YORK Wasps have called off their friendly with Featherstone Rovers to give the players more time to form a game-plan.

The two clubs were set to play a pre-season game at Rovers' Lionheart Stadium on Thursday.

Wasps chief executive Ann Garvey said: "Our coach (Leo Epifania) does not feel we have had enough time to get a good enough team plan together.

"He wants them to train more together before going into a match, plus we have got one or two niggling injuries. Basically, he feels it won't be beneficial to us to play the match."

The Wasps are now without a pre-season friendly prior to the opening match of the RL Premiership campaign against Whitehaven at Huntington Stadium on Sunday, December 2, and at present there are no plans to arrange one.

York's RL Premiership rivals Gateshead Thunder lost their opening pre-season friendly 36-8 to Sheffield Eagles.

Updated: 12:07 Tuesday, November 20, 2001