YORK Wasps players are to hold a behind-closed-doors meeting tonight to decide where to go from here.

They had been told by chairman John Stabler that as the Wasps were folding they were now free agents and as such could seek other clubs.

However, the indication is they are keen to play for the Wasps and stick by the club at least until the final nail is hammered into its coffin.

The players are to meet tonight at their scheduled training session.

"The players want to stay and play for York Wasps," star full-back Jamie Benn told the Evening Press today.

"The feeling is we want to stay together for as long as possible - hopefully we might get a new buyer."

He added: "We're still all a bit shocked. We were expecting something but not this, for them to say the club has collapsed.

"It just came up on us out of the blue. We were speechless.

"We are sorry for Leo (coach Leo Epifania) as much as anyone as he's come all the way from Australia and has put in a lot of effort.

"We (the players) are going to have a chat tomorrow and see where we go from here."

Benn said the possible formation of a supporters trust, like the one which helped save York City, was a good idea in principle.

"York RL is a professional rugby club that has been going for more than 100 years.

"Someone has got to keep that tradition going," he said.

Updated: 11:33 Thursday, March 21, 2002