A POTENTIAL points avalanche should be enough to spur York Wasps onto a grandstand finish to the 2001 season, according to coach Lee Crooks.

The Wasps face the toughest possible end to the campaign with their three remaining games all against teams in the top four of the Northern Ford Premiership.

Tomorrow's trip to fourth-placed Featherstone is followed by a home clash with second- placed Widnes then a visit to league winners Leigh.

All three teams have the potential to inflict even more humiliation on the Wasps and Crooks hopes that will act as a major motivating factor.

"Featherstone have been going on in their local press about a big win and boosting their points tally against us and that should be incentive enough for the players.

"It rubs me up the wrong way and it rubs the players up the wrong way.

"In the last two games it doesn't bear thinking about what Leigh and Widnes could do to us. The players have got a duty to themselves more than anything else to go out and give 100 per cent.

"That's what I've been trying to put over to them. There's no better platform for them to go out and make a name for themselves. We've got to treat each game as a cup tie and the first one's on Sunday."

The Wasps signed five trialists ahead of yesterday's deadline to ensure there is cover for injuries over the last three games.

Two of those, prop Carl Sayers, who has been playing in Featherstone's Alliance side, and hooker or half-back Steve Thickbroom, from Castleford Lock Lane, are both on the bench tomorrow.

Thickbroom signed for Dewsbury two years ago but did not make the grade and drifted back into the amateur game.

The other trialists are former Featherstone, Batley and Chorley player Lee Bargate, ex-Leeds hooker Joel Nelson, who has signed from amateurs Hunslet Warriors, and Omar Mehdi, also from the Warriors.

Missing from the Wasps line-up tomorrow will be prop Andy Hutchinson who was handed a one-match ban for a reckless high tackle after being put on report against Sheffield.

He will be replaced in the starting line-up by Andy Precious who returned for his first game since the opening day of the season last week.

Also out through injury are winger Simon Wray and loose forward Mick Ramsden, both of whom could return for the Widnes game next week.

Crooks is also hoping Shaun Austerfield will hand him a boost next week by coming back to the club when he returns from holiday.

Featherstone coach Peter Roe, assistant to Yorkshire coach Crooks for the Origin Game, said: "York have had many problems this year and have conceded well over 1,000 points but we have to apply a ruthless approach to the game as points difference could be crucial at the end of the season.

"The players will have to be switched on with the job in hand."

Roe has a doubt over star hooker Richard Chapman. He took a heavy knock in their 24-8 win at Hunslet last week.

Danny Seal and former York prop Craig Booth are still on the injured list.

Updated: 11:11 Saturday, June 16, 2001