York Wasps biggest game of the season so far could be in jeopardy unless players wages are met this week. The Wasps are due to travel to second placed Dewsbury Rams on Friday night in a crucial top five Premiership clash. But around one-third of the players and back room staff are still owed up to six weeks wages and could be forced to take action if they don't receive some answers.

However chief executive Jim Race insisted they would be paid by tomorrow and any further action would be avoided.

A source close to the club revealed that the players held a meeting last night and presented a written list of requests to the board of directors.

Their main demand, it is claimed, is that all the playing, coaching and backroom staff should be paid in full by tomorrow night. If that does not happen they will hold another meeting tomorrow to discuss what steps to take which could mean refusing to play at Ram Stadium on Friday.

Race confirmed the request had been made to the board but said the matter was in hand. He said: "The first part of the plan to bring the players up to speed with the wages they are owed will be implemented tomorrow.

"The second part to bring them bang up to date on the coming month is under negotiation. I'm not prepared to discuss any details of what that involves."

The source said morale at the club was low but stressed the players were trying to stay focused on Friday's match as they were still hopeful it would go ahead.

But their preparations for the game have been hampered as they have been unable to train on the Huntington Stadium pitch. The source claimed that on two occasions during the last fortnight - last Friday and on Monday night - they were not allowed onto the pitch because the club had not paid the rent to owners Courtneys.

Race denied that was the case and said they had turned up expecting to use the pitch on days which had not been pre-booked.

"We do not own the ground. Set dates are allocated for training which are booked at the start of the season. Sometimes the coaching staff tend to forget when it's booked. If they want to use it on other days they have to check with the stadium.

"We have to pay for every session and we only pay for so many. If they try turning up unexpected when it hasn't been booked they can't expect to get on."

Last night the team made alternative arrangements and trained on football pitches near the ground.

Wasps coach Dean Robinson is concentrating on keeping the players focused for the Premiership campaign and said: "I am declining to comment awaiting the outcome of a further players' meeting."

Meanwhile, cash-strapped Halifax Blue Sox are confident they can stave off a winding-up petition.

The West Yorkshire Super League outfit are due in the High Court next month after the Inland Revenue took action to recover around £150,000 owed to them by the club, who have run into cash-flow difficulties following their move from their old Thrum Hall ground to the revamped Shay.

"We are confident the petition will be discharged before the High Court date," said Halifax director Roger Harvey.

"The problem has been that we are still waiting for the sale of Thrum Hall and we have had to contribute towards the cost of two new stands at the Shay.

"Also, the money from Sky, although substantial, is less than last year and gate revenue has not been what we budgeted for."

Halifax, who were recently involved in a spat with their players over win bonuses, achieved a notable third-place finish in Super League last year despite running the club on a shoe-string budget in the absence of a major backer.

"We hope it's a short-term problem but the directors are substantially bankrolling the club and that cannot go on forever," warned Harvey.

"A lot will depend on whether the public and businesses of Halifax want a successful rugby league club."

From Wembley Way to Thanet Road - it's all in a week's work for York rugby league referee Dave Asquith.

The former Grade One official was the focus of worldwide attention on Saturday when he was called into action as the first video referee at a Challenge Cup final.

Tonight he pulls the boots back on to take charge of an under-16 match between York Schools and Scarborough Schools at Acorn's Thanet Road ground.

The eagle eye which allowed him to correctly award Martin Offiah's opening try for London Broncos at Wembley will once again have to be at its sharpest as some of North Yorkshire's most talented youngsters come face to face.

Players at the younger end of York Wasps' Academy squad will be on show for both sides, while Scarborough's impressive squad includes one youngster who has already attracted the attention of London Broncos. The match kicks off at 6.45pm.

York Wasps Supporters Club are running a coach to Friday's Premiership meeting with Dewsbury Rams. It leaves Huntington Stadium at 5.45pm, with various pick-up points. Contact Ann Garvey on 01759 380298.

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