'We will honour our fixtures' - Elliott

York Rugby League Club's chief executive Phil Elliott today declared the show must go on despite a walk-out by the club's entire first team squad.

Elliott told the Evening Press that the Wasps are confident of recruiting a fresh squad of players and honouring their remaining Second Division fixtures.

He rejected the notion of assistance from the Rugby Football League, insisting the club would act independently of the governing body.

"We are going to play Bramley on Sunday and we will take the actions we need to take independent of the Rugby Football League as a limited company to ensure we honour our fixtures," said Elliott.

He added that the intention was to ensure an RFL transfer embargo is lifted by paying Wakefield Trinity the money owed on Mick Ramsden's transfer.

The club would then use the money offered to - and rejected by - the existing squad to recruit new players, he claimed.

"This club will not fold. It is under what guise it goes forward. We now have monies available to do other things," he said.

"I would not put amateurs or Academy players into a side to play professional rugby. We would not field an unprofessional team against Bramley.

"There will be players out there that would want to pull on a shirt for York Rugby League Club."

Elliott added that it was a "great shame" the existing squad had voted to reject the club's 25 per cent pay offer.

"It is a great shame they would not go that extra mile and invest in their futures. I wonder where the majority of these players will earn the money they earned at York," he said.

"I have to say if the only motivation for players to play for the club was money, that is the wrong motivation. It is very depressing and upsetting.

"They clearly do not have York Rugby League Club at heart. If they believe that being told the truth and told exactly what the situation was face to face is not the right way of doing it, then I don't understand what they mean."

York's next home game is against Batley Bulldogs on Sunday, August 2.

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