York Wasps will take on Leigh Centurions this Thursday at Huntington Stadium (kick-off 7.30) after frost forced the postponement of the match yesterday.

The decision to call off the game was taken at 10am yesterday morning following a pitch inspection by local referee Dave Asquith.

It cost the Wasps a big pay-day as NFP leaders Leigh had predicted they would bring more than 1,000 fans, almost certainly resulting in York's biggest attendance of the season.

Explaining the decision to call the game off, chief executive Ann Garvey said: "I spoke to Paul (Terzis), Leigh's coach, and he said they would be setting off between 10.15 and 10.30.

"Dave Asquith came down at 10am and the pitch was frozen solid. There was no sun here and it was very cloudy so he couldn't see it being passed by noon. What it would have been like at 3pm was unsure.

"Nobody is more disappointed than the club that it has had to be cancelled."It was going to be a big gate. I was inundated with calls on Saturday about the chances of the game going ahead because people were going to come for the weekend so as well as the club, the city of York has missed out."

Coach Lee Crooks questioned the decision to call the game off so early. He said: "It's cost the club money we can't afford to lose. Now it's going to be midweek and we're back to the same old scenario of a few hundred people coming down."

The Wasps had earmarked a Tuesday or Thursday for the rearranged fixture as the Stadium is booked for athletics on Wednesdays. This morning they moved quickly to finalise the game for Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the Wasps have taken New Earswick All Blacks winger-cum-centre Andy Innes on trial.

Innes, who has played for York Academy, was drafted into the squad for yesterday's game following the late withdrawal of Craig Moore, who has been playing with a dislocated thumb.

Innes would have been on the bench while debuts would also have been handed to full-back Martin Hunt and prop Andy Hutchinson, who have been brought in from Lock Lane and Beverley respectively.

All three could still play a part on Thursday, depending on the fitness of Moore, Craig Forsyth, Shaun Austerfield and Paddy Handley. They had all been ruled out of yesterday's game but recover in time to play on Thursday.

Updated: 12:52 Monday, March 05, 2001