YORK Wasps coach Leo Epifania is set to return home to Australia on Wednesday - despite receiving new offers of work in England.

The Aussie has admitted a few opportunities had arisen for him in England following the closure of the Wasps last Tuesday but were not enough for him to stay in the country this year.

He said he would stay in rugby league, however, and use his contacts back home to find a new coaching job.

"There have been a couple of people I've spoken to but it was hard for any interest to be more than it was because most clubs have the main positions filled," he told the Evening Press.

"Something will come up back home. It's a matter of what it will be, as the competition has kicked off there too."

Epifania has given his backing to the fans' bid to resurrect the Wasps but, as his coaching role was his sole job in England, could not afford to wait for the outcome.

However, he has not ruled out a return to England some time in the future. "I don't know what will happen but you never say never."

Epifania, meanwhile, is not going to lose faith in his ability as a coach despite suffering a stressful few months at the Huntington Stadium helm.

"I assessed myself every week, all coaches do," he said. "I looked at what we did in training, what I taught the players, whether I prepared them right, whether there's anything I've missed, that sort of thing.

"Better coaches than me have taught me and I can't see what I've done wrong. I've learned things off international coaches and players back home, and I've no doubts the coaching side of things at Wasps was good."

Epifania has also given his backing to the quality in the Northern Ford Premiership.

"The standard in the NFP is pretty good, at least among the top sides," he said.

"There are some top players, really good players around. It's probably what I expected."

Epifania - who played more than 100 matches in the Australian Rugby League (now the National Rugby League) and played and coached in the Metropolitan Cup, the Aussie equivalent of the NFP - added: "The play-the-balls are a bit slower over here, usually because of the referees, but generally the standards (of the NFP and Metro Cup) are probably similar."

Several York Wasps fans have been in contact with the Evening Press to have their say on the crisis at Huntington Stadium.

Updated: 11:34 Monday, April 01, 2002