have rejected an offer from an unnamed businessman interested in investing money into the club.

The potential backer was reported to have insisted on former Wasps star St John Ellis, who has quit as assistant boss at Hunslet Hawks, taking over as coach.

Rugby Football League chief executive Neil Tunnicliffe was today confident of finding a solution to the crisis following an initial report from the RFL's club controller of finances David Woods.

Wasps' assistant coach John Paterson also declared he was "hopeful" that Cox's plan may win the backing of the players, who voted unanimously on Tuesday to quit the club unless drastic changes were made at board level.

Said Paterson: "We had been asked to contact the players with a view to turning out on Sunday should the position change.

"The situation is things have changed slightly and we have a couple of things to put to the players tonight which hopefully mean we can train tomorrow and Saturday and turn a team out on Sunday.

"There may be a possibility that we can ask for a postponement to Wednesday to get ourselves back on track."

However, he said the decision was entirely in the hands of the players.

"It is dependent on their acceptance. There is an offer on the table which we think they may accept. There are other things the players are asking for regarding board members that has to be addressed.

"If the players reject it then everything is back in the air again. You cannot blame the club for wanting to seek another option as regards this backer.

"We cannot speak for the players and if some refuse then we are back to where we were."

Chief executive Phil Elliott and coach Dean Robinson today declined to comment on the situation and Cox and Ellis were unavailable to comment.

Tunnicliffe, meanwhile, declared that failure to reach an agreement by Friday could lead to a postponement of Sunday's Second Division game at Bramley.

The governing body yesterday launched an investigation into the financial problems at Huntington Stadium, with Woods spending the day in talks with directors.

Woods was, ironically, already due to visit the club yesterday for a routine visit to general manager Mick Scaife.

Tunnicliffe said: "He was going on a routine visit anyway. It just makes it more pointed."

The chief executive declared that discussions would continue today and tomorrow in a bid to resolve the dispute between the board and the players.

Said Tunnicliffe: "All we can say is discussions are on-going and we have acquainted ourselves with the financial situation.

"There have been discussions with directors and I would hope that they will continue over the next couple of days with a view to things being resolved tomorrow.

"We have found out the financial circumstances and talked to directors and other various parties."

Speaking about the possibility of re-scheduling the Bramley game, he added: "It is obviously a concern if clubs are threatened with being unable to fulfil fixtures. But I am confident we can find a resolution.

"If the worst comes to the worst, I think the fixture will be postponed but our job is to make sure things are resolved to safeguard the Bramley match."

Tunnicliffe declined to discuss the extent of the club's financial problems but claimed the RFL had successfully solved similar troubles at other clubs.

"In the majority of cases we have managed to help directors settle their affairs and there is no reason to believe we can't do the same," he said.

Forwards Craig Booth and Stuart Flowers have been dealt an international blow on top of their York Rugby League Club exile.

The duo were omitted from Scotland's final 24-man squad to face Ireland and France in this winter's Clash of the Nations series.

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